Transcript Examples for Legal Proceedings

Legal transcripts are vital to all facets of the legal system, not just to a single case. They serve as records of events that can be built on directly—like a case being appealed to a higher court—or used to further the pursuit of justice on a larger scale. 

Because legal transcripts are formal records that can have long-term effects, jurisdictions tend to have very strict and specific formatting guidelines. Along with accuracy, these guidelines are incredibly important to understand and master.

What Is a Legal Transcript?

A legal transcript is an official written capture of all spoken words from the formal opening to the closing of a trial, deposition, court hearing, arbitration, regulated meeting, or other legal proceeding. In addition to recording the words spoken, it identifies each speaker by name and function. 

Beyond the courtroom, legal transcript examples include records from other elements of the justice system, plus the official actions of corporate, nonprofit, and government entities. When discussions fall under certain regulations or bylaws (or have the potential to be relevant to a future legal issue), organizations arrange for court reporters or transcriptionists to capture an official transcribed record in text.

Common Examples of Legal Transcripts

Legal transcripts may or may not capture events that occur in a legal setting or with the usual judge/jury/attorneys cast of characters. Ultimately, there are various types of transcripts and use cases that fall under the legal label across multiple entities.

Court Transcripts 

When most people hear “legal transcript,” a courtroom trial is what they’re thinking of. Trial transcripts provide an  outline of what occurs in the courtroom:

1. Opening statements by each side
2. Prosecution’s/plaintiff’s witnesses (examined and cross-examined) and evidence
3. Defense’s witnesses (examined and cross-examined) and evidence
4. Rebuttal 
5. Closing statements by each side
6. Instructions to the jury
7. Verdict announcement
8. Post-trial motions and notices

Another example is anything that provides details on the smaller steps that lead up to or fall after a criminal or civil trial: 

• Pre-trial motion hearings
• Voir dire and jury selection discussions
• Arraignment, bail hearings, and scheduling conferences
• Sentencing hearings
• Appeals
• Habeas corpus proceedings
• Probation or parole violation hearings

Deposition Transcripts

Depositions are another example of formal legal proceedings that have several requirements to be entered into the record or used at trial. One of these is the necessity of a text-based transcript—unless a formal transcript accompanies it, you can’t submit a video or audio recording of a deposition into evidence or use it to impeach a witness. 

Deposition transcripts typically cover: 

1. Court official’s on-the-record statement and swearing-in of the witness
2. Witness questioning by deposing attorney
3. Witness questioning by opposing counsel
4. Court official’s concluding statement 

Arbitration and Hearing Transcripts

Rather than a court system, arbitrations typically fall under the authority of the relevant arbitration institution and the decisions of the arbitral tribunal. 

Overall, arbitration hearings tend to be more informal than court trials and depositions, but their usual components and order are similar. With the claimant going first in each step, the hearing proceeds through: 

1. Opening statements 
2. Fact witness examinations and cross
3. Expert witness examinations and cross
4. Closing statements 

However, there can easily be changes or adjustments made by the arbitral tribunal, such as¹:

• Directly questioning the parties or their fact or expert witnesses
• Shifting the order of appearance to allow the respondent to speak or act first
• Replacing closing oral arguments with written post-hearing briefs

Administrative and Regulatory Transcripts

When you consider the high stakes of major corporate entities, governmental organizations, regulatory bodies, and nonprofit entities, it makes sense that many official meetings have transcription requirements. This may include: 

• Board of directors meetings
• Annual stockholder meetings
• Public hearings, especially in relation to funding or community approval
• Organizational meetings held under bylaws

Transcription may also be ordered due to specific circumstances rather than underlying bylaws, for meetings that:

• Relate to an active or anticipated lawsuit or legal action
• Connect to a hot-button public relations issue
• Are convened to plan the forced exit of high-level executives or tenured academics

Legal Transcript Formatting Styles

Accurate transcripts are vital in understanding the exact meaning of words and phrases, as this information can be leveraged as research in future arguments and cases.

However, transcript style and formatting depend on the specific jurisdiction and type of event or recording. 

Full Verbatim 

If you’re reading a novel, you don’t want to wade through every “um” and “er.” But what if you’re trying to figure out whether someone is lying, nervous, or forgetful? 

Verbatim, or full verbatim, transcription provides a record of every stutter, filler word, and non-verbal sound. The intention is to preserve the most accurate record of what was heard, even when it’s awkward or incoherent, since the manner of speech may be indicative of truthfulness, capability, or bias.

