Enhanced with Free Version Alternatives & Privacy Guidance — CLE Companion Guide
Prepared by Colin Lachance, CEO of LawQi, for presentation at ACLEA's 62nd midyear conference – February 9, 2026. Contact colin@LawQi.com for permission to post outside ACLEA.org.
Microsoft Copilot · Google Gemini · NotebookLM · Perplexity.ai · Claude.ai · ChatGPT
This companion guide provides 120 actionable tips for using AI tools to save time, improve administrative efficiency, and support first-pass document review in legal practice. Each tip includes specific implementation guidance, expected time savings, free version alternatives, and privacy considerations.
| Tool | Training Default | Key Action |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot | Enterprise: OFF; Free: May be used | Don't enter confidential info in free version |
| Gemini | ON by default | Use Temporary Chat or disable Gemini Apps Activity |
| NotebookLM | OFF (unless feedback given) | Never click feedback buttons with confidential docs |
| Perplexity | Free/Pro: ON by default | Disable 'AI data retention' in Account Settings |
| Claude.ai | Opt-in (must choose) | Turn OFF 'Help improve Claude' in Privacy Settings |
| ChatGPT | Free/Plus: ON by default | Settings → Data Controls → Turn OFF 'Improve model' |
Select a lengthy email conversation and ask Copilot to "Summarize this email thread and identify action items." Get key points and actions in seconds.
After a Teams meeting: "List all action items, who is responsible, and any deadlines mentioned." Transform lengthy notes into an actionable task list.
Open a lengthy contract or report and ask: "Summarize this document in one paragraph" or "List the five most important points."
Select data and ask: "What trends do you see?" or "Identify anomalies." Get instant first-pass analysis to guide deeper investigation.
Use Copilot Chat: "Find all emails and documents related to the Johnson matter from the last 30 days." One query searches mail, files, and chats.
Paste rough notes: "Convert into a structured to-do list by person and priority." Transform chaotic notes into actionable structure.
Provide task list and deadlines: "Suggest time blocks for my calendar this week." Get scheduling suggestions respecting priorities.
Ask: "Do I have any scheduling conflicts this week?" or "When am I double-booked?" Instant visibility into calendar issues.
Paste data and ask: "Convert this into a table format" or "Reformat this list into [specific format]." Handles tedious reformatting.
"Create a presentation outline based on this report" or "What slides would I need for a client presentation?" Structural starting point.
Deep Research browses hundreds of web sources and generates multi-page cited reports. "Research the current state of non-compete law in California including recent legislation."
Upload PDFs to Deep Research, then cross-reference with public web data. "How do these indemnification provisions compare to industry standards?"
Natural language inbox search: "Who sent me a proposal for the office renovation last year?" Gemini searches your email history and summarizes.
After research, ask "Create an interactive quiz to test my understanding." Canvas generates interactive applications you can use and share.
Auto-generate complete slide presentations. "Create a presentation on key changes in the 2025 Data Privacy Act." Export to Google Slides.
Click "Export to Docs" on any Gemini response. Content appears in a new Google Doc preserving formatting, ready for editing.
Highlight text: "Improve clarity" or "Make more formal." Summarize, list action items — work with your document without switching apps.
"Create a table comparing statute of limitations across all 50 states." Export directly to Sheets for sorting and analysis.
Create custom visuals: "Professional diagram showing corporate structure." Edit photos by describing changes.
Create short video clips from text prompts. Useful for explainer videos, training content, or demonstrations.
NotebookLM ONLY knows what you upload. Every answer comes exclusively from your materials. "What did the defendant say about the delivery timeline?"
Every response includes inline citations. Click any to scroll to the exact passage in your source. Invaluable for confirming AI summaries against originals.
AI-generated podcast-style discussions of your documents. Choose: Deep Dive, Brief, Critique, or Debate. Download and listen at 1.5x speed.
