Texas Gov Law · Public Information Act

Texas Public Information Act response counsel for public bodies.

PIA request triage, Attorney General opinion requests under Section 552.301, redaction counsel, and 10 business day window response. Austin, San Antonio, and statewide Texas public bodies.

A Texas Public Information Act request that arrives on a Friday afternoon is on a 10 business day clock that does not pause for the body's weekly meeting cadence. Bodies that miss the window, miss the AG opinion request, or release information that should have been protected create a fight that costs more than the underlying record.

When Texas public bodies bring us in on a PIA matter

A PIA request has arrived that touches information the body believes is protected under one of the Government Code Chapter 552 exceptions.
An Attorney General opinion request needs to go out under Section 552.301 within the 10 business day window and the brief has to be ready before the clock runs.
A mass PIA filing has hit the body after a public controversy and the requests need to be triaged and responded to in volume.
A requestor has alleged the body's response was incomplete or untimely and a complaint has been filed with the Attorney General or in district court.
The body wants a PIA response protocol and redaction playbook in place before the next controversy generates the next request flood.

What a PIA engagement covers

For an active request we work the 10 business day clock from the inbound timestamp. We identify which records are responsive, which fall under a Chapter 552 exception, which require AG opinion review, and which can be released after redaction. We draft the AG opinion request brief if the timeline supports one, prepare the redacted production for the records the body will release, and draft the cost estimate notice if the request volume warrants one.

For a mass filing or a contested matter, the work is logistical as well as legal. We help the body stand up a triage workflow, document the response track for each individual request, and produce in batches that match the body's actual capacity. The objective is not just compliance with the statute but a defensible record if a complaint follows.

For ongoing PIA counsel, we deliver a written response protocol that walks the body's records officer through the standard intake, review, AG opinion, and redaction sequence. The protocol is updated as Attorney General decisions and Texas case law evolve the contours of specific exceptions.

Why bodies pick this firm

We are positioned to turn around urgent PIA matters inside the statutory window. The 10 business day clock does not pause for the body's general counsel to clear other work and most law firms cannot reorder their schedule fast enough to brief an AG opinion request on day seven. We can. Bodies that have lived through one PIA window with the wrong outside counsel typically do not lose another one.

Related practice

PIA work is part of our broader Government & Municipal Law practice. PIA matters frequently intersect with Open Meetings Act questions when the requestor is targeting deliberations and meeting records.

If your Texas public body is on a PIA clock, facing a request flood, or wants a response protocol in place before the next controversy, the consultation is complimentary.

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