LEGAL TRANSCRIPTION COURSE OUTLINE

This is a professional-level program leading to a Legal Transcriptionist Career Diploma.

You get everything you need to know including easy-to-understand lessons, supplements and special learning aids. You progress step-by-step from the basics of transcription into more advanced subjects like keeping children's records, observing regulations, making your business plan and much, much more.

Click on the instruction links below for complete course content.

Instruction Pack 1
Instruction Pack 2
Instruction Pack 3
Instruction Pack 4
Instruction Pack 5

Legal Transcription Instruction Pack I  Back to Top

Lesson 1: Welcome to Your Exciting New Career as a Legal Transcriptionist
Legal transcription—an exciting, profitable and growing field—is an integral part of today’s legal system. And you’re about to become part of it!
Lesson 1 introduces you to the history of the legal transcription field. It explains the urgent need for transcription services and demonstrates the unique roles that legal transcriptionists play as they assist
court reporters.

Lesson 2: Your Role as a Legal Transcriptionist
Court reporters and legal transcriptionists depend on one another. Prepare to walk in the professional shoes of both. Experience an ordinary day as a court reporter and observe a typical transcriptionist hard
at work.

Lesson 3: Criminal Law 1 - Events Leading to a Trial
In this lesson, tour the criminal justice system, compare and contrast criminal and civil law and study the definitions of legal terms that you will
use in your chosen profession.

Lesson 4: Criminal Law 2 - Drama in the Courtroom
Follow a trial from jury selection to sentencing and study how legal terms relate to one another.

Legal Transcription Instruction Pack II  Back to Top

Lesson 5: Civil Law 1 - Preparing a Lawsuit
In this lesson, you will learn to pronounce and spell
terms associated with civil lawsuits..

Lesson 6: Civil Law 2 - The Civil Trial and Legal Specialties
You will learn about civil trials as well as terms associated with different legal specialties such as personal injury and family law.

Lesson 7: How and Where to Look Up Information You Don't Know
You’ll discover research skills and techniques that will help you produce accurate and thorough transcripts for your court reporters.

Lesson 8: Medical Word Building
Knowledge of medical terminology is essential when recording much of court testimony. This lesson introduces the simple word-building system you’ll use to master medical terms.

Lesson 9: How the Body Is Organized
From cells to tissues to organs to systems, you’ll learn how the body is organized.

Also included in Pack II:
• Quick-Learn Kit:
   • Quick-Learn Pocket Folder
   • Quick-Learn Tutor
   • Quick-Learn Flashcards


Legal Transcription Instruction Pack III  Back to Top

Lesson 10: Organ Systems from Skin to Bones
You’ll learn specialized terms used in connection with the integumentary system (the skin), the neurological system, the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system and the immune system.

Lesson 11: Organ Systems from Respiratory to Reproductive
You’ll learn specialized terms used in connection with the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal system, the genitourinary system, the reproductive system and the endocrine system.

Lesson 12: Punctuation and Style from Clauses to Pauses
The punctuation for legal transcripts is very specific and sometimes different from the rules for punctuating other texts. This lesson focuses on the uses of periods, commas, question marks, semicolons,
colons and dashes.

Lesson 13: Punctuation and Style from Quotes to Capitals
You’ll learn about quotation marks, apostrophes, hyphens and parentheses, plus proper style for using abbreviations and other
sentence structures.

Lesson 14: Phonetics - Word Sounds
Court reporters write words according to how they sound, not according to how they are spelled. You’ll learn all about this system of phonetics.

Lesson 15: Beginning Stenotype
This lesson will introduce you to the stenograph keyboard. You will begin reading single words in stenotype.

Also included in Pack III:
• Quick-Learn Flashcards
• Quick-Learn Guide for Punctuation
• Quick-Look Legal and Medical Glossary
• Stenotype Keyboard Reference Card and Letter Guide


Legal Transcription Instruction Pack IV  Back to Top

Lesson 16: Stenotype—Punctuation, qu-, ch-, d-, le-, -ing, -ity
In this lesson, you will learn how to read basic stenotype punctuation and the combination letters for the sounds and spellings listed above.

Lesson 17: Stenotype— -n, -bility, -ng, -nj, -nk, -nt, -m, -ment, -k, Omitting Final -t, Asterisks
You will learn how to read the combination letters for the above sounds.

Lesson 18: Stenotype—f-, n-, l-, b-, m-, g-, -j/Soft -g
The combination letters for six new initial sounds and one new ending sound will be covered in this lesson.

Lesson 19: Stenotype—j-/Soft g-, v-, y-, Middle Consonant y, -ch, Arbitrary Signs, -sh, -th, com-
You will learn how to read the combination letters for eight new sounds. You will learn briefs and phrases that use these letters.

Lesson 20: Stenotype—x-, -x, Speakers’ Arbitrary Signs, Alphabet, Punctuation, Special Prefixes and Suffixes
You’ll discover the combination letters for the initial and final sound x.
You will learn to read certain prefixes and suffixes that are abbreviated in legal notes.

Lesson 21: Stenotype—Times, Dates, Numbers and Conflict Words
You’ll find out how numbers, dates and time references are indicated in legal notes. You’ll also learn about homophones, or words that sound
the same.

Also included in Pack IV...
• Quick-Learn Flashcards
• Equipment Guide


Legal Transcription Instruction Pack V  Back to Top

Lesson 22: Reading Stenotype - Legal and Medical Terms
This lesson gives you practical experience reading legal
and medical terms that have been written in stenotype.

Lesson 23: Preparing a Legal Transcript
There are many special terms associated with the parts of a legal transcript. You will practice formatting the special pages.

Lesson 24: Preparing the Body of the Transcript
Learn all the guidelines involved in formatting the transcript and how to handle witness setups, examinations and interruptions in the testimony.

Lesson 25: Real-Life Transcription I
Bringing together all the skills you have gained throughout the course, you will transcribe two depositions from actual court reporters’ notes.

Lesson 26: Real-Life Transcription II
You’ll continue developing your skills by transcribing two more depositions.

Lesson 27: Real-Life Transcription III
The two transcripts you will complete in this lesson include practice in drug research, more complex medical testimony and handling exhibits.

Lesson 28: Real-Life Transcription IV
You will further build confidence in your skills as you complete two final depositions that will demonstrate to court reporters your proficiency as a Legal Transcriptionist.

Also included in Pack V...
• Format Template
• CAT Supplement
• Briefs and Phrases Reference Finder
• Desk Reference for Legal Transcriptionists
• Legal Transcriptionist Career Starter Kit
• Transcript Cover Sheets and Envelopes