Taylor Porter’s Public Records team have valuable years of experience in working with municipal, parish, and state agencies, as well as companies from various industries, on all the complex intricacies of public records requests, and, in particular, the Louisiana Public Records Law. The Louisiana Public Records Law, also known as Louisiana’s Sunshine Laws, is designed to ensure that public records are preserved and open to the public. It grants any person the right to inspect and reproduce public documents in the possession of the state and its political subdivisions.
Our attorneys assist clients with both submitting and responding to public records requests. Generally, public records must be kept for at least three years. Other records, such as conveyance and mortgage records, must be retained permanently.
Public records can include
- Books, papers, letters, pictures, maps, drawings, recordings, or other documentary materials.
- Microfilm and electronic information such as email and any database information.
- Public business, such as an email or text, on a private account is generally still considered a public record.
- Certain records are kept private because of their sensitive nature. Examples of records that are not open to the public:
- Budget proposal research and trade secrets of companies
- Hospital and medical information
- Insurance, health & accident information
- Criminal case investigation files
- Economic development negotiations
- Governor’s communication concerning decision-making
- Identifiable personal information
Representative Experience:
- Establishing right of public access under the Louisiana Public Records Act to applications for public employment.
- Assisting municipal, parish, and state governmental agencies and public bodies in the application of Louisiana sunshine law, including the Open Meetings and Public Records Acts.
- Defending clients in litigation arising out of public records requests and alleged violations thereof.
- Counseling on public records requests and freedom of information.
- Representing newspapers, TV stations, and radio outlets in public records requests.
- Representing universities and educational entities in public records requests.
- Preserving constitutionality of case-specific epidemiological data gathered by state health officials and medical researchers.
- Assisting clients with the organization and storage of electronic and paper records.
- Establishing a formal retention schedule with the Secretary of State for your agency.
- Assisting clients with proper protocol and procedures for responding to public records requests.
- Determining any exceptions that would eliminate the obligation to produce requested records.
Public records requests can be complex, and the laws vary by state. Our attorneys can assist public and private sector clients with navigating the myriad of public record laws in the locales where they do business.
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