Ask: who issued it, what does it cover, and does it say what is claimed?

Check the issuing authority

Congress and state legislatures enact statutes. Agencies publish regulations, orders, and consumer materials. Courts issue opinions and entries. Each source has a different purpose and legal effect. Start with an official site when available, then compare any secondary summary with the original text.

Check identity and coverage

An agency order should identify a matter number, date, respondent, operative provisions, and enforcement authority. A file number by itself does not show that an order covers a different company or person. Likewise, a court decision must be read for its jurisdiction, parties, holding, and factual context.

Read the holding, not just a quotation

For a court opinion, locate the court, date, procedural posture, issue, holding, and scope. A case title or a headnote cannot establish that the decision created a broad remedy. In Ohio, for example, Kuchta is relevant to the distinction between standing and subject-matter jurisdiction, not a universal case-disposition formula. [1]

Use a four-question test