Blog Category: Court Reporting

This post originally appeared on the Cook & Wiley blog.

A court transcript is the record of every spoken word and who spoke it during court.  In order to capture this transcript, a court reporter must be able to hear the entire proceedings and set them down as they occur. At one time this was done using shorthand, which is an abbreviated way of writing that is able keep up with speech. An early version of the stenotype machine was created in 1877 by Miles Bartholomew, who was a court reporter and hoped to replace pen and paper with his invention. Today, court reporters get special training in order to understand legal terminology and process and use special equipment to create transcripts of court proceedings, as well as creating legal records of hearings, depositions, or other meetings requiring an official transcript.

REQUIRED TRAINING

Training to become a court reporter requires fulfilling the general requirements and standards at a certified court reporting school that has been accredited by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). Required courses generally take around three years to complete, and applicants must have a GED or high school diploma to enroll. Some schools have prerequisites in keyboarding or data entry skills that must be met, as well.  Classes include information on keyboarding, machine shorthand, law, legal terminology, court reporting, vocabulary, proofreading, medical terminology, dictation, ethics, and more. A student learning court reporting must also take speed building classes and spend a generous amount of time practicing with the stenotype machine, because 225 words per minute is the minimum requirement to pass keyboarding.

Upon graduation, the student receives a Registered Professional Reporter certificate from the NCRA. A Certified Shorthand Reporter license is required as well in order to obtain work as a courtroom reporter. States have different license requirements, but an extensive written exam in addition to a performance-based dictation test is fairly standard.

EQUIPMENT USED

In order to be able to capture every word that is spoken during the courtroom proceedings, a courtroom reporter must be able to produce the transcript accurately and at high speeds. This is most commonly done with a stenotype machine. This machine, although much different than the one originally created by Miles Bartholomew, uses the same concept of keys that may be pressed simultaneously in order to create words, sounds, and phrases quickly. The stenotype has 22 black, unmarked keys set up in a way that resembles a piano’s keys more closely than a typical qwerty keyboard. These keys represent some of the alphabet, and combinations of keys must be used for the letters not included.

Rather than typing out words, a stenotype machine produces a phonetic code that relates to sound. The reporter’s left hand types the beginning consonant sounds, thumbs produce vowel sounds, and the right hand types the final consonant sounds. Various other key combinations that create both initial and final sounds can be made involving both hands. In this way, court reporters can keep up with conversations at high speeds. In the past, the record rolled out of the machine on steno paper, but it is becoming more common now for the stenotype machines to have a digital readout screen.

There have been several popular methods of producing and translating the phonetic record, but since the sounds produced were not standardized, court reporters could personalize their own method of keystroke combinations to produce and translate the report. This wasn’t necessarily a good thing, since it could be difficult to impossible for anyone but the original reporter to read the transcript. One of the more common translation theories has been used to create computer software that translates the code, so now reporters are more likely to use that method when typing.

A PC-compatible laptop can be connected to a stenotype machine in order to produce captions of the proceedings in real time for the hearing impaired. Since the report is usually digital now, the transcript can be uploaded to the computer to be translated, prepared, and sent through email. There are several different software programs that court reporters may find useful, such as scheduling and billing, in addition to the software necessary to link the laptop and stenotype machine, translate the transcript, and produce closed-captioning.

COURT REPORTERS: THE BEST CHOICE

Some people believe that electronic methods will eventually replace humans in the field of court reporting. This seems unlikely in the near future, though, because while computers do have the ability to document and reproduce in a record all sounds created in the courtroom when they work like they are supposed to, they are not able to interpret the difference between words that need to be recorded and random sounds, like chairs scraping the floor. Malfunctions and constant needs for updates have discouraged even the most pro-technology advocates. It continues to be both less expensive and more effective to hire a professional court reporter.

One of the hurdles to tackle when planning for international depositions is the search for the right location. For someone scheduling their first deposition in Tampere, for example, this can be a bit like chasing a shadow in a fog. Here are four points to consider when looking for a deposition location in an area unfamiliar to you.

1. Proximity to the legal team’s hotel – if possible, book a conference room in the hotel where the attorneys are staying. This saves on transportation costs, as well as time! It’s a huge bonus if the hotel has an adequate business center to help with last-minute print jobs, though the court reporting agency can help you find nearby printers, and shredders as well, if needed.
2. Technical capabilities – will videoconferencing (mobile or traditional) be needed? If so, don’t forget to conduct a test call prior to the deposition date, to verify the connection strength and stability.
3. Comfort – this includes any catering considerations. If food and beverage will be requested, confirm any dietary restrictions can be accommodated. In cases of multiple days of depositions, the comfort factor is of the utmost importance both to the attorneys and witnesses.
4. Expense (of course) – certain cities are notoriously expensive. Hot spots like Paris and Hong Kong can require some creativity to save costs for your client (for example, deposing a witness in a hotel room, rather than reserving a separate conference room). Don’t forget to check cancellation policies and fees as well. Check with the court reporting agency to see if a corporate discount is available if they book the conference room on your behalf.

The location for a deposition abroad should so completely meet all your needs it’s like taking the deposition in your own conference room at your office. This is entirely possible with proper planning and preparation.

The Planet Depos International Team works with local court reporters around the world and has been scheduling international depositions for over a decade. For assistance scheduling international depositions, contact Planet Depos International Scheduling at 888.433.3767 or international@planetdepos.com.

