COMPUTER USE / USE CASE

Computer use for legal-source research

Collect primary-source documents and a reproducible research trail for qualified review.

01Trigger

02Agent

03Browser / desktop

04Human approval

05Outcome

Define the job

Retrieve documents from a reviewer-approved source set using explicit entity, case, filing, or document identifiers. Produce an evidence table and document bundle; interpretation of legal effect and advice remain with a qualified professional.

API FIRST?

Should this use computer use at all?

Use the repository’s supported search API, bulk download, or document export first. For example, SEC EDGAR documents data APIs for filing history and XBRL, making browser navigation unnecessary for many retrieval tasks.

API vs. computer use →

Architecture options

Structured filing retrieval

Use a supported data path to identify filings, then collect the requested source documents with their exact identifiers. Retain amendments separately rather than silently replacing an earlier version.

Bounded source navigation

Evaluate an agent for an authorized interface-only repository. Restrict the search scope and require direct source references; distinguish a search result from the document it points to.

Failure modes & approval

Where the workflow can break

A similar party name can refer to a different legal entity.
An amended or superseded document may change how a source should be read.
A generated summary can omit qualification or present an inference as a holding.

Human approval point

A qualified reviewer validates source identity, currency, citations, and interpretation before the work is relied on. Filing, contacting parties, or accepting access terms requires separate authority.

Design the handoff →

Tools to evaluate

Control framework

Budget the whole workflow

Repository and document count
Amendment and identity resolution
Professional source and citation review

Open cost calculator

Implementation playbooks

Download, validate, and store portal reports

Turn a portal export into a checkable artifact with a predictable name and provenance receipt.

Gather public filings with a provenance manifest

Use official data access paths and preserve issuer, filing, amendment, and retrieval identifiers.

RESEARCH NOTES

Sources & verification

Reviewed Sep 27, 2026. Architecture recommendations are editorial analysis; linked vendor documentation supports the underlying capability and safety facts.

How we verify evidence →