Category «Legal Research»

The CIA World Factbook, the Access to Information Crisis, and the U.S. Role in the World

Terminating the publication of the CIA World Fact Book is yet another example of this administration’s actions to remove public access to long established, accountable and accessible government documents. Jennifer Elisa Chapman shines a spotlight on how this “essential part” of the U.S. and the CIA’s legacy ended on February 4, 2026, impacting cross disciplinary researchers, educators, journalists and students. And as we are within another time of war and crisis and uncertainty, we need this information and opportunity to engage with the world now more than ever. Chapman also identifies archived versions of this resource that remain available online.

Subjects: Competitive Intelligence, Government Resources, KM, Legal Research

AI in Finance and Banking, March 15, 2026

This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, conferences, industry white papers and reports, academic papers and speeches, and central bank actions on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. Seven highlights from this post: How does AI Distribute the pie? Large Language Models and the Ultimatum Game; AI Meets Fiscal Policy: Mapping Government Spending Actions Across 64 Countries; Anthropic suggests AI might be worse for hedge fund employees than bankers; Chaining Tasks, Redefining Work: A Theory of AI Automation; Where global economies sit in the AI stack; Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence; and Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas – AI is simultaneously aiding and replacing workers, wage data suggest.

Subjects: AI in Banking and Finance, Economy, Financial System, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, March 7, 2026

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Five highlights from this week: The biggest AI threats come from within – 12 ways to defend your organization; Anthropic Improves Feature to Switch From Competitors as Users Call for ChatGPT Boycott; Samsung TVs to stop collecting Texans’ data without express consent; Top general spotlights cyber role in Iran conflict; and A Possible US Government iPhone-Hacking Toolkit Is Now in the Hands of Foreign Spies and Criminals.

Subjects: AI, Congress, Cryptocurrencies, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Legal Research, Legislative, Privacy

The Trump Administration’s Continued War Against Science, Research, Public Health, and the Rule of Law – Part 7

This article is the seventh in a series focused on how the second Trump presidency unleashed a causal chain that has rapidly morphed into an extensive continued attack against civil liberties, commerce, government funded programs, research and the rule of law. The attacks quickly escalated beyond the federal sector into the private and non-profit arenas. In alignment with the Project 2025 roadmap cultural, historical and political censorship has made deep inroads into many aspects of American life. Sabrina I. Pacifici continues to identify new as well as expanded examples of administration directed censorship in the public and private sectors, along with the elimination of programs, services and data critical to education, healthcare, the environment, climate science, defense and the economy.

Subjects: Big Data, Civil Liberties, Congress, Economy, Food, Government Resources, Healthcare, Human Rights, Immigration Law, KM, Social Media

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 28, 2026

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Five highlights from this week: DHS Wants a Single Search Engine to Flag Faces and Fingerprints Across Agencies; LinkedIn ID verification data will likely be shared with third parties; AI controls are coming to Firefox; Meta Employee Shares OpenClaw Email-Deletion Nightmare; and This App Warns You if Someone Is Wearing Smart Glasses Nearby.

Subjects: AI, Civil Liberties, Cryptocurrency, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Email Security, Financial System, Legal Research, Search Engines, Social Media

What the Science Says About Hallucinations in Legal Research

Over the past three years, researchers have published dozens of studies examining exactly when and why AI fails at legal tasks—and the patterns are becoming clearer. The research is clear: AI hallucinations in legal work are real, measurable, and follow predictable patterns. Rebecca Fordon evaluates the data and research that documents six critical patterns lawyers must understand to make sound, actionable and effective decisions about using AI.

Subjects: AI, KM, Legal Research, Legal Research Training, Legal Technology

AI Under the Hood

Knowing the difference between a general AI tool and one trained on specific sources can mean the difference between getting an accurate answer and becoming quickly frustrated with outcomes that either don’t answer the question thoroughly or answer the question in a confused mixture of fact and fiction. While not always clear, the data that lies behind the GenAI tool is just as important to consider as the user interface or the cost. Without trustworthy or relevant underlying information, the resulting AI-generated output will be less helpful or less trusted and result in inefficiencies as lawyers and staff work to fill the gaps in the GenAI’s response. Considering these factors, Kristopher Turner’s article identifies how and why a retrieval augmented generation (RAG) can give focused and highly specific answers related to one area that someone needs to quickly understand.

Subjects: AI, KM, Legal Education, Legal Profession, Legal Research, Legal Technology, Search Engines