{"id":159717,"date":"2026-08-06T14:54:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T22:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/08\/06\/netdocuments-for-plaintiffs-lawyers-its-pretty-cool\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T14:54:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T22:54:46","slug":"netdocuments-for-plaintiffs-lawyers-its-pretty-cool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/08\/06\/netdocuments-for-plaintiffs-lawyers-its-pretty-cool\/","title":{"rendered":"NetDocuments For Plaintiffs\u2019 Lawyers: It\u2019s Pretty Cool"},"content":{"rendered":"

NetDocuments<\/a>\u00a0recently announced\u00a0its venture\u00a0into the plaintiffs\u2019 contingency fee lawyer\u2019s market. That fact in and of itself is interesting. But how it got there is perhaps even more so\u00a0and a good lesson.<\/p>\n

According to its press release, NetDocuments is now offering a\u00a0Medical Chronology app<\/a> which it says can summarize and extract key events from medical records into a structured memo for chronological review. Secondly, it has announced a\u00a0Demand Generator app<\/a>\u00a0that,\u00a0according to NetDocuments,\u00a0can extract facts, causation evidence, and itemized damages from medical records and case documents to prepare demand letters for personal injury, employment, and insurance bad faith matters.<\/p>\n

Finally, it is now offering an\u00a0Expert Witness Profile Builder app<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>which it says can\u00a0<\/strong>build structured expert witness profiles from CVs, transcripts, and published works, pulling credentials, prior opinions, and case histories. NetDocuments says the tool can flag testimony inconsistencies and supply cross-examination fodder.<\/p>\n

All very interesting and no doubt has pricked the ears of vendors like\u00a0EvenUp\u00a0Law<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Supio<\/a>, although I am sure each would be quick to point out that their products do much more than the three apps now offered by NetDocuments. But that misses the point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NetDocuments has historically been seen as a vendor for larger firms. Most plaintiffs\u2019 firms other than Morgan and Morgan and perhaps a few others are\u00a0relatively\u00a0small. So now, NetDocuments has an opening in that market and will no doubt be developing other tools to better compete.\u00a0And\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0doing so by looking at its existing products and\u00a0figuring out how they can be applied to address the needs of\u00a0a\u00a0different\u00a0market segment.<\/p>\n

How NetDocuments Did It<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting how NetDocuments decided to do this. I recently had a chance to talk to\u00a0Heath Harris<\/a>, NetDocuments\u2019 VP of Applied AI, about its move into this space. Heath told me NetDocuments was looking at the tools that it had already developed for its larger customers, like in-house legal departments and law firms that bill by the hour, to find other uses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was clear, says Harris, for example, that NetDocuments\u2019 core products conceptually work across documents to turn unstructured\u00a0data\u00a0into a structured database. In doing so, it enables the creation of tools that can be used to do things like\u00a0securely\u00a0review and summarize lengthy documents. Or generate documents that consistently follow the same format. Or create the tool it calls Judge Analytics that NetDocuments developed to keep track of data about judges. These tools basically turn data into \u201cinstitutional strategic knowledge,\u201d according to Harris.<\/p>\n

An Aha Moment<\/strong><\/p>\n

The real \u201caha\u201d moment may have come when someone said, you know who could really use these\u00a0kinds of\u00a0tools are lawyers who don\u2019t bill by the hour. Lawyers who get paid solely based on results. Like plaintiffs\u2019 contingency fee lawyers to whom a minute saved is a dollar earned instead of the reverse. What NetDocuments realized is that it could take existing tools and, with a few tweaks, turn them into tools that this market could use.<\/p>\n

Harris told me it was like \u201ccandy in a lot of ways.\u201d It\u2019s a great example of the realization that existing applications are really like \u201cflowing stuff\u2026transforming stuff into something\u201d others can use, according to Harris. Harris pointed out that \u201cthis is what you can then do with that data by putting simple AI applications on top of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

