AG expands title for head of Opinions Division to include FOIA

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing a change in title for a member of his senior leadership team.
“I have expanded the title of Ryan Owsley from Deputy Attorney General for Opinions to Deputy Attorney General for Opinions and FOIA. Adding ‘FOIA’ to Ryan’s title best reflects the invaluable role he plays in my office. Ryan is one of the state’s foremost experts on the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, and he provides trusted counsel to me and other members of my staff in all matters related to the FOIA, plus serves as a member of my FOIA working group. He has worked under three Arkansas attorneys general, a Democrat and two Republicans, and during his time in this office he has faithfully trained more than 10,000 people around the state on the Arkansas FOIA. Those trainings have included lawyers, public officials at all levels of state and local government, and private citizens.

“Ryan has also been the primary editor of four editions of the Arkansas FOIA Handbook, has litigated FOIA issues at all levels of the Arkansas court system, drafted FOIA legislation for the General Assembly, written more than 150 AG opinions on FOIA, and has managed the internal responses to FOIA requests for two attorneys general, including me.
“In addition to his expertise on the FOIA, Ryan has done a remarkable job this year leading our Opinions Division. He and his team have restored professionalism and faith in the Office of the Attorney General as a resource for state officials seeking legal guidance and clarity. Under Ryan’s leadership, this year we have more than tripled the output of AG opinions over 2022, and we have reduced the turnaround time for opinions from an average of five months to 40 days.”