NetDocuments Launches Legal Context Graph Platform

NetDocuments launched the first context graph built for legal work on May 14, 2026, connecting every matter, document, and communication across a firm.

The Lehi, Utah-based company has reimagined its document management platform around this context graph, which continuously maps connections across hundreds of millions of records while respecting each firm's existing permissions and ethical walls. The launch marks a shift from a system that stores legal work to one that processes and surfaces it in connected, searchable form.

Legal teams have long faced a specific problem: critical context exists inside a firm but remains inaccessible when it is needed most. A new lawyer joining a complex matter may spend days reconstructing information that already exists somewhere in the firm. A retiring senior lawyer takes decades of institutional knowledge with them. This platform targets those gaps directly by making that knowledge structured and searchable.

The Context Graph

The context graph sits at the center of the reimagined platform. It maps how documents, matters, people, and expertise connect across the firm and updates continuously as new work comes in.

The system supports semantic search, meaning lawyers can search by what a document is about rather than by keywords alone. Opening any matter now surfaces an automatic overview that includes a summary, key documents, parties, timelines, and relevant work product, removing the need for manual reconstruction.

NetDocuments worked with AWS and Elastic to build and operate this system at scale. The platform processes hundreds of millions of documents under governance models that preserve each firm's permissioning rules and ethical walls.

Carol Potts, General Manager for ISVs at Amazon Web Services, described the scale of what was built: "Semantically understanding and continuously connecting hundreds of millions of legal documents, under each firm's own governance model, is the kind of work that defines enterprise-grade AI infrastructure for regulated industries."

AI Agent Integration

AI applications have previously operated only on documents a lawyer uploads within a single session. The context graph changes this by giving AI agents organization-wide context while keeping permissions intact.

AI agents inside NetDocuments, as well as those in external tools including Claude, ChatGPT, and other legal AI applications via ndConnect, now draw from the firm's full institutional knowledge base rather than a single session's uploads. The platform connects via MCP (Model Context Protocol), a standard that allows AI tools to access external data sources.

The platform also brings AI-powered drafting, redlining, playbook generation, and document comparison across NetDocuments and Microsoft 365 in a single interface.

Josh Baxter, Chief Executive Officer at NetDocuments, explained the underlying design goal: "Legal data is fundamentally different. It is language, not fields, and unlocking its meaning requires understanding it as a connected whole, every matter, every document, every communication, at firm scale."

Rollout and Availability

The new platform launches alongside the original NetDocuments interface. Firms can move to the new experience on their own timeline. Both interfaces share the same underlying data and operate under the same governance model, so teams are not required to switch immediately.

Private preview opened on May 14, 2026, for select customers. A broader rollout is planned for the coming months. NetDocuments is hosting a webinar on June 9 for those who want to see the platform in action, and a waitlist is open for firms interested in early access.

The platform currently focuses on law firm practice but is built to serve corporate legal departments and public sector organizations as well. NetDocuments has said it will share more for those audiences in the coming weeks.

Gartner has identified context engineering as a strategic priority for AI leaders. Foundation Capital has described context graphs as the next defining shift in enterprise AI, noting that value lies in the ability to explain why decisions were made.

About NetDocuments

NetDocuments is a cloud-native intelligent document management system serving more than 7,000 law firms, corporate legal departments, and public sector organizations worldwide. Founded 25 years ago, the platform integrates with more than 150 technologies, including Microsoft 365 and DocuSign. It offers tools across the document lifecycle, including automation, AI, email management, search, collaboration, document bundling, and security.

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NetDocuments

NetDocuments Software, Inc.