Retrieval Models

Retrieve, Then Read

Retrieved snippets are pointers back to sources, not legal answers. Honesty note: simplified toy corpus; jurisdictions vary; the pinned first step states the as-of date; not legal advice; retrieval points to sources and does not answer the legal question.

Structured Visual

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-06-24; not legal advice; Code encodes a stated structural model, not the law itself. RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Retrieve then readrowfieldvaluequerytokensdeadline,calendarquerycount2supportcount1supportabstainFalserecord supremacyrank-record supremacymatch0 of 2record supremacyfilterpassrecord supremacyciteUS Const. art. VI cl. 2record supremacysnippetToy corpus record for constitution source citation supremacy law and judges.record diversityrank-record diversitymatch0 of 2record diversityfilterpassrecord diversitycite28 U.S.C. sec. 1332record diversitysnippetToy corpus record for diversity jurisdiction amount citizenship and statute search.record rule6rank1record rule6match2 of 2record rule6filterpassrecord rule6citeFed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)record rule6snippetToy corpus record for deadline counting calendar day trigger and rule search.record brownrank-record brownmatch0 of 2record brownfilterpassrecord browncite347 U.S. 483record brownsnippetToy corpus record for case citation reporter lookup and provenance search.
highlighted = computed this step

Retrieval honesty note

Honesty note: simplified toy corpus; jurisdictions vary; as of June 24, 2026; not legal advice; retrieval points to sources and does not answer the legal question.

toy corpus as of June24,2026\text{toy corpus as of }June 24, 2026

Retrieve, then inspect the source

The stated process separates retrieval from reading. Retrieval can point to a record, but human review still reads the source text.

retrieve→read source\text{retrieve}\to\text{read source}

Example pointer

The query is deadline calendar. The supporting pointer cites Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1).

pointer count=1\text{pointer count}=1

Snippet text is provenance

The model derives a snippet from the matching record and shows it in the table. That snippet is a source pointer only.

support rows=1\text{support rows}=1

Diagram note

The diagram keeps match rows, snippets, and support count visible so the reader can audit the source pointer.

retrieved row is a pointer\text{retrieved row is a pointer}

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-06-24; not legal advice; Code encodes a stated structural model, not the law itself. RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Retrieve then readrowfieldvaluequerytokensdeadline,calendarquerycount2supportcount1supportabstainFalserecord supremacyrank-record supremacymatch0 of 2record supremacyfilterpassrecord supremacyciteUS Const. art. VI cl. 2record supremacysnippetToy corpus record for constitution source citation supremacy law and judges.record diversityrank-record diversitymatch0 of 2record diversityfilterpassrecord diversitycite28 U.S.C. sec. 1332record diversitysnippetToy corpus record for diversity jurisdiction amount citizenship and statute search.record rule6rank1record rule6match2 of 2record rule6filterpassrecord rule6citeFed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)record rule6snippetToy corpus record for deadline counting calendar day trigger and rule search.record brownrank-record brownmatch0 of 2record brownfilterpassrecord browncite347 U.S. 483record brownsnippetToy corpus record for case citation reporter lookup and provenance search.

Summary

A RAG system should treat retrieval as opening a cited record, not as completing legal analysis.

retrieval does not finish review\text{retrieval does not finish review}