1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,990 An AI answer gives you a confident legal 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,180 claim and a case citation. 3 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:09,880 That is a research lead, not proof. 4 00:00:10,580 --> 00:00:13,080 Before you rely on it, separate four questions: 5 00:00:13,660 --> 00:00:15,630 does the source exist, is it the right 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,270 source, does it support the claim, and is 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,520 the proposition still usable for your task? 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,250 First, respect the rules for the work you 9 00:00:23,260 --> 00:00:25,630 are doing. If your assessment does not permit 10 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,770 AI assistance, an accurate citation would not make 11 00:00:28,780 --> 00:00:32,290 that assistance permitted. Do not upload restricted course 12 00:00:32,300 --> 00:00:35,090 material or private documents merely to test a 13 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:38,330 tool. For this demonstration, our screen uses an 14 00:00:38,340 --> 00:00:41,500 obvious placeholder labelled 'unverified example'. 15 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,470 We are not inventing a real-looking citation for 16 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,190 you to copy. Take the actual reference you 17 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,470 need to check and search an appropriate official 18 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:53,100 or library source. Compare the party names, court, 19 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:55,970 year and reference, rather than choosing the first 20 00:00:55,980 --> 00:00:59,420 similar result. If a free search finds nothing, 21 00:00:59,780 --> 00:01:02,340 do not immediately conclude the case is fabricated. 22 00:01:02,860 --> 00:01:04,660 Free collections have coverage limits. 23 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,870 Try the resources available through your university library, 24 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:09,780 or ask the law librarian. 25 00:01:10,420 --> 00:01:13,690 Equally, do not treat repeated appearances on AI-written 26 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:16,020 websites as independent verification. 27 00:01:16,980 --> 00:01:19,710 Second, open the judgment or other required primary 28 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,130 source. A real case can still be cited 29 00:01:22,140 --> 00:01:23,570 for something it never decided. 30 00:01:23,580 --> 00:01:26,770 Find the relevant passage and read enough surrounding 31 00:01:26,780 --> 00:01:28,520 reasoning to understand its scope. 32 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:30,710 Check whether you are looking at a party's 33 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,110 submission, background, a dissent or the court's own 34 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,930 reasoning. Third, compare that passage with the AI's 35 00:01:37,940 --> 00:01:40,820 precise claim. Does it support the whole claim, 36 00:01:41,140 --> 00:01:43,440 a narrower proposition, or something else? 37 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:46,130 Record the source and passage reference in your 38 00:01:46,140 --> 00:01:48,840 own notes. If you cannot make the connection, 39 00:01:49,060 --> 00:01:51,030 do not quietly copy the sentence into your 40 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,950 work. Fourth, check later treatment and any relevant 41 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,820 legislative change using suitable research tools. 42 00:01:58,180 --> 00:02:00,500 A database warning is a prompt to investigate, 43 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:02,120 not an automatic answer. 44 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,270 Read the later material and record when you 45 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,590 checked. Jurisdiction and the question you are answering 46 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,620 still matter. Now your self-check: 47 00:02:12,540 --> 00:02:14,530 finding the case name confirms that the source 48 00:02:14,540 --> 00:02:18,300 exists. Does it also confirm the AI's proposition? 49 00:02:22,940 --> 00:02:28,000 No. That requires reading and comparing the source. Those are different checks. 50 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,450 When verification remains incomplete, state the limit and 51 00:02:32,460 --> 00:02:35,330 ask for help. Do not invent the missing 52 00:02:35,340 --> 00:02:39,520 authority. Use AI to raise questions where permitted, 53 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,150 then let the sources and your own reasoning 54 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,230 do the work. The free verification and research 55 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:46,480 guides are linked below.