People often think of generative AI tools as systems that query vast universes of training data – like asking ChatGPT to draw from its broad knowledge base trained on billions of web pages, books, and articles. These large language models can answer general questions and provide information on virtually any topic. Sort of like a sledgehammer. And sometimes you need a sledgehammer.
Then there are more specific LLMs like Lexis Protege or Westlaw CoCounsel that narrow that universe just to legal information. That’s good when you’re trying to identify legal sources to support your argument. We might think of that as the claw hammer in your household toolbox.
But sometimes you don’t want the universe of information, be it general or legal. You may be just interested in gathering insights from a selection of specific documents. That’s where Google’s NotebookLM comes in. Users upload their own documents to create a closed, personalized knowledge base. Instead of the AI drawing from its general training data, it analyzes only the materials you provide. Picture Andy Dufresne’s rock hammer from “The Shawshank Redemption.”
How NotebookLM Works
You start by creating a notebook, then upload up to 50 sources, including PDFs, Google Docs, text files, YouTube videos, or audio files. The AI creates a searchable knowledge base from these materials, allowing users to ask questions and generate summaries based solely on the uploaded content.
This closed-system approach allows you to analyze specific document sets without the AI drawing from external sources that might not be relevant or accurate.
Legal Applications
For legal professionals, NotebookLM offers several practical uses:
Case File Analysis: Upload pleadings, discovery documents, and correspondence to identify key themes across your case materials.
Document Review: Process document sets to extract key facts and generate summaries for further review.
Information Summarization: Generate briefing guides, FAQs, or other summaries of large amounts of information from multiple sources, making complex document sets more manageable.
Timeline Creation: Generate chronological timelines of events from case documents and other materials.
Visual and Audio Analysis: Create mind maps showing connections between concepts and produce audio overviews (like a podcast) that present complex materials in an accessible format.
I have seen many jaws drop at how realistic the audio overview sounds – just like a conversation between two real people. If you’re curious, here’s one that I created using the ABA’s Formal Rule 512 on Gen AI tools.
Cost & Privacy Considerations
NotebookLM is free to anyone with a Google account, making it accessible to solo practitioners and small firms who might not have budgets for expensive AI legal research tools.
For legal professionals, understanding how AI tools handle confidential information is essential. This means carefully reviewing the privacy policy before uploading confidential client information. NotebookLM’s privacy approach differs based on account type. Google Workspace users (like enterprise or university accounts) have different protections than personal Google account users.
The Right Tool for the Job
With so many GenAI tools on the market, knowing which one to use matters. General LLMs, like ChatGPT, pull from vast training data for general research questions. Legal-specific LLMs like Lexis Protege or Westlaw CoCounsel draw upon large collections of legal materials.
But NotebookLM serves a different purpose entirely. When you need to analyze specific document sets, extract insights from your own materials, or create targeted summaries without external noise, its precision approach proves invaluable for legal professionals.
As Andy Dufresne discovered, sometimes the smallest hammer is exactly what you need to get the job done.