---
title: "Check legislation citations before a filing"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-litigation-and-dispute-resolution/check-legislation-citations-against-the-official-register/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A5-V20260923-1-US"
practice_area: "Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution"
tier: "red"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check legislation citations before a filing

> List each statute citation in the draft, with the section sign and the proposition the draft states. Do not mark the citation as current and do not insert a section the draft does not cite.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-litigation-and-dispute-resolution/check-legislation-citations-against-the-official-register/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution](https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-litigation-and-dispute-resolution.md) |
| Human involvement | Red: Lawyer writes; AI may check, clarify or collect data |
| How AI is used | List each statute citation in the draft, with the section sign and the proposition the draft states. Do not mark the citation as current and do not insert a section the draft does not cite. |
| What the lawyer must review | Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)(2) requires that legal contentions in a paper presented to the court be warranted by existing law, or by a nonfrivolous argument for extending, modifying, or reversing it, after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances. A statute citation is part of that certification. ABA Formal Opinion 512 (29 July 2024) requires the lawyer to check citations produced with a generative tool against the source, because a tool can produce a citation that is not real. The lawyer opens the official text of the statute. The list does not declare that the text is current. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Check legislation citations against the official register](https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-litigation-and-dispute-resolution/check-legislation-citations-against-the-official-register.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List each statute citation in the draft, with the section sign and the proposition the draft states. Do not mark the citation as current and do not insert a section the draft does not cite.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- A commercial or university copy of the code is not the check. The lawyer opens the official text.
- State statutes are not the United States Code. The lawyer uses the code of the jurisdiction the draft cites.

## Sources

- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b) (representations to the court)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_11) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*