Nonpartisan civic education
Rights & Records Institute helps citizens, independent journalists, creators, students, and community advocates understand constitutional rights, request public records, document public matters lawfully, preserve evidence, publish responsibly, and engage public institutions with greater confidence and care.
Why the Institute exists
Phones, public records laws, livestreams, and independent publishing tools have given ordinary people more ability than ever to document public institutions. But tools are not enough.
People also need training in rights, records, lawful conduct, de-escalation, verification, privacy, evidence handling, and responsible publishing. Rights & Records Institute exists to close that gap — nonpartisan and lawful.
What competent documentation actually requires
Mission, vision & values
Rights & Records Institute helps people understand, document, request, preserve, and responsibly publish information about public institutions through nonpartisan education on constitutional rights, public records access, lawful documentation, de-escalation, digital safety, and civic accountability.
A society where everyday people can participate in civic accountability with confidence, discipline, legal literacy, records competence, and respect for public safety, privacy, and truth.
What we do
One nonprofit, several programs — each producing structured, lawful, nonpartisan education and public resources.
Practical education on rights encounters, public records requests, responsible citizen journalism, digital evidence handling, de-escalation, and scholarship access. Presented in connection with the 1A Auditor Summit — and free beyond the event.
Learn moreFree tools for people who want to understand public institutions, request records, document public matters, and share information responsibly. It begins with the Public Records Request Starter Kit.
Learn moreHelps reduce financial barriers to civic education. As funding becomes available, scholarships may support registration, travel assistance, online access, accessibility needs, student access, and resource support.
Learn moreThe Institute’s educational initiatives are presented in connection with the 1A Auditor Summit, producing durable public resources that remain available long after the convening ends.
Learn moreThe first release from our Resource Library — a practical, lawful starting point for anyone making their first public records request. Free to download, with no account required.
Educational information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction — consult qualified counsel for specific legal questions.
Program pillars
The Lab’s curriculum spans the full arc of competent civic documentation — from knowing your rights to publishing responsibly.
Constitutional rights in public encounters, public forums, and lawful access — in plain language.
How to request, narrow, track, appeal, and preserve government records the right way.
Verification, context, redaction, corrections, privacy, and public-interest judgment.
Preserving originals, organizing evidence, backups, and reducing privacy risk.
Calm communication, safety planning, distance, disengagement, and post-incident notes.
Reducing financial and accessibility barriers so more people can learn this work.
Support the work
Your support helps fund structured, lawful, nonpartisan civic education and durable public resources. Donations and grants can support a range of public-benefit work:
Gifts support the nonprofit’s charitable and educational work. Donations and grants are kept separate from the for-profit Summit’s commercial sponsorships.
Founders & governance
Rights & Records Institute is building a board and advisory network with experience in nonprofit governance, civil liberties, public records access, journalism, digital safety, education, and de-escalation. Additional members will be announced as roles are confirmed.
Founding Member
Organizer behind the 1A Auditor Summit initiative; helping build a nonpartisan civic education platform across rights, records, documentation, publishing, de-escalation, digital safety, scholarships, and free resources.
Founding Member
Supports digital infrastructure, the resource library, web systems, and the long-term program platform.
Two board seats are in active development.
Roadmap
We publish what’s ready and clearly label what isn’t. Resources still in progress don’t show a download until they’re reviewed and complete.
A plain-language starting point for your first records request, with a reusable template and checklist.
Download nowTemplates for incident reports, CAD logs, dispatch audio, body-worn / dashcam video, and related records.
Coming soonPlain-language guide to right-to-record principles, public forums, lawful access, and encounter prep. Legal review required.
Coming soonVerification, context, redaction, corrections, privacy, and public-interest publishing.
Coming soonPreserving originals, organizing evidence, backups, and reducing privacy risk.
Coming soonCalm communication, safety planning, distance, disengagement, and post-incident documentation.
Coming soonHow it all fits together
Rights & Records Institute operates nonprofit educational initiatives associated with the 1A Auditor Summit. Donations to the Institute support the nonprofit’s charitable and educational work.
Operates the educational programs and public resources:
Produces the affiliated annual convening:
The 1A Auditor Summit is produced by 1A Auditor Summit LLC. Donations and grants to the Institute are kept separate from the Summit’s commercial sponsorships.