LAS VEGAS – (MAY 16, 2023) Legal professionals rely on audio transcripts of testimony and dialogue captured during trials, hearings, interrogations, conferences, arbitrations and witness interviews. In fact, an accurate, complete legal audio transcription can play a pivotal role in the legal process, as the transcription contains the official record of a legal proceeding.
There are many ways law firms, attorneys and the courts can benefit from turning audio files into reliable text transcriptions. Legal transcripts are critical to the process because they record and ensure legal and procedural accuracy, serve evidentiary purposes, save valuable time and make it easier to pinpoint specific information from testimony.
1. Audio Transcriptions Save Time
Creating a written transcript from a video or audio recording can be a time-saving and cost-effective measure for your law firm or corporate legal department. With an audio transcription, there is no need for an attorney or paralegal to rewatch or listen to an entire proceeding multiple times to review what occurred. Instead, you can review the written transcript with confidence and use it to prepare for trial or future proceedings, knowing the text transcript was captured from the original audio file.
2. Preserve Legal Records Accuracy
Typed (or shorthand) transcriptions of legal proceedings are more likely to contain errors than audio transcriptions. That’s because the rate of speech, when combined with an often-complex legal vocabulary, can make it difficult for the transcriber to capture every word accurately. When creating a transcription of an audio recording, the transcriber can pause and rewind the recording to ensure the written record is as complete and accurate as possible. This helps to ensure and preserve the accuracy of the legal record.
3. Introduce Transcript as Evidence
Audio transcriptions from legal proceedings can also be used as evidence in legal proceedings. Because the transcript serves as an official legal record of everything that was said during the hearing or deposition, it can serve to underscore witness testimony — or to refute that testimony. In some cases, portions of audio transcripts are also read aloud to the court, the jury or to witnesses during proceedings to refresh memories or to help reinforce specific points.
4. Reference Specific Information From Proceedings
A written transcription captured from an audio recording makes it simple to reference specific information from a trial, hearing or other legal proceeding. Rather than having to rewatch or listen to an entire proceeding to find a specific quote or statistic, you can use word processing search functionality to pinpoint the information you seek.
5. Help Ensure Procedural Accuracy
Procedural law is the foundation of any court proceeding. Using accurate legal transcripts of audio captured during legal proceedings can help ensure that procedural consistency. Because the written transcript captures everything that transpired during the proceeding, it serves as documentation that required procedural steps were followed and that certain evidence was introduced and presented (if applicable).
Use a Trusted Provider for Accurate Audio Transcriptions
Ultimately, there are many reasons to use professional audio transcription services. In addition to the ways audio transcripts can benefit attorneys, their clients and the courts, reliable audio transcripts are a necessary part of the legal process.
Litigation Services supports law firms and corporate legal departments in a variety of ways. We provide a full range of outsourced legal solutions, including accurate and complete audio transcription law services. We offer flexible, reliable solutions for attorneys, in-house counsel and others across the country, with fast turnaround times, cost-effective pricing and easy online access any time of day or night. Contact us to learn more and request a no-obligation quote today.