This guide covers public records and open meetings law from the drafting of a request to a judgment. It sets out the federal Freedom of Information Act structure, the definition of a record, and the coverage limits that surprise requesters. It treats the nine exemptions individually with the decisions that define them, and explains the foreseeable harm requirement that converted them from permissions into justifications. It covers fee categories, waivers, expedited processing, the administrative appeal that most requesters skip, and the litigation posture in which an agency bears the burden. It compares state acts, which are frequently faster and more favorable, and covers open meetings law including notice, closed session exceptions, and remedies. Records retention, proactive disclosure, and drafting craft close it out.