AI-generated video explainers from your documents. Brief or Explainer formats with narration and visuals. Available in 80+ languages.
Interactive mind maps showing connections across documents. Visualize thematic clusters and discover unexpected connections in complex matter files.
Grant "Chat-only" access where users ask questions but cannot see source documents. Perfect for internal knowledge bases.
Upload CLE materials and create source-grounded flashcards and quizzes. Every question comes from your specific uploaded materials.
"Are there contradictions between the deposition and the contract?" Every contradiction links directly to source passages.
Click citations to view sources, then pin important quotes. Build a curated evidence collection without manual copying.
Source-grounded presentations — every point traces to your actual documents. Unlike Gemini, no web-informed content mixed in.
Search background: "[Name] attorney litigation experience" or "[Company] recent lawsuits, regulatory actions." Cited summaries from current web sources.
"Latest SEC enforcement actions 2024" or "Recent HIPAA guidance updates." Current sources, not limited by training cutoffs.
Select "Academic" for scholarly sources, "Writing" for content generation, "All" for broadest coverage. Switch based on specific need.
Save related searches: "Smith Case Background," "Industry Regulations." Preserves search threads with all citations as an organized research trail.
"Recent jury verdicts employment discrimination California" or "Medical malpractice settlement ranges." Aggregates from legal news with citations.
"Is [case name] still good law?" First-pass check — always verify with Westlaw/Lexis for official confirmation.
Search "[Expert name] publications, testimony history" or "[Topic] expert witnesses in [jurisdiction]." Surfaces credentials and prior testimony.
"Analyze the current state of [legal topic] including legislation, cases, and regulatory guidance." Pro Search auto-breaks down complex questions.
"[Court name] local rules for motion practice" or "[Jurisdiction] filing requirements." Links to official court websites.
Review Perplexity's suggested related questions after each search. Surfaces angles you hadn't considered. Click to explore without losing original search.
Upload a long contract, brief, or deposition. "Identify key provisions." The 200K token context handles documents other AI tools cannot process at once.
Upload up to 10 files: "Key differences between these contract versions?" or "Compare witness statements and identify inconsistencies."
Create a Project per matter with key documents and background. Context persists across conversations — no re-explaining each time.
"Create a checklist of all conditions that must be satisfied" or "List all deliverables and deadlines." Transform dense text into actionable lists.
"What issues or risks warrant further investigation?" or "Flag anything unusual." First-pass issue spotting to guide detailed review.
"What arguments might support this position?" Use Claude as a brainstorming partner. Can be done with anonymized facts.
"Give me a one-paragraph executive summary, then a one-page detailed summary, then key supporting details." Multiple lengths from one doc.
"Extract all named parties and roles," "List all monetary amounts," or "Create a table of dates and what they relate to."
"What questions should I be asking about this document?" or "What would opposing counsel focus on?" Helps identify what to look for.
Upload a patent, spec, or expert report: "Explain in terms a non-technical person would understand." Transform dense material into accessible explanations.
"Search for recent SEC enforcement actions" or "Latest updates to [regulation]." Browsing accesses current info beyond training data.
Upload a document: "What are the main points?" or "Identify key obligations and deadlines." Process PDFs, Word docs, etc.
Build a custom GPT with your style guide, standard instructions, and focused capabilities for consistent document review or formatting.
Speak thoughts while commuting. Work through arguments or planning without typing. ChatGPT responds verbally.
"Convert these notes into a table with Person, Date, Action Item" or "Extract all company names alphabetically."
"Create a timeline graphic" or "Generate a diagram showing organizational structure." Useful for presentations and client explanations.
Upload spreadsheets: "Identify trends in this billing data" or "Calculate monthly totals and flag anomalies." Runs Python for accurate calculations.
Use sidebar search to find previous work. Retrieve past research or analysis without starting from scratch.
Paste email thread: "Create a meeting agenda based on these emails." Transform scattered correspondence into organized agendas.
