Here’s a way the government can easily get your phone records without even asking a judge — and few people know about it

It is a way for the federal government to easily obtain your phone and other records. Few people know about it. And when you get one, there’s not much you can do to fight it.

The administrative subpoena is a tool that lawyers and former government officials say federal agencies are increasingly turning to as a way to force people and companies to turn over personal records and other documents. The catch: it doesn’t require the prior approval of a judge. The device has become increasingly common in recent years. “Their use is rampant,” said one D.C. lawyer, a former federal law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he now represents corporations and isn’t allowed to speak to the press. “There are a lot of lawyers in this town, and it’s given us a ton of business.”