Master Legal Knowledge Quickly With Google NotebookLM

Master Legal Knowledge Quickly With Google NotebookLM

Generative artificial intelligence: it's hard to escape in 2025. No matter where you look or who you talk to, you've undoubtedly heard about the many ways I can benefit law practices. You've also been cautioned about its inherent risks, including confidentiality issues and the potential for hallucinations.

If you're like most legal professionals, you've likely experimented with generative AI tools at one point or another just to see what all the hype is about. However, you're probably holding off on implementing it in your law firm as you wait to see if some of the ethical and security risks presented by consumer-facing tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are addressed over time.

If that sounds like you, you're missing out. There are plenty of ways to take advantage of these tools without risking confidentiality or the security of your law firm's data. One great example is Google NotebookLM. 

If you have a Google account, then you can use this tool for free. With this tool, you can quickly and easily master the information contained in the source material you add, which can include files, documents, website links, YouTube video links, and more. 

NotebookLM’s analysis is limited to the data you provide to it. It does search the internet or pull information from other places. To ensure you don’t run afoul of ethics obligations with free Google accounts, take care to only upload information that does not include any confidential or sensitive information.

Once you provide materials to the program, Google NotebookLM enables you to slice and dice the information in a host of different ways. With the click of a button,  you can create: 1) a listener-friendly podcast that discusses the information, 2) an audio overview, 3) a video overview, 4) a mind map, 5) a briefing document, 6) a blog post, 7) an infographic, 8) a slide deck, 9) flash cards, 10) a quiz, and much more. 

Imagine the ways you can use this tool! Upload CLE materials to quickly and easily master the latest developments in your practice area. Prepare for cross-exam by learning about the topics that will be addressed by an expert witness at trial. Synthesize a new legal concept. Stay up-to-date by analyzing recent court decisions or new legislation. The possibilities are endless.

To get started, log in to your Google account and then head over to the NotebookLM website. Then, click on “Create new notebook.” You’ll be prompted to upload a few sources on the topics you’d like to learn more about. 

NotebookLM will then analyze and provide a summary of that information. Below that, there will be a chat box interface where you can interact with NotebookLM conversationally and ask questions about the uploaded data. 

To the right of the chat interface, you’ll see the “Studio,” which offers you a multitude of ways to crunch the data and interact with it by clicking on the options provided. Once you do so, NotebookLM will create the desired output, whether it’s a podcast or audio overview about the subject matter, reports that analyze the information, slide decks or infographics that provide an alternate perspective on the data, and more.

The Studio effectively serves as your co-pilot, taking the core concepts and repurposing them into formats that enhance learning and presentation. This capability means you spend less time manually organizing information and more time absorbing and applying it. You’ll be surprised by the high quality and variety of the output. It’s quite engaging to work with, and makes it fun and easy to master information.

AI is here, and it’s not going away. Stop waiting for the perfect solution. NotebookLM is a fantastic tool that provides a fast and secure way to harness the power of AI. Give it a shot. It's the easiest upgrade you'll make to your practice this year.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and Principal Legal Insight Strategist at 8am, the team behind 8am MyCase, LawPay, CasePeer, and DocketWise.She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at niki.black@mycase.com.