` elements with class `codesectiongroup`. Extract the section number and text by parsing the HTML. The `scripts/pull_ca_statutes.py` script (to be created, paralleling `pull_wa_rcw.py`) will handle bulk extraction. ### Change detection The Legislature updates leginfo after each session (typically September–October for a regular session). Amendments effective January 1 of the following year. Re-pull all relevant chapters in **October-November** and again in **February** (for urgency statutes or special session amendments). ## California Rules of Court (courts.ca.gov) The Judicial Council publishes the CRC on courts.ca.gov. The rules are available as: 1. **Individual rule HTML pages** (browseable by title) 2. **Consolidated PDF** (entire CRC in one file) ### HTML rule lookup ``` https://www.courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=[N]&linkid=rule[X]_[XXXX] ``` Example (rule 3.1308): ``` https://www.courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=three&linkid=rule3_1308 ``` The linkid format uses underscores: `rule3_1308` for rule 3.1308. Titles: `two`, `three`, `four`, `five`, `six`, `seven`, `eight`, `nine`, `ten`. ### PDF download ``` https://www.courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm ``` The consolidated PDF is available on the rules index page; updated annually and at interim amendment effective dates. ### Parsing approach PDF text extraction via `pdfplumber` or `pymupdf`. Rules are delimited by "Rule [X.XXXX]" headers. Subsections use lettered identifiers `(a)`, `(b)`, etc. ## California court opinions ### California Courts opinions page ``` https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions-slip.htm ``` Provides daily lists of newly filed opinions by court. Opinions are linked as PDFs. Not searchable by content; use CourtListener for full-text search. ### CourtListener REST API ``` https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v3/ ``` Endpoints: - `/courts/` — list of courts - `/opinions/` — full-text opinions - `/clusters/` — opinion clusters (parallel cites) - `/search/` — full-text search **California court identifiers**: | Court | CourtListener ID | |-------|-----------------| | California Supreme Court | `cal` | | California Courts of Appeal (all) | `calctapp` | | California Appellate Dept. Superior Court | `calappdeptsuper` | | 9th Circuit | `ca9` | | C.D. Cal. (Los Angeles) | `cacd` | | N.D. Cal. (San Francisco/San Jose) | `cand` | | S.D. Cal. (San Diego) | `casd` | | E.D. Cal. (Sacramento/Fresno) | `caed` | **Authentication**: Free tier gives 100 requests/day without API key. Register for a free account for higher rate limits. **Use cases**: - **Cite-checking**: paste a citation, verify the case exists and the citation is accurate - **Subsequent history**: search for cases citing a decision to check for overruling or distinguishing - **Holding verification**: pull the opinion text to confirm the case stands for the cited proposition ### Query examples ``` # Search California Supreme Court for summary judgment cases GET https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v3/search/?q=summary+judgment+437c&court=cal&type=o # Get a specific case by citation GET https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v3/search/?q=%2225+Cal.4th+826%22&type=o # Get full opinion text GET https://www.courtlistener.com/api/rest/v3/opinions/[id]/ ``` ### Caselaw Access Project (Harvard) ``` https://api.case.law/v1/ ``` Better coverage for older California opinions (pre-1990). The bulk download option covers the California Reports. **Limitation**: Some jurisdictions are "whitelisted" for full-text access; California has partial coverage. Verify on the CAP status page. ## Federal law — USC ### USLM XML ``` https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/[PL-NN]/usc[NN][a]@[release].xml ``` The current "release point" reflects the latest amendments published. See https://uscode.house.gov/download/download.shtml. **Relevant titles for California civil practice**: - **Title 15** — Commerce and Trade (FDCPA at § 1692; FCRA at § 1681; TILA at § 1601; ECOA at § 1691) - **Title 11** — Bankruptcy - **Title 28** — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure **Parsing approach**: USLM XML is structured and stable. The `scripts/pull_federal_debt_laws.py` script (from the WA plugin) extracts FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, ECOA, etc. The