The History of Transcription and Law Firm Productivity

Whether documents reside on paper in a client’s redwell or as electronic files on a computer, the process of their creation has changed little over time: someone writes them. In fact, along with dictation, typing has been a mainstay of the business process not only in the legal industry, but also in corporate America, for decades.

Until the 1970s, the dictation-to-transcription process generally meant a secretary sitting in the same room with her “boss”, physically writing down each spoken word in a notebook using shorthand. After this time-consuming task, she traveled to her desk and her typewriter and transcribed her notes as a first draft. The attorney would do the revisions by hand, and the document would be rewritten from scratch on a new sheet of paper until the end, when it was last typed from scratch on letterhead, usually with several carbon copies. I’m sure anyone who grew up in the PC age can’t even imagine writing the same base document over and over again, but that’s how it was done!

In the late 1970s, the introduction of two pieces of office automation dramatically improved the document generation process: the cassette recorder and the electric word processor.

Instead of tying up a secretary for hours, a cassette recorder allowed lawyers to dictate on tape which was then given to their secretary for transcription throughout the day or, for larger documents, to the court processing department. signature texts. With the introduction of recorded dictation, the productivity of law firms skyrocketed! Secretaries could answer phones and handle administrative tasks while they were transcribing, and lawyers enjoyed the newfound freedom of being able to “work” independently of their secretary and even the office, as long as they had their new portable recorder, batteries, and tapes that they could produce and obtain. . the job done.

The next process improvement, or electric word processors, eliminated the double-entry work of documents created on typewriters, and law firms embraced this “new” technology with open arms. Leading the way was Corel’s WordPerfect®, which was created specifically for law firms and DOS, long before Windows and the much inferior (IMHO) Microsoft® Word were even an idea. To this day, WordPerfect’s Fkey functions remain etched in my memory and its Reveal Codes feature makes it “intuitive” for most beginners.

The next enhancement to the document generation process will no doubt be recognized as the leap from analog to digital dictation and the options that will then become available.

It’s hard to imagine, but this relatively minor change in the way Dictators produce work can bring many benefits to everyone, from the ability of Dictators to work from any internet connection or phone; to the ability of human resources personnel to track and monitor the actual work in progress in a company; to the flexibility of sending files “in house” or to reduce costs, to a transcription provider or Virtual Assistant.

While it is true that in today’s world many lawyers write their paper sitting behind their keyboards, if a lawyer is computer literate and can type at a decent speed with all fingers (OK, 8 is fine too!), then cutting and pasting of previously created documents and other software enhancements, this method of document creation can be an efficient use of time. However, since all attorney time is generally billable, it could be argued that less competent attorneys shouldn’t be typing documents, otherwise clients end up paying for administrative tasks at attorney rates. Also, pay close attention to metadata (information hidden in documents) when cutting and pasting.

Just as music and video have moved away from “tape”, so will dictation. The dictation/transcription process is still the best method of getting the job done and the upgrade to digital is indeed inevitable. Word on the street (aka LegalTech NY) is that analog transcription machines will soon be in short supply and then the little tapes will start to go up in price. If you see that, you know the time is coming to investigate digital gear. Also, if your current equipment breaks down, consider upgrading to digital. Everyone in your company will be happy you made the switch, including yourself.

My recommendation is products with a slide switch from Philips or Olympus and order through Bret Williams of www.AmericanDictation.com. Bret is an authorized dealer who is happy to offer preferred pricing and free shipping on orders over $200 just for mentioning “LegalTypist”. 😉

While I try to follow the motto my dear mother instilled in me as a child: “If you don’t have something nice to say…don’t say anything at all,” I feel compelled to err on the side of caution. they would be upgrades away from Sony products. I’ve had nothing but problems with its proprietary file types and dictators report that its buttons and functions are almost impossible to understand. For those used to dictating to tape, I recommend models with a slide switch like the Phillips 9600, so it feels like a tape drive but without the tape! For those new to dictation, there are less expensive models that use buttons on the front, rather than the slide switch. Overall, I recommend these mid-tier provided digital dictation units for those of what I call the “Game Boy” generation.

Website design By BotEap.com

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *