---
title: "Check authorities in a defamation draft before they are cited"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/defamation-and-media-law/check-submissions-for-hallucinated-defamation-authorities/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A33-B7-4-US"
practice_area: "Defamation & Media Law"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check authorities in a defamation draft before they are cited

> List each case or statute named in the draft, the sentence that attributes a rule to it, and a blank for the reporter or the section and the page. Do not add an authority. Do not rewrite the sentence.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/defamation-and-media-law/check-submissions-for-hallucinated-defamation-authorities/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

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

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Defamation & Media Law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/defamation-and-media-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | List each case or statute named in the draft, the sentence that attributes a rule to it, and a blank for the reporter or the section and the page. Do not add an authority. Do not rewrite the sentence. |
| What the lawyer must review | Opinion 512 and the California 2026 generative-AI guidance require you to verify every citation. Candor cannot be delegated. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 is the certification you make when you sign a federal-court paper. Libel in California is defined in Civil Code § 45. Public-official fault is stated in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). You open the opinion or the section before it is cited. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Check submissions for hallucinated defamation authorities](https://ailawframework.com/practice/defamation-and-media-law/check-submissions-for-hallucinated-defamation-authorities.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List each case or statute named in the draft, the sentence that attributes a rule to it, and a blank for the reporter or the section and the page. Do not add an authority. Do not rewrite the sentence.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- A familiar case name is still opened. The blank pinpoint is filled by you.
- Rule 11 applies to papers presented in federal court. Follow the state court's signing rule in a state case.

## Sources

- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11](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)
- [New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/376/254) (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.*