Intro to Legal Transcription

This 40-hour self-paced curriculum is designed for people who wish to learn the essentials of legal transcription. You will learn general formatting guidelines. Federal (AAERT) formatting is not covered in this course. If you wish to sit for the AAERT exam, check out the Legal Transcription (CET Prep) course.

This curriculum pack includes four courses: (1) English, Grammar, and Punctuation, (2) Ethics for the Transcriptionist, (3) Transcription Basics, (4) Deposition Transcript Fundamentals, (5) ASR Mastery: Scoping & Proofing

Students will learn to format, transcribe, edit, and proofread legal transcripts for correct grammar, punctuation, and word usage. They will also learn essential legal and industry terminology. Additionally, they will learn to work within customer-driven specifications, such as a style guide and a template. In addition to exercises, quizzes, and self-graded assignments, students will receive personalized feedback on six (6) instructor-graded transcription assignments.

This course demonstrates how ASR can increase a transcriptionist’s productivity. Students will learn how to navigate and overcome the challenges of scoping ASR-produced first drafts.

Equipment Requirements:

Infinity USB Foot Pedal, headphones, and the free version of Express Scribe software.
MS Word (Microsoft Word 2016, 2019, and Office 365) or CAT software. (We do not offer support for CAT software.)
PC-based computer with Windows 8.1 or better. (Most software companies in this industry are PC-friendly. You can use a Mac in this course, but we do not support Mac-specific questions.)

(40 hours / 4.0 CEUs)

