So You Want to be a Legal Transcriber

Did you know that Zippia reported that 70% of private institutions hire legal transcriptionists for all their legal-related activities? Compared to other professions, it has one of the lowest unemployment rates at 2.49%.

For this reason, many are interested in becoming a transcriber in the legal field, which is why today, we will discuss how you can start a career in legal transcription. If you want to learn about this, then keep reading!

What is Legal Transcription?

Legal transcription is defined as the processing of writing legal documents from audio or video-recorded files. This might seem like a simple task, but it's a tedious process that requires good listening skills while quickly creating accurately transcribed and formatted.

While researching this topic, we were fortunate enough to interview Kate Banaag, the project manager for Lextranscribe, a legal transcription services company that serves thousands of law firms and public institutions across the fifty states of the US.

As a project manager, Banaag oversees the production and quality of the legal transcriptions. We asked what makes being a legal transcriptionist difficult.

"Transcribing court documents requires great attention to detail and can be tedious. Depending on the recorded video or audio, it can go from a couple of minutes to hours, which can affect the length and formatting of the legal document," Banaag explained. "Due to this, the legal transcriptionists we work with are certified and have a background in law and legal writing."

Banaag said that developing a skill in legal writing and understanding the legal system is why only a few transcriptionists become legal transcribers despite its increasing demand over the years.

Why Government and Legal Professionals are Seeking Transcriptionists

As previously mentioned, legal transcription services had the lowest unemployment. Many government institutions and legal professionals hire transcribers rather than doing the work themselves because it is more efficient. Compared to other work in the legal field, the job of a transcriber is more versatile compared to other jobs.

Unlike court reporters who transcribe court proceedings as it occurs and is responsible for memorializing everything that took place, like the words and actions made by all participants. Legal transcriptionists are only given recordings of the proceeding to make a formal written document. Transcriptionists can work remotely, which is why it's an excellent occupation for those planning to have a career in freelancing.

This is backed by Ryan Taylor, the web manager and writer at Rev, a well-known transcription software company, who reported that "the setting in which they work" is what differentiates court reporters and legal transcriptionists. Taylor said the biggest advantage of transcriptionists is that they can press pause or rewind audio or video recordings, making the document more accurate and can be "cross-referenced with the official court reporter transcription."

Legal transcription goes beyond the court proceedings as it can involve a wide range of day-to-day activities in law enforcement and legal institutions, like 911 calls, jury instructions, and witness interviews.

Due to this, many private and public institutions have decided to seek remote legal transcribers to lessen the burden on their legal teams, improve accuracy, and speed up the process of transcribing court documents from audio or video recordings.

What Traits and Requirements You Need to Become a Legal Transcriptionist

On average, certified legal transcriptionists have either an associate's or bachelor's degree and have undergone training to become one.

Just like with any transcriptionist, legal transcribers should be good listeners who can pick up what the people are saying despite the dialects and regional accents the speaker uses. They need to develop the skill to type fast, with minimal errors, around 65 to 75 words per minute.

Besides being able to type quickly, a transcriptionist needs to have a good command of the language and writing of the document. Also, with each institution having its house rules, it's essential that they can effectively follow them.

Also, attention to detail is imperative. Besides knowing the proper format of the legal transcript and having a grasp on the grammar, you will need to ensure that each detail and fact written in the document is accurate and faithful to the recorded audio or video file.

4 Tips to Becoming a Legal Transcriber

The legal transcription services are said to have a market value of 3,267.7 million by 2029. This data shows many opportunities in this sector if you're looking to become a transcriber. We have listed some tips you should know if you're serious about becoming a legal transcriptionist.

1. Earn a Degree

As previously stated, most legal transcribers have associate's or bachelor's degrees. It makes sense because if you're planning to work in legal transcriptions, you will need to know the jargon, the formatting, and the legal system. That's why having a higher education in the legal field will give you an advantage as a transcriptionist.

2.Take Up On the Job Training

If you're a newbie in legal transcription services, we advise you to take on-the-job training whenever you can to buildup your reputation as a transcriber and add more to your portfolio. By taking on-the-job training, you are gaining experience that will be valuable as you develop your skills.

3. Invest on Developing Your Craft

Investing time, money, and energy to hone your skills in legal transcriptions is essential. It ensures that you're up to date with the latest trends in your field and that you're refreshed on the basics, enhancing your skills. By also participating in conferences, forums, and seminars, you become more appealing to employers who are looking for a skilled transcriptionist.

4. Get a Certificate

Lastly, we advise that you become a certified legal transcriptionist is essential so that you wouldn't have to rely on anyone to certify your work. If you're living in the US, you can apply to the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) and, after three months, get certified.

Conclusion

Due to the low unemployment rate of legal transcription services, it's not surprising that many newbie freelancers plan to become one. Hopefully, the insights and advice we gave in this article will come in handy.