CA plugin re-uses this output rather than re-pulling federal law. ## Federal regulations — eCFR ### eCFR Versioner API ``` https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/[YYYY-MM-DD]/title-[NN].xml ``` This API returns the CFR text as XML for any date in the past, supporting **point-in-time** queries critical for verifying the version of a regulation in effect at a particular event date (FDCPA / Reg F enforcement actions, for example). **Relevant titles**: - **Title 12** — Banks and Banking (Reg F at part 1006 = 12 C.F.R. pt. 1006; Reg Z at part 1026; Reg B at part 1002; Reg V at part 1022) **Parsing approach**: eCFR XML follows a DITA-ish structure similar to USLM. The existing WA plugin's `pull_federal_debt_laws.py` handles extraction. ### eCFR query example ``` # Pull Reg F as of January 1, 2026 GET https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-01-01/title-12.xml [then parse to pt. 1006] # Point-in-time: version of 12 CFR § 1006.30 on a specific date GET https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-12.xml ``` ## Judicial Council forms The Judicial Council publishes forms as PDFs at: ``` https://www.courts.ca.gov/forms.htm ``` Forms are indexed by form number and subject. For a direct form download: ``` https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/[form-code].pdf ``` Example: ``` # MC-010 (Memorandum of Costs) https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/mc010.pdf # CM-010 (Civil Case Cover Sheet) https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/cm010.pdf # DISC-001 (Form Interrogatories — General) https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/disc001.pdf ``` ## Patterns for the agent ### Verify a California case citation ``` WebFetch: url: https://www.courtlistener.com/?q=%2225+Cal.4th+826%22&type=o&court=cal prompt: Locate the case Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826. Confirm the year, the parties, and the holding on burden-shifting for summary judgment. If this case has been overruled or limited by a subsequent California Supreme Court decision, identify that case. ``` ### Pull a CCP section ``` WebFetch: url: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=437c. prompt: Locate CCP § 437c. Quote the verbatim text of subdivisions (a), (b), and (c). Identify the most recent amendment date and effective date. ``` ### Pull a CEC section ``` WebFetch: url: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EVID§ionNum=1271. prompt: Locate Cal. Evid. Code § 1271. Quote the verbatim text. Identify the date of most recent amendment. ``` ### Pull a CRC rule ``` WebFetch: url: https://www.courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=three prompt: Locate Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1350. Quote the verbatim text of the rule, including its subdivision (a) through (j). Identify the current effective date. ``` ### Pull a CFR section (point-in-time) ``` WebFetch: url: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2025-01-01/title-12.xml prompt: Locate 12 C.F.R. § 1006.30. Quote the verbatim text as in effect on January 1, 2025. ``` ### Check 9th Circuit on an FDCPA issue ``` WebFetch: url: https://www.courtlistener.com/?q=%22FDCPA%22+%221692e%22&type=o&court=ca9&order_by=dateFiled+desc prompt: Identify the most recent 9th Circuit opinion interpreting 15 U.S.C. § 1692e. Provide the citation and a one-sentence holding summary. ``` ## Quarterly refresh routine The plugin's pull scripts (in `scripts/`) refresh the reference corpora on a quarterly cycle: | Corpus | Source | Frequency | |--------|--------|-----------| | CCP / CEC / Civ. Code / BPC | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | Quarterly | | CRC | courts.ca.gov/cms/rules | Annual + interim amendments | | Federal debt laws | uscode.house.gov, ecfr.gov | Quarterly | | UCC model | LII (cornell) | Annual | | LASC / SFSC / OCSC local rules | Each court's website | Quarterly | The remote-agent routine runs on **Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct 1 at 17:00 UTC** and opens a PR if any corpus changed. ## Safety policy - WebFetch is the only approved fetch mechanism - Always cite the URL and date of fetch when relying on a source - Quote verbatim, not paraphrased, when the agent's output will be used in a filing - Flag any change-detection signal (different version, updated date, statute amendment) explicitly to the user