Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia. A transcript is a written record of what was said. In court, a transcript is often a record of all of the judge's judgments as well as the oral arguments of the plaintiffs' lawyers. In the United States, a comparable phrase is "docket," which is not a full transcript. Docket information includes pleadings, orders, and other documents filed in the case by the parties. Transcripts are used by courts to verify facts discussed at trial or during an appeal, and they can also help judges decide issues of law that may arise during proceedings. For example, if you are suing another person for damages, then the court will usually order them to provide a legal transcript of the trial. The transcript can also be useful when reviewing decisions made by judges or juries because it can confirm that evidence was presented in support of each side of the argument. Legal transcripts are sometimes called "judgments" or "decisions" because they contain records of rulings made by the court during the course of the proceeding. However, these terms are often used interchangeably with "transcript" and do not always indicate that there was actually a jury involved in the case. For example, if the plaintiff wins a judgment against the defendant but the defendant doesn't have money to pay it, then there would be no need for a legal transcript because there were no rulings made during the course of the trial.