Course content

Lesson Terms and Conditions
- Terms and Conditions Acknowledgement
Lesson Intro to Legal Transcription
- Curriculum Introduction
Lesson Transcription English, Grammar, and Punctuation 2.4
- Introduction
- Module 3 - English Language & Grammar
  - Worksheets
  - Module 3 - Part 1 - Parts of Speech
    - Introduction to Parts of Speech
    - Parts of Speech (Part 1)
    - Parts of Speech (Part 2)
    - Parts of Speech Quiz
  - Module 3 - Part 2 - Confusing Words
    - Confusing Words Quiz
  - Module 3 - Part 3 - Spelling
    - Spelling Quiz
  - English Language Test
- Module 4 - Formatting & Punctuation
  - Module 4 - Part 1 - Formatting
    - Capitalization
    - Capitalization Quiz
    - Numbers
    - Numbers Quiz
    - Italics
  - Module 4 - Part 2 - Punctuation
    - Intro to Punctuation
    - Periods & Question Marks
    - Commas
    - Punctuation Quiz 1
    - Semicolons
    - Colons
    - Quotation Marks
    - Punctuation Quiz 2
    - Apostrophes
    - Dashes & Ellipses
    - Hyphens & Slashes
    - Punctuation Quiz 3
    - Punctuation Corner
  - Formatting and Punctuation Test
- Final Test
- Course Evaluation
Lesson Ethics for the Transcriptionist
- Introduction to Ethics for the Transcriptionist
- Harassment/Discrimination
- Client/Colleague Relations
- Confidentiality
- Conflict of Interest
- HIPAA
- Maintaining Secure, Organized Storage
- Ethics Test
Lesson Transcription Basics 2.2
- Introduction
  - Course Scoring
  - Self-Graded Assignments
  - Equipment
- Express Scribe & Foot Pedal Setup
- Formatting Transcripts
  - What Gets Transcribed
  - Types of Transcription Work
  - Transcript Formatting
  - Certifications
  - Formatting Quiz
  - Verbatim & Stutters
  - Contractions / Unfinished Words
  - Paragraphing
  - Dash and Ellipsis
  - Formatting Parentheticals
  - Indiscernible & Phonetic Parentheticals
  - [sic]
  - Course Style Guide
  - Course Template and Formatting
  - Course Style Guide / Template Quiz
- Transcription Skills
  - Accents
  - Accent Practice
  - Comparison Doc Instructions
  - PA 1 - Accents - Submission
  - PA 1 - Accents - Review
  - + Accent Practice
  - Accent Transcription Quiz
  - Listening Contextually 1
  - Listening Contextually 2
  - Listening Contextually Exercise
  - Listening Transcription Quiz
  - Tips for Solving Inaudibles
  - Inserting Timecodes
  - Transcription Tips
  - Researching
  - Researching Techniques
  - Research Using Context
  - Research Assignment
  - PA 2 - Research - Submission
  - PA 2 - Research - Review
  - + Research Practice
  - Transcription Skills Quiz
- MS Word for Transcription
  - Navigating MS Word
  - MS Word Features
  - MS Word Shortcuts
  - More on MS Shortcuts
  - MS Word Settings
  - Show/Hide Markers in MS Word
  - Headers/Footers in MS Word
  - DOT Template File Format
  - Breaks in MS Word
  - Non-Breaking Spaces and Hyphens in MS Word
  - PA 3 - Legal - Submission
  - PA 3 - Legal - Review
  - + Legal Practice
  - MS Word Quiz
- Text Expansion
  - Text Expansion Tips
  - Shortcut Methods
  - Add Every Suffix
  - Add Typos
  - AutoCorrect and Quick Parts in MS Word
  - Macros in MS Word
  - How to Add Macros
  - Text Expansion Software Features
  - Text Expansion Assignment
  - PA 4 - Insurance - Submission
  - PA 4 - Insurance - Review
  - Text Expansion Quiz
- Proofreading Skills
  - Proofreading Tips
  - Homonyms and Swallowed Words
  - Avoiding Run-On Sentences & Fragments
  - Run-On Sentences and Fragments Exercise
  - Proofing for Typos Exercise
  - Proofreading Assignment 1
  - Proofreading Assignment 1 - Review
  - Proofreading Assignment 2 - Instructor Graded
  - Proofreading Exercise 1
  - Proofreading Exercise 2
  - Proofreading Game 1
  - Proofreading Game 2
  - Proofreading Game 3
  - Proofreading Game 4
  - Proofreading Quiz
- Transcription Assignments 1-4 (TAs)
  - Instructions for Transcription Assignments (TAs)
  - Critical Error Scoring
  - TA Instruction Review
  - Transcription Assignment 1 - Instructor Graded
  - TA #1 Review
  - Transcription Assignment 2 - Instructor Graded
  - TA #2 Review
  - Transcription Assignment 3 - Instructor Graded
  - TA #3 Review
  - Transcription Assignment 4 - Instructor Graded
- Course Evaluation
Lesson Deposition Fundamentals
- Introduction
  - State vs. Federal Cases
  - Self-Graded Assignments
  - Equipment
  - Course Style Guide & Template
  - MS Word
- Non-Court Legal Processes, Proceedings, & Participants
  - Actions, Initial Pleadings, & Parties
    - Case Names
    - Third Parties
    - Counterclaims & Counterparties
    - Knowledge Check
  - Discovery & Examinations
    - How a Proceeding Becomes a Transcript
    - Appearances & Also Present (Part 1)
    - Appearances & Also Present (Part 2)
    - Knowledge Check
  - Non-Court Legal Proceedings (Part 1)
    - Non-Court Legal Proceedings (Part 2)
    - Knowledge Check
  - Non-Court Legal Processes, Proceedings, & Participants Test
- Transcript Creation: Meta Pages
  - Title Page
  - Appearances Page
    - Appearances Page Activity
  - Single-Party Action
    - Single-Party Activity (1)
    - Single-Party Activity (2)
  - Multiple-Party Action
    - Multiple-Party Activity (1)
    - Multiple-Party Activity (2)
  - Index Page
    - Index Activity
  - Event Headers (Blurbs)
  - Certificates
  - Meta Pages Test
- Transcript Creation: Formatting
  - General Formatting
    - Speaker IDs
    - Q&A, Colloquy, & By-Lines
    - Knowledge Check
    - Parentheticals
    - Knowledge Check
    - Swearing in the Witness
    - Read & Sign
    - Interpreters
  - General Formatting Test
  - Specialized Formatting
    - Non-Appearances
    - Redacting & Striking
    - Confidential & Sealed Transcripts
    - Excerpts
    - Certified Questions, etc.
  - Specialized Formatting Test
- Transcript Production
  - Transcribing the First Pass
    - First Pass Practice (1)
    - First Pass Practice (2)
  - Scoping
    - Scoping Practice
    - Scoping Practice - Answer Key
  - Proofreading
    - Proofreading Practice
    - Proofreading Practice - Answer Key
  - Final Review of a Transcript
  - Transcript Production Test
- Deposition Fundamentals Final Test
- Course Evaluation
Lesson ASR Mastery: Scoping & Proofing
- Course Introduction
- Intro to ASR
- ASR & Scoping
- Scoping ASR Conclusion
- Assignments & Style Guide
  - Scoping TA 1: Instructions
  - Scoping TA 1: Submission
  - Scoping TA 1: Review
  - Scoping TA 2: Instructions
  - Scoping TA 2: Submission - Instructor-Graded
- ASR Mastery Test
- Course Evaluation - Survey