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Understanding Citations

Learn how to work with case citations in Second Seat.

Citation Format​

Second Seat provides citations in standard format:

  • Court of Appeals: People v. Smith, 35 N.Y.3d 123 (2020)
  • Appellate Division: People v. Jones, 189 A.D.3d 456 (2d Dept. 2020)
  • Trial Courts: People v. Brown, 68 Misc.3d 789 (Sup. Ct. Kings Co. 2020)

Interactive Citations (Coming Soon)​

Future updates will allow you to:

  • Click citations to see more context
  • View the specific passage being referenced
  • Access links to full cases

Verifying Citations​

Always verify AI-provided citations:

  • Confirm the case exists and citation is accurate
  • Check that the holding is correctly stated
  • Verify the case hasn't been overruled

Building Your Research​

Use citations to:

  1. Start with the AI's suggestions
  2. Read the full cases in Westlaw/Lexis
  3. Check citing references for more recent cases
  4. Shepardize to confirm good law