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Citation Verification Insights

Practical guides, case studies, and analysis for attorneys navigating AI-assisted legal writing.

by Joshua Tepen

How to Verify Legal Citations Before Filing

A step-by-step guide for attorneys on verifying every citation in a brief before filing, using free and paid tools.

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by Joseph L. Pellis II

What Happens When You File a Brief with Fake Citations

Real cases where attorneys were sanctioned for filing briefs containing fabricated or AI-generated legal citations.

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by Craig Trim

AI Hallucinated Citations: What Attorneys Need to Know

How AI language models fabricate legal citations, why they look convincing, and how to protect yourself.

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by Joshua Tepen

CourtListener: The Free Legal Database Every Attorney Should Know

A practical guide to CourtListener, the largest free legal database covering all federal courts, and how to use it for citation verification.

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by Joseph L. Pellis II

Mata v. Avianca: The Case That Changed AI in Law

A deep dive into the landmark case where an attorney filed AI-generated fake citations, and how it transformed court rules nationwide.

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by Craig Trim

How Certavi's Verification Engine Works (No AI in the Loop)

A technical explainer of how Certavi verifies legal citations using deterministic database queries, not AI predictions.

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by Joseph L. Pellis II

Court Rules Requiring AI Disclosure: A State-by-State Guide

An up-to-date reference on which federal and state courts require attorneys to disclose AI use in filings.

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by Phil Komarny

Citation Verification Checklist for AI-Assisted Briefs

A practical checklist attorneys can follow to verify citations in any brief that was drafted or researched with AI assistance.

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by Joshua Tepen

The Real Cost of AI-Generated Citations ($109K and Counting)

Data on the financial, professional, and reputational costs attorneys have faced for filing briefs with fabricated citations.

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by Joseph L. Pellis II

Why "I Didn't Know It Was AI" Is Not a Defense

An analysis of attorney responsibility for citation accuracy regardless of how citations were generated, and why ignorance of AI involvement does not excuse bad citations.

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