Legal transcriptionists facilitate the comfortable and smoother functions of a legal system. After all, they are responsible for taking away the pressure from the legal professionals by developing proper and precise legal documents. A legal transcriptionist listens to the dictated recordings of legal professionals and transcribes them to reports. A job in legal transcriptions service is an excellent way of gaining experience in the legal system. No wonder the job market is predicted to reach its peak from the year 2019-2029 according to the latest business intelligence reports. The review of the reports suggests that the study is based on the opportunities, drivers and the trends that impacted the legal transcription market.

Job profile of a legal transcriptionist
At a glance, the job profiles of a court reporter and a legal transcriptionist would confuse anyone. A court reporter captures the live interactions inside a courtroom or a deposition that takes place before the proceedings in the court. He/ she use stenography equipment to document the conversations.

Whereas a legal transcriptionist documents a dictation using a computer. The legal professionals record the contents of the legal document, correspondence, or memos in an audio format and the transcriptionist transcribes the entire content. If you are interested in the job responsibilities and the prerequisites of the job, continue reading the next section.

Responsibilities
A legal transcriptionist is required to edit the information they have transcribed for better clarity meticulously. Spelling mistakes, grammatical and functional errors and other typographical errors are a strict no in the transcribed copy. The professionals may also be required to perform administrative services like filing the legal documents and tracking their deadlines.

Skills expected from a legal transcriptionist
It is a given that a legal transcriptionist must have excellent command over the English language and a strong knowledge of legal terminologies. Apart from the above proficiencies, he/she must also be adept at:

• Accurate and fast typing skills (85+ words per minute)
• Complete understanding of the transcription software
• Expertise in word processing, spreadsheet and billing applications
• Excellent proofreading skills
• Fantastic listening and comprehension skills
• Those who wish to pursue an advanced paralegal position can acquire some comprehensive knowledge of the legal system before starting their job as a legal transcriptionist.

Training
An entry-level educational requirement for a legal transcriptionist is only a high school diploma and an experience in a legal setting. Many acquire on job experience from professionals like paralegal, attorney, or office managers. Following are some training programs that guide you to a career path of legal transcription

• Many vocational schools, community colleges, and technical schools offer certifications in legal transcription that may have a duration of as little as five months to that of one year. Two-year associate degree in legal transcription is also a viable option.
• Online diploma programs for legal transcriptionists offered by CourtReporterEDU or TranscribeAnywhere are apt for the candidates who do not wish to complete training full time. The curriculum of these programs features legal concepts, the art of legal search, jurisdictional laws, and legal terms. Other non-legal skills, like time management and communication skills, are also included in the program.
• Other courses found in the legal transcription programs include word processes and typing, English and editing, computer-aided transcription, legal dictionary building and court reporting theory.

Work environment
Legal transcription provides an excellent opportunity for the individuals who would like to be an independent contractor working from home. The independent contractors offer their services to legal employers and attorneys. Some others work as legal assistants, legal secretaries or as clerks in law offices, banks, public sectors or insurance companies.