7 Legal Transcription Companies To Streamline Your Workflow

In the legal field, manual transcription can be the death of productivity. With so many interviews, conversations, depositions, and other court proceedings captured via audio recording, it can take multiple full-time staff members to transcribe everything into text formats that are easy to organize, search, and share. With the addition of AI to the law office, firms can conceivably save $100,000 in new billable time per lawyer each year. Transcription is just the tip of that iceberg.

Legal transcription is a relatively new field, so many firms still rely on transcription services that don’t focus on or emphasize the legal industry. If you can find a transcription company that does focus on law, the benefits of legal transcription are many. True legal transcription companies can save you time and money while making the entire firm more efficient. And when it comes to maximizing billable hours, every minute counts!

Here are the best legal transcription companies based on features like accuracy, turnaround time, cost, and knowledge of a law firm’s needs.

1. Rev

Rev has long been a transcription service preferred by law firms due to our benchmarked ASR accuracy and strict compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). But our recent acquisition of SmartDepo has raised the bar, so to speak. 

With SmartDepo—the legal industry’s most trusted and comprehensive solution for AI-powered deposition summaries—in the fold, legal professionals can get everything they need. From recording depositions and obtaining accurate transcripts to receiving comprehensive and precisely organized summaries with perfect page-line citations, you can do it all with Rev.

Rev’s reliable transcription is perfect for evidence management; instead of storing huge audio files that are difficult to search, scan, and share, firms can easily tag, categorize, and organize text files. And of course, Rev’s turnaround times remain second to none, while our 99% accurate legal transcription means that you can rest easy knowing that the information you have is correct. 

Rev’s ultimate goal is to streamline your workflow, which means fitting in seamlessly with the software and systems you already use. We’re built to integrate with a vast array of commonly used platforms, including meeting apps like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet; most prominent calendar apps; and collaboration tools like Slack and Dropbox. For those with few resources, including manpower and costly storage space, Rev’s legal transcription software is a lifesaver.

"Tools help us work faster and more efficiently, allowing us to dedicate more time to the human side of advocacy," said John Michael Bailey, founder and personal injury attorney at John Michael Bailey Injury Lawyers. "In our continual adoption of technology to improve our workflows and the service we offer our clients, we look to explore tools such as Rev’s transcription service.”

‍Price: $0.25/minute for AI transcription and $1.99/minute for human. (Subscription plans start at $9.99/user per month, with enterprise solutions available.)
‍Accuracy: 99%+
Turnaround Times: Five minutes or less for AI transcription
Average G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Best For: Those who value speed, accuracy, and security in their legal transcription

2. LexTranscribe

Relying exclusively on human legal transcriptionists, LexTranscribe offers legal transcription that is pretty accurate, but you might need to wait a bit to get it. 

A major check in LexTranscribe’s favor is that it’s a transcription service that specifically caters to the legal industry, so it understands the unique needs of lawyers and focuses on accuracy and legal compliance. However, with no AI option, transcription turnaround can take up to three to five days, and there’s an upcharge for expedited service. 

If you’re not looking for any bells and whistles, aren’t in any hurry, and just need accurate transcriptions of court hearings, legal briefs, and depositions, LexTranscribe will work perfectly. But if you're looking for quick turnarounds, you might want to consider LexTranscribe alternatives

‍Price: Transcription starts at $1.00/minute of audio
‍Accuracy: 99%
‍Turnaround Times: Up to 3-5 business days
‍Average G2 Rating: N/A
‍Best For: Law firms that need accurate transcripts when time isn’t of the essence

3. SpeakWrite

SpeakWrite is another legal transcription service that offers human-only transcription for legal proceedings like depositions, team meetings, and interviews. While their legal typists offer up to 99% accuracy with a focus on legal transcription, SpeakWrite’s services come at a higher cost than most other legal transcription companies. 

It’s reported that SpeakWrite can turn around smaller files in as little as three hours, but larger audio files can take days or even weeks to process. Depositions or long interviews might not be suitable for SpeakWrite if time is of the essence.
If you don’t have a pressing need for AI-spearheaded issues like transcript summaries or insights, you can trust Speakwrite to deliver accurate transcriptions that are in compliance with most legal standards. 

‍Price: $1.25/minute of audio
‍Accuracy: 99%
‍Turnaround Times: As little as 3 hours for smaller clips, but longer recordings can take weeks.
‍Average G2 Rating: N/A
‍Best For: Those who need accuracy and proper legal formatting without any AI features.

4. GoTranscript

For accurate human legal transcription at a price that’s competitive with others on this list, GoTranscript is a good option for your court transcription service needs. What sets GoTranscript apart from others, however, is the option to have your AI transcription proofed by human readers (though Rev does this too). For a smaller overall price, GoTranscript offers the best of both the human and AI transcription worlds.

That said, while GoTranscript does offer specialized transcription services for law firms and solo practitioners, the company isn’t solely dedicated to the legal industry, meaning they might not be as detail-oriented as others who are. However, GoTranscript features a unique layer of security by breaking longer audio files into small pieces for distribution among several transcriptionists so that no one person has the entire details of a single case.

‍Price: Starting at $1.02/minute of audio for human transcription, or $0.20/minute for AI
‍Accuracy: 99.4% for human transcription
‍Turnaround Times: 6-12 hours for human transcription, near-instant for AI
‍Average G2 Rating: N/A
‍Best For: Firms that need a mix of accurate human transcription and fast AI transcription

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5. TranscribeMe!

