Is Legal Transcription Still in Demand?

The legal transcription market in the U.S. has been increasing rapidly due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and speech recognition technologies in transcription. Statistics reveal that this quick growth could increase the legal transcription demand over the coming years. From 2014 to 2021, the growth rate in the demand for legal transcription was 4.7%, but it is estimated to increase to 6.5% between 2022 and 2029.

As president of my company, I interact with legal professionals to better understand their transcription requirements and establish efficient operation processes to meet their demands. With enough resources to produce personalized yet best-quality legal transcripts in a day or two, legal professionals can get what they want, just as they want it. In this article, I will share the importance of legal transcription services and the responsibilities of legal transcriptionists, along with an insight into the future of legal transcription.

Why Is Legal Transcription Important?

Legal transcription helps prevent miscommunication by ensuring everyone involved in the case is provided with the same information. It also makes it easier to spot inconsistencies in the flow of data or the timeline of occurrences. Having a transcribed legal document in hand can also ease the process of referring to a particular statement, as it saves the time spent on listening to recorded proceedings to find a specific section. This also helps courts and law firms maintain the accuracy of legal records.

What Do Legal Transcriptionists Do?

Upon accepting a job, a legal transcriptionist will receive an audio or video file, which could be a legal memo, pleading, correspondence, deposition, etc. They then need to transcribe the file into text. After transcribing the file, they proofread it and check for grammatical, spelling, typographical, and punctuation errors to ensure that the transcribed document is accurate and error-free.

What Types of Legal Audio/Videos Can Be Transcribed?

Legal transcription services can be helpful to transcribe a number of different legal recordings, including, but not limited to:

• Subpoenas: Legal documents requiring a party to appear before the court to testify or bring physical evidence that can be used in the case.

• Depositions: A witness’s sworn out-of-court testimony used by attorneys for collecting information to build their case.

• Summons: Legal documents informing a person that a case has been filed against them, with details including when (specific time and date) they must appear in court.

• Pleadings: A written statement submitted by a party stating their claims or defenses that remain the cause of action.

• Sworn Statements: Documents made in lieu of testimonies given in the court to provide facts required in a legal proceeding.

• Hearings: Refers to various legal proceedings completed with a magistrate or judge alone.

• Memorandums: Informal notes used in a legal proceeding as proof to state that an agreement or a contract was made between two parties in concurrence.

• Interrogations: Recordings of suspects or witnesses being questioned by a legal authority that is used to facilitate an ongoing case.

• Dictations, Meetings, and Conferences: Legal meetings, conferences, and dictations including important notes, documents, and reports about a case can be transcribed for future reference.

• Wiretaps and Phone Calls: Phone calls involving legal communication and wiretaps on interrogations of suspects/witnesses can be transcribed to be used in legal proceedings.

How Can One Be a Legal Transcriptionist?

To become a legal transcriptionist, you should graduate from a legal transcriptionist program and have a good understanding of legal jargon, or join a legal transcriptionist certification program that provides an overview of law and legal terminology while helping you enhance your proofreading, formatting, and editing skills. Consider also completing national certification as a Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET), adding value and credibility to your resume. I also recommend enhancing your skills as a paralegal or legal assistant through legal transcription.

The salary of a legal transcriptionist depends on your skill set, knowledge of the law, and speed and accuracy at work, but the national average annual salary for a legal transcriptionist is approximately $52,000 per year.

The Future Of Legal Transcription

As technology expands, there will be more media forms of legal communication, including social media videos, personal videos, voice-activated virtual assistant recordings, surveillance camera footage, investigation recordings, etc.

Also, many small cases have been resolved online, which could be expected to continue in the future to save time and money for both parties and legal authorities involved in the proceedings. All these videos/audio may need to be transcribed for further analysis or to review the details of the case at any time.

This is where legal transcription services will be helpful. They will transcribe your legal recordings faster, without compromising quality and accuracy. So that you can have every piece of legal information properly recorded in writing.