TranscriptPad – Organize Transcripts on the Go

Are looking for a tool to help you analyze and organize a legal matter you are working on? Consider using TranscriptPad for iPad. This app allows you to review depositions or trial transcripts, comment on them and share your thoughts all in the palm of your hand.

How many times have you highlighted a deposition right after you get it, then a few weeks later thought, “What was I going to use that testimony for?”

Now, using the portability of your iPad, you can review the transcript, highlight, add your thoughts and share the information from one app.

The developer describes the app as follows:

• TranscriptPad is an app designed specifically for lawyers to read and review transcripts, create designations, and flag or email certain sections. It is a turnkey solution created specifically for the needs of judges, lawyers, paralegals, experts, trial presentation consultants, or anyone who needs to work with transcripts. Using the right tool for the job gives you a better experience, and a better result, in less time.
• TranscriptPad replaces the marked up paper transcript with all the flags, Post-it notes, highlights, un-highlights, pen marks, cross outs, etc.
• For example, you might use it to create a report to send to a judge outlining your objections to parts of a video depo your opposing counsel might want to play in trial, or your expert might use it to email you a report of parts of a transcript that should be addressed in mediation.

Organization Tool – Using customizable, color-coded designations, you can identify portions of the transcript that relate to discrete ideas or topics like liability, damages, etc. This allows you to efficiently organize the testimony for trial, mediation or a hearing.

Import – You can import the transcripts via e-mail, Dropbox or iTunes. This app does not work with transcripts that are PDFs. You will need to import the deposition or transcript from a text file. (Exhibits that are PDFs will be placed in a separate folder.) After you get past the idea that you need a transcript that is in a txt format instead of a PDF, you will enjoy using this app because it offers some differences from PDF annotation apps. Those differences include:

• TranscriptPad has hands free reading with adjustable speed.
• The ability to search across an entire case (without first recreating one enormous “search” file each time a transcript is added).
• The ability to create and assign specific issue codes on the fly.
• Highlighting a line or paragraph is as simple as 2 taps as opposed to holding your finger on a word and dragging to expand the selection bars.
• After making a selection you can easily Email or Flag the selection, or assign one or many Issue Codes.
• Create reports covering all Issue Codes, or just a select few.

Search- You can search for words or phrases in a single transcript or across multiple depositions, hearing or trial transcripts. This feature is nice when you are trying to remember a word or idea but can’t remember where it was.

Collaborate- After you have highlighted and identified the important portions of your transcript, you can export that data, by issue codes or topics, in an organized, efficient way. This information can be shared with co-counsel, your staff or client to help clarify issues.

Learn how to use the app- You can quickly begin using this app after downloading the the Quick Start User Guide. Watching the app in action with the videos made by the developer will help answer most questions you may have. Also, there is  FAQ page.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a unique tool to help you organize case information on the go without having the burden of carrying heavy and bulky transcripts, this is an app for you. The cost is $49.99 and the developer promises that updates and technical support will be free.

This app is made by the same developer of TrialPad for iPad, a program that allows you to present your case to a jury or judge from the convenience of your iPad. You can learn more about TrialPad for iPad from my reviews here and here or the developer here.