To create\u00a0the expert profile tool, for example,\u00a0NetDocuments\u00a0realized that it already had a\u00a0tool with\u00a0the\u00a0ability to\u00a0create\u00a0a database of people and places\u00a0that could\u00a0then\u00a0summarize what the database contains and extract\u00a0all sorts of key\u00a0information.That tool was Judge Analytics.\u00a0The\u00a0expert profile tool,\u00a0Harris said,\u00a0stemmed\u00a0directly\u00a0from the\u00a0same concepts\u00a0underlying the Judge Analytics tool.<\/p>\n

Thinking Differently<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t, of course, tell you whether these new tools work as described or if NetDocuments will be successful in the new market. But what I can tell you is that, as usual, NetDocuments is focusing on the customers in the plaintiffs\u2019 market.<\/p>\n

Harris told me they understand the need to market these tools to a bit of a different market. NetDocuments has even hired what Harris describes as startup-oriented Silicon Valley types to help understand what the market looks like from a customer experience standpoint. Sounds like tech bros, but Harris told me what \u201creally differentiates this\u00a0[approach]\u00a0is how you bring all that valuable context to life with those tools and how you enable your customers to govern that at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key is that the tools being offered in the plaintiff market were an application of tools already developed for other markets and\u00a0customers. That\u2019s opportunity\u00a0thinking.\u00a0And it\u2019s another example of NetDocuments\u2019 workmanlike approach to document management. As Josh Baxter, NetDocuments CEO,\u00a0once told me<\/a>, \u201cWe\u2019re not a rock band.\u201d It\u2019s a refreshing approach in a market where most vendors overpromise and then underdeliver. All with overblown hype and hyperbole.\u00a0Instead, NetDocuments went to work\u00a0and looked for different uses.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see where NetDocuments goes in the plaintiffs\u2019 market. But by looking at the tools it already had and understanding exactly what they were doing, NetDocuments saw the opportunity for a whole new market. Harris says, \u201cIt is pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

I think Harris is right.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post NetDocuments For Plaintiffs\u2019 Lawyers: It\u2019s Pretty Cool<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NetDocuments<\/a>\u00a0recently announced\u00a0its venture\u00a0into the plaintiffs\u2019 contingency fee lawyer\u2019s market. That fact in and of itself is interesting. But how it got there is perhaps even more so\u00a0and a good lesson.<\/p>\n

According to its press release, NetDocuments is now offering a\u00a0Medical Chronology app<\/a> which it says can summarize and extract key events from medical records into a structured memo for chronological review. Secondly, it has announced a\u00a0Demand Generator app<\/a>\u00a0that,\u00a0according to NetDocuments,\u00a0can extract facts, causation evidence, and itemized damages from medical records and case documents to prepare demand letters for personal injury, employment, and insurance bad faith matters.<\/p>\n

Finally, it is now offering an\u00a0Expert Witness Profile Builder app<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>which it says can\u00a0<\/strong>build structured expert witness profiles from CVs, transcripts, and published works, pulling credentials, prior opinions, and case histories. NetDocuments says the tool can flag testimony inconsistencies and supply cross-examination fodder.<\/p>\n

All very interesting and no doubt has pricked the ears of vendors like\u00a0EvenUp\u00a0Law<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Supio<\/a>, although I am sure each would be quick to point out that their products do much more than the three apps now offered by NetDocuments. But that misses the point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NetDocuments has historically been seen as a vendor for larger firms. Most plaintiffs\u2019 firms other than Morgan and Morgan and perhaps a few others are\u00a0relatively\u00a0small. So now, NetDocuments has an opening in that market and will no doubt be developing other tools to better compete.\u00a0And\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0doing so by looking at its existing products and\u00a0figuring out how they can be applied to address the needs of\u00a0a\u00a0different\u00a0market segment.<\/p>\n