Verbatim transcription is also known as: 

• Full verbatim transcription 
• Strict verbatim transcription 
• True verbatim transcription 
• Legal verbatim transcription 

Non-Verbatim for Legal Proceedings

Non-verbatim transcription, on the other hand, offers a more readable and slightly edited final product. The transcriptionist may omit or alter: 

• Nonverbal sounds such as coughs
• Stuttering
• Word fumbling and some filler words or sounds (such as “um”)

Paraphrasing, rearranging, or leaving out spoken words and sounds may be done in the moment of transcription or during a final review prior to entering the transcript into the record.

While nonverbatim can blur the line of absolute accuracy, it tends to be used in business and other non-judicial environments where the speaker’s and/or organization’s dignity is a priority. 

Non-verbatim transcription may also be called: 

• Clean verbatim 
• Intelligent verbatim 

Timestamped and Page/Line Numbered Formats

Formatting isn’t just about the manner in which audio is transcribed. Transcripts are often required to follow detailed specifications, such as²:

• Numbering every line on a page, either flush left or right 
• Syncing to a recording with timestamps flush right of every line (HH: MM:SS)
• Speaker identification components (i.e., when to list name, role, etc.)
• How to capitalize and indent speaker identification

Jurisdictions or organizational guidelines may also offer detailed formatting rules for transcribing, such as:

• The weight of the paper for printed transcripts
• Font, font size, indents, and line and paragraph spacing
• When and how to display and label page and section numbering
• Where to place the date, file name, and other document data
• Features to avoid (often headers, footers, and page break characters)

When Legal Transcripts Are Required

Every phase of a legal matter, from initial discovery to appeal, engages transcripts for review, strategy, and evidence. And legal transcript examples aren’t limited to the courtroom—transcripts are critical in the business, government, and nonprofit realms for compliance and risk protection. 

Litigation and Appeals

Transcripts are critical during trials and appeals. For a legal matter, transcripts of depositions or of relevant recordings, such as 911 calls or police interviews, can help: 

• Clarify the chances of a successful outcome and anticipated awards or penalties
• Identify opportunities for pretrial negotiation with the opposition
• Support trial strategy with searchable documents that can be indexed and annotated 
• Get recordings entered as direct evidence at trial
• Provide a basis for debunking or impeaching witness testimony 

Once a case reaches judgment, trial transcripts are essential to the appeal process. They offer an unbiased record of what each individual in the room—judge, attorney, witnesses, etc—said and did throughout the process, including how a judge ruled on every motion. 

Regulatory Compliance and Investigations

Transcriptions of key meetings, interviews, and presentations can be critical to support an entity’s compliance with regulations, bylaws, and legal mandates. Governing bodies may review meeting transcripts to: 

• Identify who was in attendance and their participation
• Confirm whether an individual’s testimony or recall matches the record
• Review adherence to meeting protocols, votes taken, and vote results 

Client Records and Case Preparation

Legal transcripts are also essential components of client records. They can help when clients switch representation and when co-counsel is engaged. Attorney notes and work product offer interpretation and strategy, but a transcript allows others to return to the starting point and evaluate original recordings, depositions, and trials through a fresh perspective.

Transcripts can also be shared across legal teams, so staff members can participate in legal research, identifying connections and opportunities, and collaboratively drafting arguments and examination scripts. 

Ensuring Accuracy and Compliance with Legal Transcripts

Legal transcription requires technical skills and knowledge of the protocols and processes at play. Each type of legal transcription—and each jurisdiction—has detailed formatting and procedural requirements to promote consistency and organization across the millions of pages filed and stored. 

When it comes to accuracy, it’s vital to work with specialists who can provide a full range of services, technology, and regulatory compliance. U.S. Legal Support has been in business since 1996, providing litigation support to attorneys, firms, and organizations nationwide. 

Our transcription services cover content from any source, from wire taps to webcasts, and any format—streaming, videocassette, audio cassette, microcassette, cell phone recordings, body cams, and much more. Plus, we offer translation services in over 200 languages, working from either text or audio with experts familiar with legal, financial, intellectual property, pharmaceutical, and medical terminology. 

Contact us today to find out more about our transcription services and how we can help with your other litigation support needs.

Sources: 

1. Aceris Law. What to Expect from an Arbitration Hearing. https://www.acerislaw.com/what-to-expect-from-an-arbitration-hearing/
2. MasterFile. Formatting Transcripts. https://help.masterfile.biz/m/39466/l/1231682-formatting-transcripts