Verification and Citation Checks

AI can help draft and research, but you must verify what it says. Use these checks before relying on any output.

Spot-check key claims

• Statutes and cases: Look up citations yourself. AI may invent or mis-cite.
• Dates and numbers: Confirm deadlines, amounts, and identifiers in source documents.
• Definitions: Verify legal terms of art against your jurisdiction.

Citation hygiene

• Ask the model to cite sources when it makes factual or legal claims.
• Prefer primary sources (statutes, regulations, case law) over summaries.
• Note when the model says it cannot verify—treat that as a signal to dig deeper.

Red flags

• Vague citations ("according to common law" without a case)
• Out-of-date or superseded authority
• Mixing jurisdictions without saying so

Always treat AI output as a draft to verify, not a final answer.