Guide
AI deposition summary
Deposition summaries are one of the most-asked-about AI tasks in litigation, and one of the easiest to get wrong. Lawyers and paralegals on Reddit describe the same pattern: a general chatbot produces a smooth narrative summary, but the page:line references are missing or wrong, testimony gets paraphrased into something the witness didn't say, and a long transcript gets clipped without warning.
A deposition summary is only useful if every point can be found in the transcript. Here's how to do it properly, and where LIA Pro fits.
Three kinds of deposition summary
| Type | Shape | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Page-line | Chronological, one entry per topic shift, with page:line | Trial prep, impeachment |
| Topical (issue) digest | Testimony grouped by issue | Motions, case assessment |
| Narrative | Prose overview | Client and partner briefings |
The narrative is the riskiest, because it invites paraphrase. Whichever you use, keep the cites.
A page-line summary template you can copy
DEPOSITION SUMMARY
Witness: ___ Date: ___ Taken by: ___ Pages: ___
Issues tracked: [1] ___ [2] ___ [3] ___
Page:Line | Topic | Testimony (close to verbatim) | Issue | Note
12:4–13:2 | Employment dates | Started Mar 2019; left Jun 2023 | 1 |
41:15–42:9 | The 14 May call | "I don't recall who else was on it" | 2 | Contrast email 14 May
...
ADMISSIONS: ___ (page:line)
INCONSISTENCIES: ___ (page:line vs exhibit/earlier testimony)
NOT ASKED / GAPS: ___
FOLLOW-UP: ___
The last two sections are the ones generic summaries leave out: what wasn't asked, and what conflicts with the documents.
Rules for a summary that holds up
- Quote, don't characterise. "Witness denied knowledge" is a characterisation. "Q: Did you know? A: Not at that time" is testimony.
- Keep "I don't recall" as "I don't recall." It isn't a denial.
- Flag inconsistencies against exhibits, not just within the transcript.
- Say what wasn't covered. Gaps in examination are often the most useful finding.
How LIA Pro handles a transcript
Put the transcript on a matter. PDF, Word, text and RTF are accepted. Naming the matter unlocks the evidence, chronology and review types.
- Ask a bounded question: "Where does the witness address the 14 May call, and what exactly does she say?"
- Review reads the transcript with the other documents on the matter. For a long transcript plus exhibits, tick Split a large search so each file is searched in turn and listed as found or not found, with a short quote.
- Deep Review runs two independent workings and settles them into agree, contest or gap. It's useful where testimony can be read two ways.
What lands is classified: primary (what the transcript says), inference (what may be drawn from it) and gap (what it doesn't address). Show working opens the competing readings.
Audio and video depositions
You can attach audio and video. Transcripts captured from recordings are marked unverified until checked against the certified transcript. The certified transcript remains the record.
Worked shape (fictional)
Issue: knowledge of the defect before 2 May. Primary: 41:15–42:9, "I don't recall who else was on the call." Inference: the witness was on the 14 May call, according to the email on file. Whether she heard the defect discussed is not established. Gap: the examiner didn't ask about the 30 April test log. Follow-up: put the test log to the witness, or to the QA lead, at the next opportunity.
Questions
Can AI summarise a deposition accurately?
It can, if every point keeps its page:line reference and testimony is quoted rather than characterised. LIA Pro keeps what the transcript says apart from what's inferred from it.
What is a page-line deposition summary?
A chronological summary with one entry per topic shift, each tied to page and line numbers in the transcript.
Can LIA read a video deposition?
You can attach audio and video. Transcripts captured from recordings are marked unverified until checked against the certified transcript.
Is LIA Pro legal advice?
No. LIA Pro isn't a law firm and isn't legal advice. Human judgment remains the authority.