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Digital Dictation system adopted by local firm

By: dmc-admin//August 9, 2006//

Digital Dictation system adopted by local firm

By: dmc-admin//August 9, 2006//

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ImageThe days of manually transcribing legal facts and figures from bulky cassettes may soon be a thing of the past in many law firms across the country.

Technological advancements in digital dictation have been commonplace in other countries for years, but convenient server-based systems have only been available in the United States for the last year, according to Scott Bingenheimer, telecommunications/video analyst at Godfrey & Kahn, s.c.

The local law firm recently adopted a digital dictation system developed by BigHand, a London-based company which has refined the process for nearly a decade.

“For several years we had been looking for something new,” stated Bingenheimer. “We were still using the full-size cassettes and there would be three or four dictations on them; they would sit on the secretary’s desk, so we started feeling like we were in the dinosaur age.”

Using traditional analogue and tape-based dictaphones to record information, then subsequent transcribing by legal personnel, has been the norm for most firms around the state.

With evolving needs by clients along with firm expansion, the necessity for more efficient and cost-effective dictation methods are becoming more popular, but Bingenheimer noted that because of the newness of the technology, choosing the right one is essential.

“We tried a voice activated system a few years ago and didn’t have much success,” stated Bingenheimer. “We wanted something server-based where jobs could be routed to a secretary or processing center and a system that would cater to remote dictation.”

Mobility and flexibility were primary objectives for Godfrey & Kahn in adopting the BigHand system which allows attorneys to easily transfer information throughout the firm’s five offices in the state and one in Washington, D.C.

Lawyers now have the ability to dictate instructions into their cell phone while traveling, or use the software at home, according to Richard J. Bliss, a managing partner at Godfrey & Kahn.

Smaller firms, like The Schroeder Group, S.C. in Waukesha, still employ the “old-fashioned” method and, according to Chief Operating Officer Sandy A. McGee, that suits them just fine.

“We only have a staff of 30, including 16 attorneys and most of the work is done in-house,” said McGee. “I think the benefit comes to firms where attorneys travel quite a bit and there are multiple office locations.”

Several attorneys at the Schroeder Group even handle their own transcribing which McGee attributed to a generational evolution.

“Many of the younger staff members were brought up in the computer age and have a handle on the process,” said McGee, who noted that veteran staff may be more reluctant to learn a new system.

“I think the hard thing will be the change,” said McGee. “Getting people out of the comfort of something they’ve been familiar with for 10, 20 even 30 years is going to be a process.”

Bingenheimer suggested that regardless of firm size or employee demographic, a digital dictation system could be beneficial.

“I think before technology like this became available, you could ask an attorney how their dictation device worked and they would say fine, but until they physically try something new, it’s going to be tough to realize the benefits,” said Bingenheimer.

Jack Zemlicka can be reached by email.

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