---
title: "Check maritime research citations before any brief is written"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/use-an-ai-research-tool-for-maritime-case-law/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A37-B8-1-US"
practice_area: "Maritime, Shipping & Transport"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check maritime research citations before any brief is written

> List each case name, citation, and court the tool returned, and mark any item that has no citation. Write no brief and no sentence of legal argument.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/use-an-ai-research-tool-for-maritime-case-law/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

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

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Maritime, Shipping & Transport](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | List each case name, citation, and court the tool returned, and mark any item that has no citation. Write no brief and no sentence of legal argument. |
| What the lawyer must review | ABA Formal Opinion 512 requires the lawyer to verify generative output, including citations. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 applies when a pleading, written motion, or other paper is presented to a court: the signer certifies an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances and that legal contentions are warranted and factual contentions have evidentiary support. A research list is not that paper. You verify every citation against the reporter or the court source before it is used. No maritime-specific rule on generative tools was opened. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Use an AI research tool for maritime case law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/use-an-ai-research-tool-for-maritime-case-law.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List each case name, citation, and court the tool returned, and mark any item that has no citation. Write no brief and no sentence of legal argument.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- A citation the tool invented is not authority. Open the case.
- Rule 11 does not apply to a research list that is never presented to a court.

## Sources

- [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)
- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 (signing papers and representations to the court)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_11) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Model Rule 1.6, Confidentiality of Information](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_6_confidentiality_of_information/) (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.*