"Remember I prefer bullet points" or "Remember I work in employment law." Reduces repetitive instructions across conversations.
Refine with follow-ups: "Make it shorter," "Focus on deadlines," "Reorganize by priority." Conversation maintains context.
Continue in the same Copilot chat window — each refinement builds on previous context.
"Make that more concise," "Focus on liability issues," "Format as a table." Maintains conversation context for continuous refinement.
Reference previous outputs: "In your first response…" or "Revise that to…"
"Focus more on damages analysis," "Explain in simpler terms," "Which documents support that?" Refinements stay source-grounded.
Each follow-up counts as one query toward 50/day limit. Plan efficiently.
"Focus on cases from the last two years," "Exclude results about [topic]," "Go deeper on regulatory aspect." Remembers prior context.
Each follow-up counts as one search. Unlimited basic searches, so iterate freely.
"Make that more concise," "Focus on liability," "Organize as a table." Maintains context for continuous refinement.
Each follow-up uses one daily message. Consider asking for multiple formats initially.
"Make that shorter," "Focus on procedural aspects," "Reformat as numbered list." Conversation maintains context.
10 messages per 5 hours for GPT-5 before fallback — plan refinements efficiently.
Store templates in SharePoint where Copilot can reference them. "Use my intake analysis template on this document."
Free: Keep templates in any app. Copy/paste into free chat. Works effectively for reuse.
Create custom Gems for repeated tasks. "Contract Reviewer" Gem with your preferred analysis instructions. Consistent results without re-explaining.
Gems are available in the free tier. Custom creation works across all tiers.
Save templates as notes within notebooks. For contract review: "Identify provisions related to: (1) termination, (2) indemnification…" Reuse across matters.
Note storage is free and unlimited. Templates don't consume queries until used.
Keep prompts document outside Perplexity. "Find recent [jurisdiction] cases involving [legal issue] with [outcome type]." Copy/paste and modify variables.
Copy/paste templates into conversations. With Pro Projects, save as custom instructions that apply automatically.
Template: "Review [doc type] and identify: (1) key obligations, (2) deadlines, (3) termination, (4) indemnification, (5) governing law."
Copy/paste templates. With Plus, create a custom GPT that applies templates automatically.
"Analyze and provide: (1) summary, (2) key deadlines, (3) action items, (4) questions for clarification."
Use "/" to reference specific files or emails. Paid integration searches your M365 data. Free: manually copy/paste background info.
Leverage 1M token context window for processing extremely long documents (≈1,500 pages) in a single conversation.
Upload all relevant documents — NotebookLM indexes and cross-references everything. Reference source names for targeted analysis.
Include context: "In the context of California employment law…" Background helps focus search results on relevant sources.
"This is a commercial lease dispute. The tenant claims maintenance breach. Review this document with that context."
"I'm preparing for a negotiation on technology licensing terms." Memory feature can store generic preferences across conversations.
"Give me a numbered list," "Format as a table with Task, Owner, Deadline," "Present as executive summary in three paragraphs." Copilot in Excel creates native tables.
Request tabular output, then export directly to Sheets. Create data tables and comparison charts. Export formatted responses to Google Docs.
"Create a timeline of events with dates," "Present as comparison table," "Bullet points suitable for a case summary." Save well-formatted responses as notes.
"List key points as bullets," "Create a comparison table," "Give me a timeline." Structured output easier to use in work product.
"Table with Issue, Risk Level, Recommendation" or "Organize as timeline" or "Use bullet points with sub-bullets for details."
"Present as table," "Use bullet points," "Organize chronologically," "Format for email delivery." Get output in immediately usable form.
Click on any claim to see source documents. Verify sources independently. AI output = first draft, not final work product.
Click citation links in Deep Research reports. Cross-reference legal claims. Verify dates and case citations independently.
