Is it legal for a lawyer to record client meetings with Wave?

It depends on where the participants are. In the US, twelve states, including California, Florida, and Washington, require everyone on a phone call to consent to recording, and calls across state lines should follow the stricter rule. Wave shows a recording notice before calls but doesn't play an announcement, so tell participants yourself and check your bar's ethics guidance. This is general information, not legal advice.

How secure is my data in Wave?

Wave is SOC 2 Type 1 compliant for the Security criteria, based on control design as of March 1, 2025. Recordings are encrypted with TLS 1.2+ in transit and AES-256 at rest. Wave never uses your data to train AI models, and you own your recordings and transcripts.

Can I use Wave for phone calls with clients?

Yes. Wave records phone calls on iPhone and Android on every plan (on Free, calls count toward the 30 minutes a month; Pro is unlimited): place the call from Wave's Phone tab, or merge Wave into a call already in progress. Both sides are captured and transcribed with speaker labels.

How accurate is Wave's transcription for legal terms?

Wave transcribes in 76 languages with speaker labels, and is most accurate on clear audio. Add case names, parties, and legal terms to custom vocabulary so Wave spells them correctly, and review any transcript before relying on it.

Can I search across all my past recordings?

Yes. Wave provides a searchable library where you can find any detail from any recording by keyword, date, or speaker name, or ask Wave a question that cites the exact session.

The AI Meeting Recorder Built for Lawyers

Last updated: November 3, 2026

Wave AI is an AI meeting recorder for lawyers: record client meetings, intake calls, and Zoom or Teams calls on iPhone, Android, Mac, or Windows, and get speaker-labeled transcripts and AI summaries. Recordings stay yours and are never used to train AI models. Free to start.

Using an AI meeting recorder in a legal practice

How do lawyers use Wave to record client meetings?

Tell everyone you're recording, then tap record on your phone or computer, or let Wave's bot join the video call. Wave transcribes the meeting with speaker labels and writes a summary of facts, decisions, and follow-ups you can review before it goes in the file.

Get every participant's consent and say so at the start of the recording.
In person: tap record on iPhone or Android. Video calls: record with the Wave desktop app (no bot) or send Wave's meeting bot to Zoom, Meet, or Teams. Phone: place the call from Wave's Phone tab (on every plan; on Free, calls count toward the 30 minutes a month).
Review the transcript and summary, correct names and terms, and add custom vocabulary for case-specific words.
Export to PDF or DOCX for the file, or search past meetings by keyword, speaker, or date.

Is it legal to record a client call?

In the US, federal law and 38 states plus DC let a participant record a phone call with their own consent; twelve states, including California, Florida, and Washington, require everyone's. When a call crosses state lines, follow the stricter rule. Your bar's ethics rules may also address recording. This is general information, not legal advice.

One-party and all-party consent states

What security does Wave have?

Wave's compliance status, as stated in its SOC 2 report and trust portal:

SOC 2 Type 1 for the Security criteria, based on control design as of March 1, 2025. The report did not test operating effectiveness over a period.
Recordings, transcripts, and summaries are encrypted with TLS 1.2+ in transit and AES-256 at rest.
Recordings and transcripts belong to you, are never used to train AI models, and can be permanently deleted at any time.
Wave is a cloud service: audio is uploaded for processing, so it isn't an on-premises or on-device-only tool.

Wave security and data handling

The problems you know too well

Missed Details in Client Meetings

Handwritten notes miss nuances. Wave transcribes the whole conversation so you can focus on your client instead of your notepad.

Hours Spent on Meeting Summaries

Writing up meeting notes eats time you could bill. Wave generates a structured summary minutes after the meeting ends, ready for you to review.

Scattered Records Across Devices

Phone calls, Zoom meetings, in-person conversations — Wave captures them all in one searchable library across every device.

Features

Everything you need to capture every conversation

Speaker-Labeled Transcripts

Automatically identify who said what — useful for multi-party meetings, mediations, and witness prep. Voice ID labels saved voices by name.

Record Anywhere

At the office, on a phone call, in a Zoom or Teams meeting, or at a client lunch. Wave works on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome, and the web.

AI-Powered Summaries

Get structured summaries that highlight key facts, decisions, action items, and follow-ups. Customize the summary format to match how your firm writes memos.

Searchable Library

Find any detail from any meeting instantly. Search across all your transcripts by keyword, date, or speaker, or ask Wave a question.

SOC 2 Type 1 Security

SOC 2 Type 1 for the Security criteria. Encrypted at rest and in transit. Wave never uses your recordings to train AI models.

Export & Share

Export transcripts and summaries to PDF, DOCX, Markdown, Google Docs, or OneNote for the case file, or share a session with a colleague.

Perfect for

Client intake callsDeposition and witness prepMediation sessionsPartner meetingsCase strategy discussionsPhone consultations

FAQs

Common questions

Meeting Recording Laws: What You Need to Know

Understand meeting recording laws across the US and abroad. Learn one-party vs two-party consent rules and how to record meetings legally.

The Wave Guide to Meeting Recording

Four ways to record any meeting with Wave — meeting bots, desktop app, phone calls, and mobile. Pick your method and never miss a detail.

Wave Is SOC 2 Type 1 Compliant

Wave completed a SOC 2 Type 1 examination covering the design of controls relevant to Security as of March 1, 2025. Here's what that means for you.