By Brian Malcom 

It's not that I don't like microcassette dictation devices, it's just that I hate them.  You never have one when you really want it.  Worse yet, you never have one when you actually need it.

Dictation is becoming a lost art.  Young attorneys are more capable typists, due to exposure to computers from an early age and, believe it or not, chatting with friends. (And your mom said that you were wasting your time chatting with your friends).  Most young attorneys would rather type a memo or letter themselves, rather than dictating them out and giving it to their assistant to type up and then proofread for errors.  Who can blame them?!  Most young attorneys could type up a memo faster than they can dictate and proofread.

But, is it really more efficient in the long run?  Learning to dictate early in your career could allow you to be more productive later in your career.  Dictation also helps you keep a more conversational tone in your writing.

Those who are new to dictation may find it awkward and frustrating at first.  If, however, they stick with it, they will find that they are mastering the art in no time at all.

Digital dictation is beginning to take hold in the legal industry.  There are numerous software programs available to assist an attorney.  IBM and Dragon NaturallySpeaking Solutions are the leaders in the industry.

Smart phones are opening up a whole new market for digital dictation.  Dragon Software seems to be leading the charge.  On the iPhone, Dragon offers a free application for digital dictation using the iPhone.  It is called Dragon Dictation--I know...shocking.

I'm not sure if other PDAs are offering a similar program in their applications store.  If you have found a digital dictation program that you like, feel free to speak up in the comments.

I've been using this application for about a week.  I must say I'm pretty impressed with its capabilities.  It's not perfect, but it gets the job done.  It's also nice to have the software application at my disposal and in my pocket.  In other words, I don't have to carry another device.  This is essential for helping me avoid a "man purse".

A little help in avoiding tendonitis is not too bad either.

Here are some links you might find useful if you are interested in using the Dragon Dictation software:

 - For your computer:  Nuance website
 - Nice reviews of Dragon Dictation:  TUAW, iPhone J.D. and CNET

** Some people have expressed concern about the app "collecting and using" names in your address book.  Dragon responds to those concerns.