In today's market any job in a law firm that provides enough work can often be done by outside resources. Then, some firms find it more advantageous to keep the work in-house. Proofreading is one of those jobs and today the proofreader is needed as much as ever in a law firm that produces lots of legal forms and documents.
Does this sound like an easy job? Let's take a look at the requirements. It is done in a pleasant environment and requires sitting and reading for eight hours looking for mistakes that need correction. It is typically not done on a computer. How well does one understand the mistakes for which he is looking? This comes with experience or training. While the job does not require a college degree, it often does require a 2 year degree and several years of experience either as a proofreader, word processor or a legal secretary.
Training Classes in Legal Proofreading
There are many programs that offer to train people in proofreading with the goal of the student being able to pass the proofreading test given by most firms before they are hired. Some training courses teach it in 8 hours and some courses take 2 days. The subjects you need to learn in any course before applying for a proofreader's job are listed here from a company called Legal Proofreader.
Introduction to Legal Proofreading
Defined Terms
Blacklining
Blacklining Styles
Blacklining Legal Documents
''Redlining'' EDGAR Documents
How Legal Proofreading Agencies Test Your Blacklining Skills
Sample & Practice Blacklining Tests
EDGAR
EDGAR Overview
EDGAR ASCII
History & Purpose
EDGAR ''Tags''
Character Translations
Formatting Protocol & Problems
Special Problems/Solutions
How Legal Proofreading Agencies Test You on EDGAR
EDGAR ASCII in Practice
EDGAR HTML
History & Purpose
Links & Anchors
Formatting Protocol & Problems
Special Problems/Solutions
EDGAR HTML in Practice
Frequently Misspelled words in Legal Proofreading
Legal Citations—What Legal Proofreaders Need to Know
Legal Proofreading Symbols
Legal Terminology that Legal Proofreaders Need to Know
Financial Terms
Foreign Language Terms & Abbreviations
Latin Terms
Legal Phrases
Legal Words
Printing Terms & Concepts—What Legal Proofreaders Need to Know
Redlining
Redlining EDGAR ASCII Documents
Redlining EDGAR HTML Documents
EDGAR Redlining/Blacklining Exercises
Team Reading
Verbal Abbreviations
Team Reading Practice
How Legal Proofreading Agencies Test You on Team Reading
Testing Strategies for legal proofreading tests
Things you should look for in a Legal Proofreaders Class
Legal Proofreaders is only one source for proofreading courses but the printed outline from their course gives you a good idea of the subjects to review in a good training class.
Also consider the teaching method used in the class to make sure it is the best way for you to learn. Finally, it is helpful when the class offers Proofreader Tests so you can evaluate how well you learned the material.
Beginning Wages for Proofreaders
Entry-level proofreaders start between $15 and $20 per hour. When there are shifts the pay can vary between day, evening and night shifts. Weekend shifts can pay up to $20 an hour. These are starting rates for beginners - the potential to make more per hour increases as your experience increases. You can work independently for these wages or get a full-time position in a legal firm.
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