Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Bar Association will present insights into the current state of information requests and reporting of sensitive information at a seminar on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on May 15.

Titled “FOIA 2.0: Critical Updates Explained,” the seminar is intended for attorneys, government officials, media organizations and reporters, according to the event announcement.

Speakers will include Barbara Adams, senior counsel at Holland & Knight LLP; Rob Olmstead, executive director of the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission; Sarah Pratt, public access counselor with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General; and Matthew Topic, outside general counsel for the Better Government Association and a partner at Loevy & Loevy.

The seminar will cover how FOIA affects government and public correspondence conducted on personal email accounts, how governments handle FOIA requests, and BGA vs. Illinois High School Association, a case currently in the Illinois Supreme Court.

The event, at the bar association's headquarters in Chicago, costs $100 for non-Chicago Bar Association members and $50 for members. Chicago Bar Association law students can attend for $25, while press can attend for free with credentials. The event is scheduled for noon to 2:10 p.m.