TranscribeMe! has recently partnered with Stenograph, an industry-leading provider of stenographer equipment and court reporting machines, which provides a seamless service geared toward court reporters and legal departments. Though TranscribeMe! Isn’t entirely dedicated to the legal profession, this partnership gives them a leg up on other law transcription services that only dabble.

TranscribeMe offers both human and AI-generated transcription, both of which are quite inexpensive, though you have to pay a premium for more accurate human transcription. The service can deliver any type of ASCII or text output formatted to the jurisdiction or style you require.

‍Price: $0.79/minute for “first draft” human transcription, $0.07/minute for AI
‍Accuracy: 98% for human transcription with a premium for 99%
‍Turnaround Times: 3 minutes per 1 minute of audio
‍Average G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
‍Best For: Firms that need flexibility in speed, pricing, and format options

6. GMR Transcription

GMR Transcription offers human-only transcription that guarantees 99% accuracy. GMR is a bit on the expensive side, asking $1.75 per minute of audio for two speakers, and charging a premium for more speakers, “difficult audio” with a lot of background noise, poor recordings, and lots of crosstalk. 

If you don’t need your transcripts anytime soon, GMR offers a discount for bulk uploads to be delivered in three to four weeks. However, it’s important to note there are no extra features with GMR; just straightforward, accurate legal transcription.

‍Price: $1.75/minute of audio
‍Accuracy: 99%
Turnaround Times: 3-5 days
Average G2 Rating: N/A
Best For: Firms with bulk transcription needs that aren’t urgent

7. Verbit

Verbit offers most of the same AI-based legal transcription services as others on this list, including live transcription and post-production transcription. Though not solely focused on the legal industry, Verbit’s legal transcription solutions are designed by legal experts who have firsthand knowledge of the unique transcription needs of the legal industry.

For an additional layer of accuracy, Verbit’s AI transcription is backed by human transcribers who are familiar with the legal industry. Verbit’s comprehensive list of services regarding legal transcription is great for those who need many hours of transcription per month.

‍Price: Plans start at $24/month (no per-minute pricing available)
‍Accuracy: 99%
Turnaround Times: Rough drafts in 24 hours
Average G2 Rating: N/A
Best For: Firms that need an all-encompassing legal transcription service for a single subscription.

Honorable Mentions for Legal Transcription

While most of the entries on our list offer comprehensive legal transcript services for either AI transcription, human transcription, or both, other platforms offer more specialized or simpler transcription services. 

• U.S. Legal Support will transcribe audio in nearly any format, from standard files like streaming recordings and voice recorder files to VHS tapes and microcassettes. The ability to transcribe antiquated analog formats is a boon to evidence management and file storage. U.S. Legal Support can also transcribe and translate files in more than 200 languages
• Clio is the industry’s legal practice management software. From organizing evidence to invoicing to automating many day-to-day tasks that consume hours of manpower, Clio’s AI is a powerful tool for law firms, and it comes with a basic transcription option.
• Fathom is a tool primarily for recording and summarizing video meetings. It’s not specialized for the legal industry, but for basic meeting transcription, it’s reliable.
• Fireflies.ai is an AI voice assistant that offers automated transcription services as well as many other benefits of an AI assistant.

What Legal Matters Require Legal Transcription?

Any legal event, from witness interviews to court proceedings and much more, can benefit from legal transcription services. Rather than taking extensive notes during an interview, deposition, or even a team meeting, legal professionals can record the audio to be transcribed by a reliable, accurate legal transcription company. 

Legal transcription saves hours of combing through audio files for quotes and other information, and it drastically cuts down on the difficulty of evidence management by turning cumbersome recordings into searchable, scannable text.

Legal matters that should be transcribed include:

• Depositions
• Interviews
• Legal team meetings
• Law enforcement reports
• Courtroom proceedings
• Witness statements
• Hearings
• Lawyer voice notes

How to Find the Best Legal Transcription Service For You

Choosing a legal transcription service inevitably comes down to five things: 

1. Cost
2. Accuracy
3. Turnaround times
4. Security
5. Productivity benefits

By ranking these items and comparing the various legal transcription companies based on your rankings, you should be able to nail down the perfect service for you. For instance, if money is no object but you regularly work on cases with extremely sensitive information, find a legal transcription service that offers higher security options. Or if you’re just looking for quick turnaround times where accuracy isn’t a high priority, an AI-only transcription service can fit your needs.

(Rev’s legal transcription services check all these boxes, by the way.)

What About Certified Transcripts?

For certified transcripts that have been reviewed by a licensed reporter and verified to be accurate and authentic, you need a legal transcription company that offers this service. 

While the specific requirements to declare a transcript certified can vary by state, Rev’s “Ready to Certify” transcription option is always available for any legal transcription we provide. These premium legal transcripts are ready to be signed, certified, and filed.

Rev For Legal Transcription and Evidence Management

Rev’s extensive list of options for legal transcription helps you streamline operations, meet tight deadlines, increase productivity, and rest easy knowing that you’ve received files you can trust. And we’re not done yet! Rev legal transcripts will soon be available in a more affordable, self-serve format. 

Check out our new self-serve legal transcripts. Whether your firm is simply trying to cut down on the busywork or you’re looking for a better way to manage reams of evidence, Rev has you covered.

Get Legal Transcripts Now