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Case TitleNATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK et al v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2024cv02217
Date Filed2024-07-29
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Sparkle L. Sooknanan
PlaintiffNATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK
PlaintiffGLOBAL IMPACT SOCIAL WELFARE FUND D/B/A ACCOUNTABLE TECH
Case Description---National Student Legal Defense Network and Accountable Tech submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Education for records concerning the Facebook or Meta platform. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. After hearing nothing further from the agency, NSLDN and Auto Tech filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, 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

2024-07-291COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11057134) filed by NATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK, GLOBAL IMPACT SOCIAL WELFARE FUND. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons)(Rothschild, Eric) (Entered: 07/29/2024)
2024-07-292LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by NATIONAL STUDENT LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK (Rothschild, Eric) (Entered: 07/29/2024)
2024-07-293LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by GLOBAL IMPACT SOCIAL WELFARE FUND (Rothschild, Eric) (Entered: 07/29/2024)
2024-07-30Case Assigned to Judge Amy Berman Jackson. (zmtm) (Entered: 07/30/2024)
2024-07-304SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmtm) (Entered: 07/30/2024)
2024-08-055RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 8/5/2024. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 9/4/2024.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 8/5/2024., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION served on 8/2/2024 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit EXHIBIT A - Combined Proof of Service)(Rothschild, Eric) (Entered: 08/05/2024)
2024-08-296NOTICE of Appearance by Sian Jones on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 08/29/2024)
2024-09-037Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to File by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Jones, Sian) (Entered: 09/03/2024)
2024-09-03MINUTE ORDER granting 7 Motion for Extension of Time. Defendant must respond to the complaint by September 19, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 9/3/2024. (lcabj1) (Entered: 09/03/2024)
2024-09-198ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.(Jones, Sian) (Entered: 09/19/2024)
2024-09-20MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. The requirements of Local Civil Rule 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure appear to be inapplicable. Defendant must file a dispositive motion or, in the alternative, a report setting forth the schedule for the completion of its production of documents to plaintiff, on or before October 11, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 9/20/2024. (lcabj1) (Entered: 09/20/2024)
2024-10-119STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Jones, Sian) (Entered: 10/11/2024)
2024-10-16MINUTE ORDER. In light of 9 the defendant's status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must provide the Court with a further joint status report by January 9, 2025. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 10/16/2024. (lcabj1) (Entered: 10/16/2024)
2025-01-07Case directly reassigned to Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan. Judge Amy Berman Jackson is no longer assigned to the case. (ztnr) (Entered: 01/07/2025)
2025-01-0810Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 01/08/2025)
2025-02-04MINUTE ORDER: In light of 10 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a further status report by March 8, 2025. Signed by Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on 2/4/2025. (lcah) (Entered: 02/04/2025)
2025-03-0711Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 03/07/2025)
2025-03-10MINUTE ORDER: In light of the Parties' 11 Joint Status Report, the Court ORDERS the Parties to file a further joint status report by May 9, 2025. Signed by Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on 3/10/2025. (lcah) (Entered: 03/10/2025)
2025-05-0912Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 05/09/2025)
2025-05-14MINUTE ORDER: In light of the Parties' 12 Joint Status Report, the Court directs the Parties to appear for a Status Conference on July 17, 2025, at 10:00 AM in Courtroom 14 before Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan and to file a further joint status report in advance of that conference by July 10, 2025. Signed by Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on 5/14/2025. (lcah) (Entered: 05/14/2025)
2025-07-1013Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 07/10/2025)
2025-07-17Minute Entry for Status Conference held before Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on 7/17/2025. The parties are directed to file a Joint Status Report due by 7/24/2025. (Court Reporter: Bryan Wayne) (lsj) (Entered: 07/17/2025)
2025-07-2414Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 07/24/2025)
2025-07-25MINUTE ORDER: In light of the Parties' 14 Joint Status Report, the Court ORDERS the Department of Education to file a further status report by July 28, 2025, that reports on how long the Department needs to prepare a Vaughn index. Signed by Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on 7/25/2025. (lcrk) (Entered: 07/25/2025)
2025-07-2815STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (Jones, Sian) (Entered: 07/28/2025)
2025-07-29MINUTE ORDER: In light of the Defendant's 15 Status Report, the Court ORDERS the Defendant to provide the Plaintiff with a Vaughn index by October 27, 2025. The Court further ORDERS the Parties to file a further joint status report by August 28, 2025, that addresses the Plaintiffs outstanding questions to the Defendant. Signed by Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan on 7/29/2025. (lcrk) (Entered: 07/29/2025)
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