---
title: "Check a precedent bank for citations that do not match the current text"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/knowledge-management/check-a-precedent-bank-for-outdated-legislation-references/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "KM-B12-05-US"
practice_area: "Knowledge Management"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check a precedent bank for citations that do not match the current text

> For each citation in the precedent, compare it with the current text in the firm's indexed official source and flag a difference in section number, date or operative words. Write no replacement clause.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/knowledge-management/check-a-precedent-bank-for-outdated-legislation-references/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

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

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Knowledge Management](https://ailawframework.com/practice/knowledge-management.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | For each citation in the precedent, compare it with the current text in the firm's indexed official source and flag a difference in section number, date or operative words. Write no replacement clause. |
| What the lawyer must review | You decide whether the precedent is out of date and you write any change. Model Rule 1.1 requires competent representation, including the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness and preparation reasonably necessary. Comment 8 says a lawyer should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks of relevant technology. ABA Formal Opinion 512 says generative tools can produce plausible but false citations, and that a lawyer who relies on output without an appropriate degree of independent verification can breach Rule 1.1. The opinion's example of testing a tool on a smaller set, and then relying on it for the same task, is a way to set the level of review. It does not let a citation through that the indexed source does not contain. A citation with no indexed source is reported as unchecked, not as correct. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Check a precedent bank for outdated legislation references](https://ailawframework.com/practice/knowledge-management/check-a-precedent-bank-for-outdated-legislation-references.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: For each citation in the precedent, compare it with the current text in the firm's indexed official source and flag a difference in section number, date or operative words. Write no replacement clause.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- A citation is unchecked if the official text is not in the index. Do not mark it current.
- Do not update an Australian citation by substituting a United States title that covers different ground.

## Sources

- [ABA Model Rule 1.1, Competence](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Model Rule 1.1, Comment 8, changes in the law and technology](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/comment_on_rule_1_1/) (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)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Legislation and citation currency audit worksheet](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/knowledge-management/legislation-currency-audit.md) | Checklist | Yellow | Worksheet for checking citations in a precedent or know-how note against the official instrument or decision, and for recording whether the precedent is still safe to retrieve. |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

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