Skills Required to be a Legal Transcriptionist

At Capital Captions we are always looking into ways of improving our legal transcription services. Today we will take a closer look at the skills required to become a legal transcriptionist, in order to give clients and prospective workers a better idea of what is involved. 

Legal Transcriptionist Duties

Legal transcriptionists typically use a computer or laptop to transcribe dictated recordings. In summary, most recordings will be from court proceedings, court tapes, mediation briefs, interviews or dictations. A legal transcriptionist’s job is to accurately type out dictations and recordings in a verbatim style (word for word). In addition, legal transcribers must have excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation skills so that they can effectively edit the information for clarity.

Skills involved in Legal Transcription

Similarly to all types of professional transcriptionists, legal transcriptionists must have excellent listening skills in order to be able to comprehend the audio content and material that they are transcribing. They also need to have a fast typing speed of over 85+ words per minute, have a good understanding of legal jargon and strong proofreading skills. The list also includes: 

• Excellent command of the English language 
• Proficient in transcription software 
• Excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation 

Legal Training and Qualifications

Most legal transcriptionists start in general transcription and end up specialising in legal and law transcription. However, the skills required to be a legal transcriptionist are much more specialised and require special attention. In addition to writing ability, legal typists need to have an understanding of the law and how it works. 

Working Environments

Most legal transcriptionists start out as in-house legal secretaries but then become independent contractors who work from home and offer their services to transcription companies or legal employers. Consequently, it’s often required that home based legal transcriptionists work irregular hours, including part time, evenings and weekends. The upside to this of course is that it gives them the flexibility to schedule their work to fit lifestyle and family commitments. 

Our Legal Transcription Services 

• Arbitration proceedings
• Client letters
• Court proceedings
• Personal disputes
• Court tapes
• Jury instructions
• Legal examinations
• Mediation proceedings
• Legal contracts
• Financial law
• Employment law
• Immigration law
• And many more

Capital Captions use professional legal secretaries to provide you with expert, fully qualified and highly accurate legal secretaries who can transcribe all your legal requirements. If you are looking for legal transcription services our fully qualified legal transcribers can turn around your legal documents in as little as 6 hours. All our documents are fully proofread to give you peace of mind. Do not hesitate to give us a call today on 01634 867 131 to get your free quote.