Included to showcase the journal layout. Review and adapt before using it as your academy’s editorial content.
Separate an idea from an authority
An AI-generated answer may sound confident while misstating a case, citation or legal proposition. Use it to brainstorm search terms or organise questions, then verify the underlying material yourself. A fluent paragraph is not evidence that the cited authority exists or supports the claim.
Make a source trail
For each important proposition, record the source, the passage you relied on and why it matters to your question. Read the judgment or statutory text in context. Check the relevant jurisdiction and date, and look for amendments or later treatment using appropriate research sources.
Review a draft in layers
- Identify the legal question and the facts you are assuming.
- Check that every cited source exists and can be retrieved.
- Read whether it supports the exact proposition being made.
- Separate binding material, persuasive material and commentary.
- Rewrite the analysis so you can explain the reasoning yourself.
Protect the information you use
Do not paste confidential client, internship or personal information into a tool without appropriate authorisation and a clear understanding of its data practices. Follow your institution’s or workplace’s rules on permitted tools and disclosure of assistance.
Keep responsibility with the researcher
Use a checklist before sharing your work: are the quotations accurate, are the citations traceable, and have you distinguished uncertainty from a conclusion? Ask a supervisor when the scope of the task or an authority’s relevance is unclear.
This article introduces a study workflow. It does not provide advice on a specific matter or replace a complete review of applicable legal and professional requirements.