Legal transcription is a very useful service for busy attorneys because it makes available the transcripts of various court proceedings within the required turnaround time. Legal transcripts contain every word spoken in the courtroom, including all arguments by attorneys, witnesses, decisions by the judges etc. A legal transcription company with multiple transcribers can provide quality transcription of audio recordings on time with utmost accuracy. Accurate transcription of court room proceedings allows close scrutiny of the case, future reference, and also helps in training and educating legal professionals.
There is no room for error in courts or legal proceedings because even a minor error can have disastrous consequences on a lawsuit. Any inaccuracies with recording of the statement or any other related audio file must therefore be avoided. Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in courtroom transcription to ensure accuracy. In the legal sector, AI and other advanced technology find great use in automating mundane tasks, speeding up e-discovery, and cost reduction. It also helps ensure more efficiency and ease of access.
Before going on to the use of AI in the legal community and courtroom transcription, it is important to understand the skills required for transcribing any recording or audio file.
- Good knowledge about transcription software
- Computer knowledge
- Familiarity with legal terminology
- Proofreading skills
- Ability to work for long hours with utmost accuracy
- Good command of the English language
- Good typing speed
Legal transcription is not an easy task. It requires a clear understanding of the legal resources, and a great deal of focused effort to produce accurate transcripts. Transcribing at a great speed is important while maintaining the accuracy of the transcript. Legal transcription or courtroom transcription often involves several audio recordings and these recordings may not be very clear. This can affect the accuracy of the transcript. However, skilled transcriptionists with good hearing capability can convert any legal recording to error-free transcripts.
AI in Legal Transcription
Earlier, transcription was mainly done by human transcriptionists. But today, with the advent of technology, AI is used for automated transcription. Speech recognition or voice recognition offers various opportunities for making the transcription efficient and accurate.
AI and automation are expected to bring optimal results for court reporting and legal transcription. With lack of typing or stenographic services for low-value litigation and e-discovery, many court proceedings are being recorded on advanced systems that can identify speakers. The recordings are then sent to a court reporting agency for the purposes of certification and legal transcription. Artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) systems along with speech recognition capability can speed up transcription. The accuracy of these systems is based on factors such as background noise, speaker volume, the recording equipment used and so on.
The benefits AI can offer to court systems, litigators and court systems include the following.
- Faster turnaround of transcripts
- Reduced overhead costs
- Lawyers benefit from increased capacity to serve more clients
- On-demand transcripts
- Access to searchable audio
For lawyers, efficiency is important and technology plays a significant role in helping them navigate their busy schedule. Speech-to-text dictation is becoming one of the popular solutions for lawyers that lets them record notes on phone and transcribe them using a software. It allows lawyers to be mobile and agile. Moreover, lawyers get to save time. Technology literally acts as an efficiency driver. Speech-to-text dictation capability provides many options that help lawyers to be productive.
However, speech-to-text dictation and other transcription software do not ensure complete accuracy, and accuracy of legal transcripts is vital when it comes to winning the case. Every single word uttered in an audio file or mentioned in a legal document is important for the verdict of the case.
So, the ideal option for lawyers who are planning to transcribe their audio recordings is to approach a professional legal transcription service or online transcription service that can offer high-quality transcripts at affordable rates. These services have multiple transcribers who can provide customized transcription according to the need of the clients, and also ensure quick turnaround time.
