Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (1986) Cited 236,273 times 38 Legal AnalysesHolding that summary judgment is not appropriate if "the dispute about a material fact is ‘genuine,’ that is, if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party"
Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio
475 U.S. 574 (1986) Cited 113,147 times 38 Legal AnalysesHolding that, on summary judgment, antitrust plaintiffs "must show that the inference of conspiracy is reasonable in light of the competing inferences of independent action or collusive action that could not have harmed" them
Department of Interior v. Klamath Water Users Prot. A.
532 U.S. 1 (2001) Cited 1,009 times 1 Legal AnalysesHolding that the determination that records are not inter- or intra-agency "rules out any application of Exemption 5"
Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Sears, Roebuck & Co.
421 U.S. 132 (1975) Cited 2,041 times 7 Legal AnalysesHolding that FOIA does not compel agencies to write or create material to explain disclosed documents
Brayton v. Office of the United States Trade Representative
641 F.3d 521 (D.C. Cir. 2011) Cited 571 timesHolding that even if the plaintiff was eligible to receive attorney fees, he was not entitled to an award because the government's initial position refusing the FOIA request was legally correct
Larson v. Department of State
565 F.3d 857 (D.C. Cir. 2009) Cited 598 timesHolding that information provided by CHS that could reveal the identity of intelligence source was properly withheld
Vaughn v. Rosen
484 F.2d 820 (D.C. Cir. 1973) Cited 1,966 times 1 Legal AnalysesHolding that an indexing system was necessary in FOIA cases to " assure that a party's right to information is not submerged beneath governmental obfuscation and mischaracterization, and permit the Court system effectively and efficiently to evaluate the factual nature of disputed information."
Sussman v. U.S. Marshals
494 F.3d 1106 (D.C. Cir. 2007) Cited 553 timesHolding that the Act grants access to only those records that are “about” the requestor, “not to all information pertaining to them that happens to be contained in a system of records”
American Civil Lib. v. U.S. of Dept. of Def.
628 F.3d 612 (D.C. Cir. 2011) Cited 449 timesHolding that documents must have been made public through an "official and documented disclosure by the government"
Coastal States Gas Corp. v. Dept. of Energy
617 F.2d 854 (D.C. Cir. 1980) Cited 1,184 times 2 Legal AnalysesHolding that when agency auditors communicate information from third parties to the agency's regional counsel and ask for legal advice, the regional counsel's written responses containing "neutral, objective analyses of agency regulations" are not privileged
Rule 56 - Summary Judgment
Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 Cited 328,826 times 158 Legal AnalysesHolding a party may move for summary judgment on any part of any claim or defense in the lawsuit
Section 552 - Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings
5 U.S.C. § 552 Cited 12,171 times 556 Legal AnalysesHolding that the Court's entering of a “Stipulation and Order” approving the parties' terms of dismissal did not amount to a “court-ordered consent decree” that would render the plaintiff the prevailing party
Section 1746 - Unsworn declarations under penalty of perjury
28 U.S.C. § 1746 Cited 10,035 times 17 Legal AnalysesPermitting the use of declarations instead
Section 551 - Definitions
5 U.S.C. § 551 Cited 4,745 times 69 Legal AnalysesAdopting the definition set out in the APA
Section 552a - Records maintained on individuals
5 U.S.C. § 552a Cited 4,429 times 47 Legal AnalysesFinding that it is a Department of Justice component that has as its principal function the enforcement of criminal laws includ[ing] correctional authorities