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Case TitleNATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv03254
Date Filed2019-10-29
Date Closed2020-07-02
JudgeJudge Tanya S. Chutkan
PlaintiffNATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK
Case DescriptionThe National Student Legal Defense Network submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Education for records concerning communications between agency officials and representatives of specific firms pertaining to a list of keywords. NSLDN also requested a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request and granted NSLDN's request for a fee waiver. The agency told NSLDN that it needed to provide domain names to search for emails from outside firms. NSLDN provided the domain names. The agency told NSLDN that its request qualified for unusual circumstances. After hearing nothing further from the agency, NSLDN filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-10-291COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number ADCDC-6488138) filed by NATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons)(Elson, Alexander) (Entered: 10/29/2019)
2019-10-292LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by NATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK (Elson, Alexander) (Entered: 10/29/2019)
2019-10-31Case assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. (zmc) (Entered: 10/31/2019)
2019-10-313SUMMONS (1) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmc) (Entered: 10/31/2019)
2019-11-064RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION served on 11/5/2019, RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 11/06/2019., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 11/6/2019. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 12/6/2019.) (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A)(Elson, Alexander) (Entered: 11/06/2019)
2019-11-275NOTICE of Appearance by Marina Utgoff Braswell on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 11/27/2019)
2019-12-066ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.(Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 12/06/2019)
2019-12-06MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. The requirements of LCvR 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil procedure appear to be inapplicable. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and propose a schedule for proceeding in this matter. The schedule shall address the status of Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated number of documents responsive to Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated date(s) for release of the documents requested by Plaintiff, whether a motion for an Open America stay is likely in this case, whether a Vaughn index will be required in this case, whether and when either party anticipates filing a dispositive motion, and any other pertinent issues. The parties shall file a joint status report that addresses these issues no later than 1/10/20. The joint status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 12/6/19. (DJS) (Entered: 12/06/2019)
2019-12-10Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 1/10/2020. (tb) (Entered: 12/10/2019)
2020-01-107Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 01/10/2020)
2020-01-138NOTICE of Appearance by Alice Yao on behalf of NATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK (Yao, Alice) (Entered: 01/13/2020)
2020-01-17MINUTE ORDER: Having considered the parties' joint status report 7 , it is hereby ordered that the parties shall file another joint status report and proposed order by February 27, 2020. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 1/17/2020. (DJS) (Entered: 01/17/2020)
2020-01-17Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 2/27/2020. (tb) (Entered: 01/17/2020)
2020-01-179NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Brenda A. Gonzalez on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Substituting for attorney Marina Utgoff Braswell (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 01/17/2020)
2020-02-2510Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 02/25/2020)
2020-03-02MINUTE ORDER: Having considered the parties' joint status report 10 , it is hereby ordered that the parties shall file another joint report by April 7, 2020, and every 60 days thereafter. To the extent the report contains a proposed briefing schedule, the report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 3/2/2020. (DJS) (Entered: 03/02/2020)
2020-03-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 4/7/2020. (tb) (Entered: 03/04/2020)
2020-04-0611Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 04/06/2020)
2020-05-0712Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 05/07/2020)
2020-06-0513NOTICE of Appearance by Michael A. Tilghman on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 06/05/2020)
2020-06-0514Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 06/05/2020)
2020-06-09MINUTE ORDER: Having considered the parties' joint status report 14 it is hereby ordered that the parties shall file another joint report by 7/6/2020 and every 30 days thereafter. To the extent the parties propose to change the status quo, the report shall include a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 6/9/2020. (DJS) (Entered: 06/09/2020)
2020-06-09Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/6/2020. (tb) (Entered: 06/09/2020)
2020-06-2915STIPULATION of Dismissal with Prejudice by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 06/29/2020)
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