Compliance and Legal Requirements

Updated: 10/03/24

At Parrot, we take compliance and legal requirements seriously to ensure the accuracy, security, and court-admissibility of all transcripts. This article outlines the key standards and guidelines you must follow to meet the demands of legal transcription, including court-admissibility standards and maintaining confidentiality.

Court Admissibility Standards: Full Verbatim Requirements

Court-admissible transcripts require strict adherence to formatting and accuracy standards. These standards ensure that transcripts can be entered into evidence without question. As a transcriber, it's essential to maintain the following detailed requirements:

1. Full Verbatim Transcription:
   • What It Means: Every spoken word, sound, and non-verbal utterance must be transcribed exactly as it appears in the audio. This includes stutters, filler words (such as "uh" or "um"), and false starts.
   • Why It’s Important: Legal transcripts are treated as factual records. Any omission or alteration can lead to challenges in court, potentially jeopardizing the case.
2. Accurate Speaker Identification:
   • Requirement: Each speaker must be clearly and accurately identified throughout the transcript, especially in cases involving multiple parties.
   • Legal Impact: Incorrect or ambiguous speaker tags can cause confusion or misinterpretation, which could be challenged in court.
3. Punctuation and Formatting:
   • Standards: Follow Parrot's punctuation and formatting guidelines strictly, especially when dealing with pauses, interruptions, or simultaneous speech. This ensures clarity and maintains the flow of conversation as intended.
   • Court Standards: Judges, attorneys, and legal teams rely on clear, precise documentation to understand testimony and arguments. Even small punctuation errors can affect how a statement is interpreted.
4. Non-Speech Notations:
   • Tagging: Use Parrot-approved non-speech notation tags (such as <crosstalk>, <inaudible>, and <unintelligible>) where applicable. These tags are essential for indicating interruptions, unclear speech, or audio issues.
   • Legal Importance: Clear notation helps the court understand what may not have been discernible from the audio but was noted during transcription. It can prevent misunderstandings during legal proceedings.

Confidentiality and Security: Upholding Your NDA

As a legal transcriber, you're bound by strict confidentiality and data security protocols outlined in your Independent Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Protecting sensitive information is critical not just for maintaining client trust but also for compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Confidentiality Guidelines:

• Responsibility: You are responsible for keeping all information contained within transcripts confidential. This includes any details regarding cases, parties involved, and sensitive content that could harm the legal process or reputation of the individuals concerned.
• US Borders Requirement: All transcription work must be performed within U.S. borders. This requirement ensures compliance with legal and privacy regulations specific to the jurisdictions in which our transcripts are used. Transcribing outside of the U.S. is a direct violation of our confidentiality and security protocols and will result in termination of your contract.
• Strict Non-Disclosure: You must never share any part of a transcript, audio file, or case details with anyone outside the Parrot team or authorized parties. Even casual conversations that may disclose case details are prohibited.
• Legal Consequences: Breaching confidentiality agreements can result in legal action, termination of your contract, and substantial penalties. Maintaining confidentiality protects both the transcriber and Parrot from liability.
• VPN Usage: VPNs should NOT be in use when working on Parrot transcription tasks or reviews. The Parrot platform must be accessed through your direct internet connection for security and compliance reasons.

Conclusion

Adhering to court-admissibility standards and maintaining strict confidentiality is fundamental to your role as a legal transcriber at Parrot. By following these detailed guidelines, you contribute to ensuring the integrity and security of the work we produce, safeguarding our clients and the legal process as a whole.

If you have any questions regarding these requirements or need clarification on any aspect of the process, please feel free to reach out to the Transcription Operations Team for guidance.