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Evolution of Legal Depositions: The Role of AI and Remote Zoom Depositions

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The legal world is quickly changing, thanks to AI (Artificial Intelligence) and remote video technology such as Zoom for legal depositions. These innovations for legal transcription from Zoom depositions are making a big difference in the pre-trial deposition process, making things faster and more accurate for litigators. Traditionally, the legal field has been slow to embrace new technology. Remember how new and scary email was in 2003 or cloud computing in 2010. Nothing comes close, however, to the speed and impact that Artificial Intelligence is having related to the legal profession. The speed at which the new future of AI-assisted Zoom remote depositions could be the norm and a key part of legal work, is impressive.

Modern Court Reporting with AI

Gone are the days when taking testimony relied solely on shorthand reporters aka stenographers and their steno machines. This approach, while useful in the past, now faces challenges like cost and time delays, the hassle of travel, and the complexity of coordinating everyone’s time. Not to mention, stenographers can’t always catch every word accurately, especially with accents or specialized terms, leading to possible errors in the transcripts.

It’s no secret that the number of skilled stenographers is dropping, with not enough new people entering the field. This shortage is a big problem for the litigation industry, as the demand for precise and quick transcripts keeps growing.

Current Challenges with Decades Old Deposition Process

The traditional way of handling depositions, with everyone needing to be in the same place at the same time, is full of inefficiencies. Lawyers, witnesses, and experts have to deal with the hassle of travel and scheduling, which wastes time and money. Plus, relying on human stenographers adds another layer of delay and potential for mistakes, making the legal process even slower and more complicated. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve become a “Zoom culture”  and this is no different for litigators and the legal profession as a whole. Remote Zoom depositions, AI-assisted deposition transcription recordings and eDiscovery software platforms are becoming a more normal business for litigators. As evidenced by the number of ABA Tech Show 2024 sessions and presenters talking about remote proceedings and AI-related issues, there’s a ton of interest.  

How AI Is Making Depositions Better

AI is revolutionizing depositions with tools like Skribe.ai, which offers AI-generated rough transcriptions with amazing efficiency gains. This technology can handle different accents and background noises, making sure the spoken words are captured for you. Integrated with the Zoom setup litigators are already using it, it also identifies who the different speakers are making remote depositions easier than ever.

Features like timestamping and keyword search save lawyers a ton of time, as they can quickly find important parts of the testimony. And with secure cloud storage, these transcripts are safe and easy to access.

The Big Ah-Ha: AI’s Impact on Legal Work

Using AI with depositions does more than just improve accuracy. It also cuts down on travel, which saves money and is better for the environment. Lawyers can spend less time on logistics, follow-ups, and dozens of requests and more on their cases, improving outcomes for their clients.

The Future: AI and Zoom Remote Depositions

The move to AI-powered remote depositions is a major step forward for the legal industry. It opens up the legal system to be more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible to more people. The benefits of this technology, like time and cost savings and easier access for people in different locations, show the huge potential of AI in law.

What You Can Do:

The introduction of AI into the testimony and litigation media space is not just a small upgrade; it’s a completely new realm for legal efficiency. As the industry continues to grow, embracing AI-powered remote depositions will be crucial for a more effective, accessible, and streamlined legal process.

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