Title 45

SECTION 1602.10

1602.10 Exemptions for withholding records.

§ 1602.10 Exemptions for withholding records.

(a) LSC shall -

(1) Withhold information under this section only if -

(i) LSC reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by an exemption described in paragraph (b); or

(ii) Disclosure is prohibited by law; and

(2)(i) Consider whether partial disclosure of information is possible whenever LSC determines that a full disclosure of a requested record is not possible; and

(ii) Take reasonable steps necessary to segregate and release nonexempt information;

(b) LSC may withhold a requested record from public disclosure only if one or more of the following exemptions authorized by the FOIA apply:

(1)(i) Matter that is specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy; and

(ii) Is in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive Order;

(2) Matter that is related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of LSC;

(3) Matter that is specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than the exemptions under FOIA at 5 U.S.C. 552(b)), provided that such statute requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue, or establishes particular criteria for withholding, or refers to particular types of matters to be withheld;

(4) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential;

(5) Inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letters that would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with LSC, provided that the deliberative process privilege shall not apply to records created 25 years or more before the date on which the records were requested;

(6) Personnel and medical files and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(7) Records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, including enforcing the Legal Services Corporation Act or any other law, but only to the extent that the production of such law enforcement records or information:

(i) Could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings;

(ii) Would deprive a person or a recipient of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication;

(iii) Could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(iv) Could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, including a State, local, or foreign agency or authority or any private institution that furnished information on a confidential basis, and in the case of a record or information compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the course of a criminal investigation, information furnished by a confidential source;

(v) Would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law; or

(vi) Could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual;

(8) Matter that is contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions; or

(9) Geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning wells.

(c) In the event that one or more of the exemptions in paragraph (b) of this section applies, any reasonably segregable portion of a record shall be provided to the requester after redaction of the exempt portions. The amount of information redacted and the exemption under which the redaction is being made shall be indicated on the released portion of the record, unless doing so would harm the interest protected by the exemption under which the redaction is made. If technically feasible, the amount of information redacted and the exemption under which the redaction is being made shall be indicated at the place in the record where the redaction occurs.

(d) No requester shall have a right to insist that any or all of the techniques in paragraph (c) of this section should be employed in order to satisfy a request.

(e) Records that may be exempt from disclosure pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section may be made available at the discretion of the LSC official authorized to grant or deny the request for records, after appropriate consultation as provided in § 1602.11. LSC will disclose records otherwise exempt from disclosure under the FOIA when LSC does not reasonably foresee that disclosure would harm an interest protected by an exemption and disclosure is not prohibited by law or protected under Exemption 3.