It is simultaneously a research institute on international affairs, a library and archive of declassified U.S. documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, a public interest law firm defending and expanding public access to government information through the FOIA, and an indexer and publisher of the documents. The Archive's work has set many important precedents under the FOIA, including less burden on requesters to qualify for waivers of processing fees and the long-term preservation of the computer tapes from the Reagan, Bush and Clinton White House Staffs. The Archive has gained the release of thousands of significant, previously classified documents such as the historic correspondence between Kennedy and Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis and Oliver North's notebooks. The Archive publishes a series of documents readers especially for the classroom and general public. The Archive fields more than 2,500 requests for documents and information every year and Archive staff are often called on to testify before Congress, lecture at universities, and appear on national broadcasts and in media interviews.
Every effort is made to keep non-substantive tasks to a minimum.
While at the Archive, an intern can expect to gain a solid body of knowledge in their project area, as well as a familiarity with the resources available for foreign policy research in Washington and how to obtain documents through the Freedom of Information Act. Additionally, the National Security Archive's Freedom of Information Litigation Project seeks a legal intern each semester. Interns are expected to stay at the Archive for a minimum of two months, although internships of a full semester are preferred. In general, interns work a minimum of 12-15 hours per week. The actual number and scheduling of hours is flexible.