Legal Correspondence and Documents Dictation

Question 1

What is dictation?

Answer 1

The speaking out loud of words that are to be written down. There are actually two ways to give dictation

Question 2

What are the two ways to give diction?

Answer 2

• Shorthand Dictation

- Machine Dictation

Question 3

What is shorthand diction?

Answer 3

Shorthand is a series of lines and marks corresponding to phonetic sounds of words.

Question 4

What is Machine Dictation?

Answer 4

The attorney speaks into the microphone, and the words are recorded on tape.

Question 5

What is a dictating machine?

Answer 5

It consists of a microphone attached to a device similar to a tape recorder. The attorney speaks into the microphone, and the words are recorded on tape.

Question 6

When an attorney uses a dictating machine does the legal secretary need to remain in the office?

Answer 6

No, the secretary can be performing other tasks and then transcribe the tape after it has been dictated.

Question 7

If you must transcribe dictation from shorthand notes, you must do it when?

Answer 7

Do so as soon as possible after the dictation.

Question 8

Transcribing machine dictation involves using what?

Answer 8

A transcriber.

Question 9

What is a transcriber?

Answer 9

A machine similar to a tape recorder but with earphones and a foot pedal attached to it.

Question 10

How does the secretary (you) use the transcriber?

Answer 10

The secretary puts the earphones on, puts a tape into the transcriber, rewinds the tape, and uses the foot pedal to advance, stop, rewind, or fast-forward the tape. The secretary types while listening to the tape.

Question 11

When dictating with the flow of a tape using the transcriber what speed should you strive for?

Answer 11

Continuous flow of advancing the tape and typing the dictation.

Question 12

Once a tape has been transcribed successfully it should be what?

Answer 12

Erased and returned to the attorney for future use. Make sure you’ve transcribed the entire tape before you erase it.

Question 13

What is a letterhead?

Answer 13

Is heavy bond paper that has the name, address, phone numbers, and sometimes the names of the attorneys of the law firm at the top of the page. Letterhead is another name for a company’s personalized stationery.

Question 14

Where should the date on the letter head be?

Answer 14

The date should be 21⁄2 to 3 inches down from the top of the paper. The date should always be typed in full, beginning at the center of the line.

Question 15

Where should the Special mailing notations be on the letter head?

Answer 15

Although it depends on the length of the letter, normally there should be two or three lines before the inside address, which is typed at the left margin. Any special mailing notations, overnight courier, or telecopier information should be typed and underlined before the inside address.

Question 16

What should the Inside address on the letter head contain?

Answer 16

The inside address should contain the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed, the person’s title, the company name, the street address including room or suite number, the city, state, and zip code.

Question 17

Where should the Attention line be on the letter head?

Answer 17

The attention line, if used, appears two lines below the inside address at the left margin.

Question 18

Where should the Salutation be on the letter head?

Answer 18

The salutation appears at the left margin two lines below the attention line (or the inside address) and is followed by a colon.

Question 19

Where should the Subject line be on the letter head?

Answer 19

According to many letter style authorities, the subject line should be placed two lines after the salutation, either indented or centered on the page. “RE” means “regarding” and should be typed in caps followed by a colon and the subject of the letter. However, many attorneys prefer the subject line to appear between the attention line and the salutation. You should use the format preferred by your firm.

Question 20

Where is the Text or body located on the the letter head?

Answer 20

The text or body of a letter begins two lines below the subject line or salutation. All paragraphs of the body are to be indented 5 or 10 spaces from the left margin, with a double-space between paragraphs.

Question 21

Where is the Complimentary closing located on the the letter head?

Answer 21

The complimentary closing appears two lines after the body of the letter beginning in the middle of the page (in line with the date at the top of the page). It’s followed by a comma. Additional information, such as the law firm name, should be typed two lines below and in line with the complimentary closing; the writer’s name should appear four lines below the law firm name and in line with the complimentary closing.

Question 22

What do Reference initials consist of and where are they located on the letter head?

Answer 22

Reference initials consist of the writer’s initials (in capital letters) followed by a colon and the transcriber’s initials (in lowercase letters). The reference initials are placed at the left margin two lines below the writer’s name.

Question 23

Where is the Enclosure or attachment notations located on the letterhead?

Answer 23

If the letter is to be sent with other documents, an enclosure or attachment notation is placed at the left margin on the line below the reference initials.

Question 24

Where are the Copy notations located on the letter head?

Answer 24

If copies of the letter are sent to other parties, copy notations should be placed at the left margin on the line below any enclosure or attachment notations.

Question 25

If the letter is longer than one page, all pages after the first page should start with what?

Answer 25

-A header, containing the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed, the company name, the date, and the page number.

These items should be typed one under the other, blocked left to the left margin. Leave two lines after the page number before beginning the copy on the second page. If the second page of a letter becomes separated from the first page, the header identifies which letter it belongs to.

Question 26

Should you place all text on the letterhead in a manner that’s pleasing to the eye and in a style that’s easy for the eye to follow?

Answer 26

Yes

Question 27

Do you allow the computer to hyphenate words for you?

Answer 27

Don’t allow the computer to hyphenate words for you. The computer won’t hyphenate according to grammatical rules. Turn off the computer hyphenation feature, and use a dictionary to check proper word division.

Question 28

Can you include contractions in letters?

Answer 28

Never include contractions (such as isn’t, aren’t, and don’t) in business correspondence, even if an attorney dictates them as such.

Question 29

Can you include abbreviations in your letters?

Answer 29

Since business correspondence is much more formal than personal letters, don’t include any abbreviations. Spell out words you may normally abbreviate.

Question 30

You are doing great studying!

