DOJ_CIVIL_DIVISION_MEMO.md

# United States Department of Justice
## Civil Division — Internal Memorandum

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## Subject
Assessment of AI-Assisted FOIA Research Tool  
**Federal FOIA Intelligence Search**

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## Purpose

This memorandum evaluates the legal, evidentiary, and litigation-risk
implications of references to the above-described tool in civil filings,
FOIA litigation, or administrative records.

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## Tool Description

Federal FOIA Intelligence Search is a **third-party, non-governmental research aid**
that aggregates links to agency FOIA electronic reading rooms and generates
citations, appendices, and optional AI summaries.

The system:
- Does not host or alter government records
- Does not interface with agency systems
- Does not generate factual determinations

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## Litigation Risk Analysis

### Evidentiary Risk
Minimal. All primary evidence remains agency-authored and publicly hosted.

### Discovery Risk
Low. No user data retention; no document caching; no training on user input.

### Attribution Risk
Mitigated by:
- Mandatory disclosure blocks
- Citation hashes
- Clear AI labeling

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## FOIA Litigation Context

Use of the tool:
- Does not constitute agency action
- Does not alter the administrative record
- Does not substitute for Vaughn indices or sworn declarations

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## DOJ Guidance

Attorneys encountering this tool in filings should:

1. Focus review on underlying FOIA documents
2. Treat AI summaries as non-evidentiary
3. Confirm citations independently where material
4. Raise objections only if AI output is misrepresented as fact

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## Conclusion

> Federal FOIA Intelligence Search presents **no novel legal risk** beyond ordinary
citation tools when properly disclosed.

Its architecture aligns with DOJ principles of transparency, restraint,
and evidentiary integrity.