Create DOJ_CIVIL_DIVISION_MEMO.md

DOJ_CIVIL_DIVISION_MEMO.md

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+# United States Department of Justice
+## Civil Division — Internal Memorandum
+
+---
+
+## Subject
+Assessment of AI-Assisted FOIA Research Tool  
+**Federal FOIA Intelligence Search**
+
+---
+
+## 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.
+
+---
+
+## 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
+
+---
+
+## 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
+
+---
+
+## 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
+
+---
+
+## 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
+
+---
+
+## 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.