Legal Sten

Does anyone remember something called “Legal Stenography”?  I seem to remember this was a form of Gregg particularly adapted for legal secretaries and paralegals.  It existed in New York State when I lived there, and I seem to remember our teacher telling us it had a lot more brief forms for the legal vocabulary.
Was there ever a “Medical Stenography”?  Back in the early 80’s in New York there were want ads for “Medical Secretaries”.  I assume that’s what we call a “Medical Office Assistant” here in Calif.
Happy outline writing!
–Alison

(by troutgirl1501 for everyone)


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  1. Thanks, ShorthandMarc.  I was beginning to think "Legal Sten" was something I had hallucinated or dreamt of only!  It has been around 25 years since I moved away from Long Island and back to my native state, Calif., and my mind can play tricks on me.   I am having actual fun brushing up my Diamond Jubilee during my lunch hours at work.  Yes, I said it, "fun".  Just shows what a nerd I truly am.   I credit learning Gregg shorthand those many years ago with giving my career the push it really needed.  Paying the $200 or so tuition per semester at Briarcliffe Secretarial School was one of the best investments I ever made.  I've been using Gregg ever since at work and as a volunteer secretary to take minutes for the local Boy Scout troop's adult Volunteer Committee.  Once someone asked me, "Are you writing in Arabic?"

  2. Alison,

    Yes, I remember "Legal Stenography." I worked briefly on the S90 version of that book and have a copy of it somewhere. I also remember the DJ version (that's probably with the S90 one), and I also have the Anniversary edition.

    I don't recall a real medical book which was like the legal one with additional brief forms and letters in shorthand. I do have the pre-Anni and Anniversary editions of the medical dictionary. Chuck, was there ever a medical book like the legal one or just the dictionary?

    Marc

  3. I have a medical shorthand dictionary entitled "Gregg Medical Shorthand
    Dictionary" published in 1976 by McGraw-Hill,Inc., ISBN 0-07-009504-3.
    This dictionary has shorthand outlines for medical terms as well as the
    definitions.

    VLindsay

  4. I have a the Gregg Shorthand Medical Manual and a companion text.  I've only ever seen the ones I have (got them from the retiring court reporter I knew).  I think the companion text is called "The Medical Stenographer."  When I get home, I'll look them up and give you the correct titles. 

  5. I pulled the books of the shelf and this is what they are:   1.  Gregg Medical Shorthand Manual (2nd Ed.) Effie Smither, Copyright 1927, 1942.  Shorthand written by Winifred Kenna Richmond.  This book is much like the Gregg Manual but, of course, for medical terminology.    2.  The Medical Stenographer, Effie Smither, Copyright 1939.  Shorthand written by Charles Rader.  This book is a great deal of dictation material and supplementary material.  There are shorthand plates and they have keys.  The text of much of the book is marked in standard words for dictation.   I have seen both of these books on E-Bay and I think Amazon.com. 

  6. I have a copy of the Gregg Medical Dictionary, copyright 1976.   On abe.ca I also found a copy of:   The Medical Secretary: Terminology and Transcription, Third Edition Copyright 1967 McGraw-Hill.   There's a note on the title page saying "Diamond Jubilee Shorthand written by Charles Rader" and the preface says this is the second book in the new Gregg Medical Secretarial Series.   What would the first book be? Does anyone know? Marc? Chuck?   sidhe

  7. There are indeed medical stenography and legal stenography books, mostly in the form of dictionaries. Some medical stenography schools published their own medical books, but for the most part they are a collection of shortcuts and medical terms in shorthand.

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