Using the Confirm Citations Function

Overview

The Confirm Citations function in Benchly is a critical step in finalizing your document before building the Table of Authorities (TOA). This feature allows you to verify the accuracy of each identified citation, ensure short cites are properly linked to their primary authorities, and confirm compliance with your selected Style Manual. By carefully reviewing and confirming citations, you can minimize errors and ensure a polished TOA.

Why Use Confirm Citations?

• Ensure Accuracy: Double-check that all citations are correctly identified and categorized.
• Resolve Ambiguities: Link short cites (e.g., "Id.", "Supra") to their corresponding primary authorities to avoid broken references.
• Enforce Consistency: Verify that citations align with the formatting requirements of the selected Style Manual.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Confirm Citations

Step 1: Open the Found Authority Panel

a)      Launch the Found Authority Panel by clicking Review on the Benchly ribbon if it not open already.

b)      Ensure the list of identified citations is visible in the panel.

Step 2: Initiate Confirm Citations

a)     Click the Confirm Citations button on the Benchly ribbon, as shown below:

o   Citations flagged for review will now be populated in the Found Authority Panel with different icons depending on the issues associated with each citation:

o   Red X’s (referred to as exceptions) represent a citation with either a typographical error, text transposition, missing punctuation, or general deviation from the citations correct format.

o   Yellow triangles (referred to as notices) represent a citation with an issue within the case title, including typographical errors and/or abbreviation inconsistencies.

b)      Click Resolve Exceptions to populate the Citation Resolver.

Step 3: Review Each Citation

1. Examine the Citation’s Issue:
• In the Citation Resolver, users can identify the reason for the flag as well as a suggested correction:

2. Choose to Accept or Ignore the Suggested Correction
• Users have the option to Replace or Ignore the citation in question.
• Clicking View will populate the Case Viewer displaying the case within MS Word.

If the user opts to Ignore:

• Clicking Ignore will disregard the citation and leave it as it was found in the document, automatically moving to the next citation.

If the user opts to Replace:

• If the user opts to Replace the citation with Benchly’s suggestion, they will be prompted once more to click Apply Change or Cancel.
• Clicking Replace will implement the change into the body of the document, as well as the Table of Authorities, whether it has been generated or not.

Notes

• The Confirm Citations is not required to generate a Table of Authorities, however is required to Hyperlink citations in the document and TOA.

·         Citations that cannot be verified will be flagged as a Notice with a reason given:

Key Features of Confirm Citations

1. Automated Suggestions:
• Benchly intelligently suggests corrections for primary authorities, streamlining the review process.
2. Batch Confirmation:
• Multiple citations can be reviewed and confirmed in a single session, saving time.
3. Real-Time Updates:
• Confirmed citations are immediately updated in the Found Authority Panel and reflected in the TOA.

Best Practices

1. Start Early:
• Confirm citations as soon as the Find operation is complete to catch and resolve errors early.
2. Focus on Short Cites:
• Address short cites first to avoid discrepancies in the TOA.
3. Double-Check Categories:
• Ensure each citation is assigned to the correct section to maintain proper TOA structure.
4. Revisit Skipped Citations:
• Regularly review skipped citations to ensure all entries are accounted for before finalizing the TOA.