How NetDocuments Did It<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting how NetDocuments decided to do this. I recently had a chance to talk to\u00a0Heath Harris<\/a>, NetDocuments\u2019 VP of Applied AI, about its move into this space. Heath told me NetDocuments was looking at the tools that it had already developed for its larger customers, like in-house legal departments and law firms that bill by the hour, to find other uses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was clear, says Harris, for example, that NetDocuments\u2019 core products conceptually work across documents to turn unstructured\u00a0data\u00a0into a structured database. In doing so, it enables the creation of tools that can be used to do things like\u00a0securely\u00a0review and summarize lengthy documents. Or generate documents that consistently follow the same format. Or create the tool it calls Judge Analytics that NetDocuments developed to keep track of data about judges. These tools basically turn data into \u201cinstitutional strategic knowledge,\u201d according to Harris.<\/p>\n

An Aha Moment<\/strong><\/p>\n

The real \u201caha\u201d moment may have come when someone said, you know who could really use these\u00a0kinds of\u00a0tools are lawyers who don\u2019t bill by the hour. Lawyers who get paid solely based on results. Like plaintiffs\u2019 contingency fee lawyers to whom a minute saved is a dollar earned instead of the reverse. What NetDocuments realized is that it could take existing tools and, with a few tweaks, turn them into tools that this market could use.<\/p>\n

Harris told me it was like \u201ccandy in a lot of ways.\u201d It\u2019s a great example of the realization that existing applications are really like \u201cflowing stuff\u2026transforming stuff into something\u201d others can use, according to Harris. Harris pointed out that \u201cthis is what you can then do with that data by putting simple AI applications on top of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

To create\u00a0the expert profile tool, for example,\u00a0NetDocuments\u00a0realized that it already had a\u00a0tool with\u00a0the\u00a0ability to\u00a0create\u00a0a database of people and places\u00a0that could\u00a0then\u00a0summarize what the database contains and extract\u00a0all sorts of key\u00a0information.That tool was Judge Analytics.\u00a0The\u00a0expert profile tool,\u00a0Harris said,\u00a0stemmed\u00a0directly\u00a0from the\u00a0same concepts\u00a0underlying the Judge Analytics tool.<\/p>\n

Thinking Differently<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t, of course, tell you whether these new tools work as described or if NetDocuments will be successful in the new market. But what I can tell you is that, as usual, NetDocuments is focusing on the customers in the plaintiffs\u2019 market.<\/p>\n

Harris told me they understand the need to market these tools to a bit of a different market. NetDocuments has even hired what Harris describes as startup-oriented Silicon Valley types to help understand what the market looks like from a customer experience standpoint. Sounds like tech bros, but Harris told me what \u201creally differentiates this\u00a0[approach]\u00a0is how you bring all that valuable context to life with those tools and how you enable your customers to govern that at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key is that the tools being offered in the plaintiff market were an application of tools already developed for other markets and\u00a0customers. That\u2019s opportunity\u00a0thinking.\u00a0And it\u2019s another example of NetDocuments\u2019 workmanlike approach to document management. As Josh Baxter, NetDocuments CEO,\u00a0once told me<\/a>, \u201cWe\u2019re not a rock band.\u201d It\u2019s a refreshing approach in a market where most vendors overpromise and then underdeliver. All with overblown hype and hyperbole.\u00a0Instead, NetDocuments went to work\u00a0and looked for different uses.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see where NetDocuments goes in the plaintiffs\u2019 market. But by looking at the tools it already had and understanding exactly what they were doing, NetDocuments saw the opportunity for a whole new market. Harris says, \u201cIt is pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

I think Harris is right.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post NetDocuments For Plaintiffs\u2019 Lawyers: It\u2019s Pretty Cool<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NetDocuments\u00a0recently announced\u00a0its venture\u00a0into the plaintiffs\u2019 contingency fee lawyer\u2019s market. That fact in and of itself is interesting. But how it got there is perhaps even more so\u00a0and a good lesson. According to its press release, NetDocuments is now offering a\u00a0Medical Chronology app which it says can summarize and extract key events from medical records into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159717\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}