Here are the answers!

A: Yes
B: Yes

Answer 30

The answer is yes, keep going!

Question 31

Do you Center the entire letter from top to bottom and from left to right?

Answer 31

Yes, remember, you want to produce a professional-looking letter on professional letterhead. Some secretaries have been hired on the strength of their professional-looking, properly formatted letters and pleadings!

Question 32

Can you use abbreviations of states on the envelopes you mail?

Answer 32

Yes!

Question 33

Envelopes should be typewritten or handwritten (no script) in?

Answer 33

In all capital letters…

Question 34

Where do you begin the address on the envelope?

Answer 34

Begin the address five inches from the left side of the envelope and two inches from the top

Question 35

Where do you align the address on an envelope?

Answer 35

Uniformly align the address at the left margin, parallel to the bottom edge of the envelope.

Question 36

How do you type the address on an envelope?

Answer 36

Type it without punctuation of any kind; use one or two spaces instead. Always use the two-letter abbreviations for the names of states. Include floor, suite, and apartment numbers when possible, and directionals (such as N, S, E, and W for north, south, east, and west, respectively); type the ZIP code or ZIP + 4 code. When typing foreign addresses, place the country name alone on the bottom line.

Question 37

What word do you begin a memo with?

Answer 37

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

Question 38

How should you type the body of a memo?

Answer 38

Type the body of the memo double-spaced. Indent the beginning of each paragraph 10 spaces. Include any reference initials two lines below the body of the memo, and type any attachment notations on the line below the reference initials.

Question 39

To find out how to properly hyphenate a word, use a/an

Answer 39

Dictionary

Question 40

What are legal cap, or red-ruled papers?

Answer 40

Paper that legal documents can be written on.
This paper contained a double red line running from top to bottom one inch from the left side of the paper, and a red line running from top to bottom one-half inch from the right side of the paper. Because this paper was to be bound on the left-hand side, the left margins were larger than the right ones, allowing room for the binding. Although some states still require legal cap paper for pleadings, in many states most legal documents are typed on plain white 8 ½ × 11-inch paper with one-half-inch to one-inch margins all around.

Question 41

What are the established rules for legal document’s preparation?

Answer 41

• Body of a legal document is normally double-spaced,
• Each paragraph is indented 10 spaces from the left margin. -
• No paragraph should end at the bottom of any page.
• There should be at least two lines of a paragraph at the bottom of any page and two lines of the same paragraph continued at the top of the next page.

Question 42

Legal cap or red ruled paper contains what?

Answer 42

A double red line running from top to bottom one inch from the left side of the paper, and a red line running from top to bottom one-half inch from the right side of the paper.

Question 43

Why is Legal cap or red ruled paper is to be bound on the left side what does this allow for?

Answer 43

The left margins were larger than the right ones, allowing room for the binding.

Question 44

Although some states still require legal cap paper for pleadings, in many states most legal documents are typed on what?

Answer 44

Plain white 8 ½ × 11-inch paper with one-half-inch to one-inch margins all around.

Question 45

While the established rules for legal document’s preparation are not always strictly enforced, with what documents would it be?

Answer 45

A last will and testament.

Question 46

Witnessed last will and testament you break paragraphs where?

Answer 46

The bottom of each page

Question 47

When you break paragraphs in a document you should be sure to have how many lines on each page?

Answer 47

Two.

Question 48

A single line at the bottom or top of a page is called a what?

Answer 48

Widow line

Question 49

You should not use widow lines in what?

Answer 49

Your legal typing

Question 50

You should not end any page with what?

Answer 50

A title that has no text beneath it.

Question 51

Except for the first page, you type a page number where? (In the page of pleading?)

Answer 51

In the center at the bottom of each page.

Question 52

The first page of a pleading must be typed in what special and specific way?

Answer 52

• It must contain space for the court clerk to affix (add) recording or filing information.
• You should begin typing 2½ to 3 inches from the top of the page. —-Leave margins of one-half to one inch at the top, bottom, and sides. -If the court uses ruled and numbered paper, follow the court’s local rules on placement.

Question 53

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Attorney information?

Answer 53

Type the name, address, phone number, and party that the attorney represents (plaintiff) at the left-hand margin, similar to the inside address of a letter.

Question 54

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Caption?

Answer 54

Two lines below the attorney information, type the caption of the lawsuit. First type the name of the plaintiff, followed by “Plaintiff, VS.” for versus; then type the name of the defendant, followed by “Defendant.” Double-space this information. Type colons or right-hand parentheses at the center between the margins.

Question 55

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Court information?

Answer 55

To the right of the colons or right-hand parentheses, type the name of the court, which may include the division of the court, the county of venue (where the case is to be tried), and the docket or case number.

Question 56

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Pleading title?

Answer 56

The name of the pleading is sometimes typed to the right of the colons or right-hand parentheses. If not typed there, then it’s placed two lines below the caption, centered, and underlined.

Question 57

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Text or body?

Answer 57

After the caption, begin the text or body of the pleading, double-spaced, with each paragraph indented 10 spaces and numbered consecutively.

Question 58

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Signature block

Answer 58

Include a signature block at the end of the pleading where the attorney can sign the document. Starting about 10 spaces from the middle of the page, type the name of the law firm, double-space, type “By:” and a line for the attorney’s signature directly in line with the name of the law firm, and type the name of the attorney below the line and the name of the party he or she represents on the line below the typewritten name. Never allow the signature block to appear on a page by itself. There must be at least two lines of type on the page prior to the signature block.

Question 59

On the first page of pleading you type what in the Date?

Answer 59

Type the date of the pleading two lines below the signature block, beginning at the left-hand margin.