Thursday, July 24, 2008

All about Legal Transcription

Legal transcription has come into the public view recently being recognized for its efficient and professional influence on legal records and is steadily becoming a popular trend in the legal field. Legal transcriptionists, much like their counterparts in the medical field, listen to dictations from legal professionals and type them into documents that are edited and grammatically correct. These transcriptionists generally listen to testimonies, interrogations, court hearings, and pleadings, after which they compose what they heard into an easily understood document that will turn into record.

Legal transcriptionists generally work for larger firms or private practice attorneys who have a large number of cases. They are also widely used by large corporations, governmental departments, insurance companies, and banks that all have a need for more accurate legal records. A large number of transcriptionists work for the U.S. government attempting to establish a more organized and complete record system.

In order to be good legal transcriptionists, individuals should have a solid understanding of legal terminology. They should have impeccable grammar and a good command of the English language. After transcriptions are complete they become legal records that are extremely useful to lawyers when they are researching to win a case. Thanks to these transcriptionists, legal records are now more clearly written and thorough. The lawyers and paralegals who wrote the records before were often too busy to make sure the records were exact.

The job market is unique in that there is little competition and plenty of jobs. This fact is most likely due to the overwhelming need for accurate and more advanced legal records to help businesses keep better records and provide their clients with more protection. Other ways legal transcriptionists are hired is by companies that choose to outsource the work for lower costs and increased quality. By outsourcing, companies will generally have a quicker turnaround rate as well because they are dividing jobs across the board rather than giving them all to one particular person. However, there has been a growing trend that has threatened the U.S. job market slightly. Many overseas companies have begun to lend their services to U.S. companies for less money and with a quicker turnaround. These companies, with the majority being found in India, have obtained many U.S. clients who choose their services for the lower costs and to get more records completed. Yet, the news is not all bad. Many other businesses look to legal transcriptionists in the U.S. because they have a better understanding of the laws and the English language, a quality that the overseas companies cannot offer.

Although no formal training is required to become a legal transcriptionist, many companies require a basic knowledge of legal terminology and excellent grammatical skills. They also tend to gravitate toward individuals who have prior experience in the medical field, writing, or an extensive knowledge of English. However, there is a new trend in legal transcription that is lowering the chances of less qualified individuals getting jobs. Many companies are hiring retired lawyers to join their team and write up new records. These individuals are good candidates for legal transcription because they know the legal lingo, the laws, and generally people in the business to help them get started. They also have the added advantage of knowing precisely what is needed in files and what is unnecessary.

Although they play a key role in the security and development of better legal records, legal transcriptionists are often underappreciated. The legal transcription field has not yet gained support from governmental organizations as medical transcriptionists have, but their role as newcomers to the business is likely to blame. Despite that, legal transcriptionists are steadily becoming permanent fixtures on law firm and government department payrolls and the need for their services will likely continue to grow even more.

In recent years, the demand for talented and professional individuals to take on the task of writing accurate and grammatically correct legal records has been on the rise. These individuals, known as legal transcriptionists, are being looked to in order to take some of the workload from lawyers and paralegals who have a need for accurate records but do not have the time to construct them. Many reputable companies and individuals are now providing their services to law firms, banks, insurance companies, and government organizations in order to quickly supply legal records that are easier to understand. Not only are these services easing the workload of busy professionals, they are also improving the quality of legal records to make for more accurate and organized legal systems.

Legal transcriptionists use the latest technology to take dictations from legal professionals and transcribe them into official documents. These professionals generally work as secretaries in offices, allowing them full access to files and information. This profession is rising in importance as the need for accurate documentation increases. Their services help to create and maintain organized and detailed legal records that will help their superiors win more cases or conduct better business. The records created by legal transcriptionists also allow for a more efficiently run company because the workers spend less time concentrating on organization and more time on productive work.

Today there are several reputable companies that provide top-notch transcription services to those in need. TranscriptionStar is one of the most well-known transcription service providers that supply services to numerous corporations and small businesses in the U.S. and Europe. They work under the head of iSource, which uses the latest technology to provide high-quality, cost effective transcription services to their vast client base. TranscriptionStar provides several areas of transcription services other than legal that include medical, business, research, educational, and media. TranscriptionStar is HIPAA compliant and provides strict security in accordance with PHI Privacy and Security.

For larger jobs, RapidText.com is a good service that provides legal transcription to various businesses but prefers to work on larger projects and establish long-term relationships. The company employs around 250 transcriptionists who are well-trained and knowledgeable in several different fields, helping to provide the best and most complete documents possible.

For smaller or average sized jobs, TranscriptionStudio.com is a good place to look. TranscriptionStudio offers experienced professionals who have knowledge in a variety of legal areas. The versatility that this service provides allows the employees to supply transcription services to a variety of legal sectors. The company specializes in insurance, government, law, and media related fields and offers a one hunderd percent satisfaction guarantee.

UKtyping is another company that offers legal transcription to various groups. The company specializes in strictly legal services and has the advantage of vast knowledge in everything legal related. UKtyping provides great resources and tools to aid in dictation and record creation. The company works mainly with lawyers, doctors, accountants, authors, and property professionals but claims to be able to adapt to most other fields.

NCH.com is a site that supplies a list of businesses that are currently looking for transcriptionists. The site posts jobs from companies located all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe.
The services provided by legal transcriptionists are becoming invaluable resources to various companies throughout the U.S. These legal secretaries are single-handedly improving the way organizations run their businesses. The outpour of positions that are now available give the added perk of versatility in the workplace, allowing transcriptionists to find jobs in various sectors other than the legal world. Although these professionals do not always receive the recognition they deserve, there are steps being taken to create organizations that will promote better treatment and provide more rights to legal transcriptionists. These organizations will also be able to spell out precisely which qualifications should be necessary before embarking on a career in legal transcription. Hopefully these advancements will create better working conditions and help improve America's legal record system.

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