Click-through citations make verification efficient: every claim links to a specific passage. Compare AI summary against original text. Fastest verification of any AI tool.
Source citations on every response — click numbered references. Check sources are authoritative and current. Confirm with primary sources.
Ask "Show me exactly where in the document it says that" for specific citations. Cross-reference claims with uploaded documents.
Ask ChatGPT to cite sources when possible. Cross-check against authoritative sources. Verify that cited sources actually exist.
"Review these five emails and create a priority ranking" or "Summarize each of these three documents and identify key differences." Select multiple emails before invoking.
Upload entire transaction document sets using 1M token context. Process multiple documents in single comprehensive queries.
"Compare termination provisions in all three contracts as a table" or "For each deposition, identify key admissions." One query replaces five.
"Compare recent developments in [topic] across [State 1], [State 2], [State 3]" or "Find key cases on both [issue A] and [issue B]."
"For each of these three contracts, identify termination provisions." Upload up to 10 documents for comparative batch analysis.
"Review these three documents and identify key differences" or "For each of five topics, give one-paragraph explanation."
"Acting as a project manager, identify critical path items" or "As a writing editor, improve clarity." Role carries through follow-up requests.
Build role context into custom Gems for consistent perspectives. "Contract Reviewer" Gem applies your analytical framework automatically.
"Acting as a risk analyst, identify problems in this contract." NotebookLM adapts analysis style while maintaining strict source-grounding.
"Acting as a legal researcher, find…" or "From a compliance perspective, identify…" Role context focuses search on relevant information.
"Acting as a careful document reviewer, identify missing provisions" or "As a risk assessor, flag potential issues." Perspective maintained throughout.
"Acting as a document analyst, identify key provisions" or "As a risk reviewer, flag potential issues." Perspective maintained in conversation.
Reference both documents using "/" commands. Copilot can also access version history for SharePoint documents.
Upload files to Deep Research for cross-referencing. Connect Drive to compare versions by name. 1M token context handles large document sets.
Upload all documents to one notebook. "Are there contradictions between the deposition and the contract?" Every finding links to source passages. Zero external hallucination.
"Compare how [Jurisdiction A] and [Jurisdiction B] handle [legal issue]." Searches multiple sources and presents comparative analysis with citations.
Upload up to 10 files: "What changed between these drafts?" or "How do these vendor agreements differ in liability provisions?" One of Claude's strongest features.
Upload or paste two versions: "What are the differences?" or "Compare proposals and highlight key distinctions."
"Find all deadlines, notice periods, and key dates and organize chronologically." Copilot in Word can extract and format as a table. Export to Excel or create calendar events.
"Extract all dates and deadlines as a table." Export directly to Google Sheets for sorting, filtering, and calendar integration.
Every extracted date links directly to its source document for verification. Cross-references dates across multiple uploaded documents.
"Statute of limitations for [claim type] in [jurisdiction]" or "Filing deadlines for [document] in [court]." Current information with citations.
"Create a chronological list of all deadlines" or "What dates and time periods are mentioned?" Request table, timeline, or chronological list format.
"Identify all dates and deadlines, organize chronologically" or "Create a timeline of events." Upload document or paste content.
"Rewrite this update to be more concise and less technical" or "Adjust for a formal audience." Select text in Outlook/Word and invoke Copilot.
"Help Me Write" in Gmail generates drafts from brief descriptions. Suggested Replies offer context-aware response options matching your style.
Customize Audio Overview tone: formal/analytical, accessible/conversational. Choose Critique for critical perspective or Debate for multiple perspectives.
"Explain [legal concept] in terms a non-lawyer would understand" or "Summarize [regulation] for a technical audience." Adjusts complexity for recipient.
"Summarize for a client unfamiliar with legal terminology" or "Rewrite for a board of directors." Adjusts vocabulary, detail, and framing.
"Rewrite for non-technical audience," "Make more formal," "Simplify for quick update email." Paste content and specify target tone.