MFIA Clinic Hosts FOIA Bootcamp with Leading Experts in Media Law
In March, the Media Freedom and Information Access (MFIA) clinic hosted its 12th annual FOIA Bootcamp, offering attendees a comprehensive introduction to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and practical strategies for filing effective public records requests. For more than a decade, the Bootcamp has served as a hub for investigative journalists, legal experts, and transparency advocates to come together and help the public leverage FOIA in the pursuit of government accountability.
This year’s event welcomed journalists, activists, students, and academics — whether newcomers to FOIA or experienced requesters — who received hands-on guidance from professionals with deep expertise in records access and media law. The discussion covered key topics such as identifying when to file a FOIA request, how to write compelling and legally sound requests, strategies for working with FOIA officers, and navigating bureaucratic barriers.
The panel featured Al-Amyn Sumar, senior counsel at The New York Times; Jason Leopold, senior investigative reporter at Bloomberg News; and Tim Tai, the First Amendment Fellow at The New York Times and a recent MFIA grad. Sumar, who advises on newsroom legal matters including prepublication review, libel, and FOIA litigation, drew on his broad legal experience in press law. Leopold, a renowned investigative journalist and recipient of multiple national reporting awards, shared insights from years of FOIA-based reporting and litigation. Tai contributed his perspective on supporting reporters through legal issues related to newsgathering, records access, and defamation.
The discussion was moderated by Clinical Lecturer in Law Jennifer Borg, of counsel at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. Borg helped guide the conversation toward practical takeaways, reinforcing the Bootcamp’s goal of equipping attendees with the knowledge and confidence to use FOIA as a powerful tool for public interest work.
This year’s FOIA Bootcamp reaffirmed its role as a key educational event for those seeking to hold institutions accountable and shed light on government operations through the strategic use of public records, according to the organizers.
Read about the FOIA Bootcamp in the Yale Daily News5
The MFIA Clinic at Yale Law School6 is dedicated to increasing government transparency, defending the essential work of news gatherers, and protecting freedom of expression through impact litigation, direct legal services, and policy work.