Trial presentation has become a powerful litigation tool in today’s courts, but there are certain pieces of equipment that are required.  The idea behind trial presentation is to display your case materials in a digital format so that you can communicate more effectively with the jury.  Generally, you’ll need a way to display this digital info, so you will need such equipment as monitors, TVs, projectors, screens, laptops, etc.

Presenting in a Wired Courtroom

Some courts have trial presentation equipment built into the room.  These “wired” courtrooms enable you to just plug in your laptop at counsel table and display your case.  The equipment in a wired courtroom doesn’t always work that easily though; you definitely want to do a test run as they sometimes have resolution problems or are faulty for other reasons.  Wired courtrooms are like bike-shares: everyone is allowed to use and abuse them.

Additionally, there’s a range of trial presentation equipment that’s been set up in these wired courtrooms.  There are generally three options, or a combination of, that you’ll encounter.  My personal preference is a projector placed reasonably close to the jury, and I like to pull up a document to test out how well the jury will be able to see it.   Another acceptable alternative you may see is monitors for the jury, counsel, witness, and judge.  If you’re close enough to a screen, the size doesn’t matter much.  Again, test it out. Lastly, a large TV on wheels can suffice, but you obviously want it close to the jury while not blocking anybody’s line of sight.   If all you are showing is video, then it doesn’t really matter how large it is.   However, if you want to show documents, they need to be readable.

When setting up for trial presentation, I sometimes like to bring in my own projector and find a good place for it even if the courtroom is wired.  If the existing setup isn’t sufficient for my needs, I will bring whatever other equipment is required.

Non-Wired Courtrooms: Bring Your Own

Now, your normal courtroom with no trial presentation equipment is what we call a “non-wired” courtroom.  Such a courtroom will, obviously, need equipment if you want to utilize trial presentation in your case, but it’s completely up to you which equipment you’ll use.  If there’s space for it, a good projector and screen is all you need.  You just want to make sure everyone can see it, and read from it, so test it out.

Some prefer monitors for everyone, and in certain courtrooms, it’s effective, but perhaps a little more expensive.  Personally I think it’s often overkill.

Reach out to Planet Depos and ask to talk to one of our certified trial presentation specialists at 888.433.3767.  We keep detailed notes on every courtroom we visit, and we reach out to all courtrooms prior to trial.  We assess the situation and can help determine the best options for your trial.  We are dedicated to making your trial presentation experience with us a good one, and your trial a success.

By Mary Lide

Your iPad can be used for much more than FaceTime and Netflix.

Planet Depos has put together a list of the top five iPad apps for the legal professional. These apps will help make your life easier, and make your iPad as versatile and useful as any laptop.

DocketLaw

PacerMonitor

Lexis Advance

WestLaw

Rulebook

Adobe Reader

1. DocketLaw

This free app is handy for figuring out dates and deadlines based on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.  When you enter the date of a triggering event (like a trial date), the app will calculate events based on which jurisdiction you’re in. For an additional fee, you can subscribe to specific, rules-based calendars for state and federal courts.

2. PacerMonitor

This is a great app for staying on top of Federal Court case dockets and filings. A companion to PacerMonitor.com, this app makes it easy to view, download, and email case filings. You can even save the cases that you’re tracking so that they are easy to access.

3. Depending on which service you use, we’ve split #3 up into a two-fer:

a. Lexis Advance | b. Westlaw

These apps are companions to the best legal research services. You can set up alerts, access and share your research, and view documents easily. They’re great for staying organized across devices, from your laptop to your tablet and back again.

4. Rulebook

This app is good for staying up-to-date on federal and state court rules. It’s easy to navigate through the different rule sets, which do need to be purchased—and it’s great for accessing the Bluebook. It also has a handy multi-task function for going back and forth between authorities.

5. Adobe Acrobat Reader

With all of the documents you need to read daily, a good PDF app is essential. Adobe does it best—you can easily open any PDF, search, zoom, annotate, sign, share, and save documents. We especially recommend it for reading your Planet Depos transcripts, which are always provided in full and condensed PDFs!

In this digital world we live in, it’s important to be able to rely on our devices to help us out. These apps are must-haves for any 21^st-century legal professional—the tools you need are right at your fingertips!

This week marks NCRA’s National Court Reporting & Captioning Week, and on the 12th of February the Association inquired of its membership, “Why I Became a Court Reporter/Captioner.” Planet Depos followed suit and asked a few court reporters why they chose this career path.

Lisa W., North Carolina Reporter

I had never heard of court reporting and, while trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up, was flipping through a college brochure in the guidance counselor’s office. I knew it would be business something or other because Calculus and Trig and all of those other crazy courses were not for me. I ran across a two-page spread on court reporting and thought, hmmm, I might like that. My guidance counselor said, “Oh, you don’t want to do that, the attrition rate is really high.” Not being one to back down from something tough, I said, challenge accepted. The rest is history. Can’t imagine what I’d do if I wasn’t a court reporter.

MaryJo L., Maryland Reporter

I was just starting my senior year in high school and had no idea what I wanted to do. I was good in Gregg shorthand and typing – though nowhere near as good as Kathy DiLorenzo. I was taking all the office courses in school, but I knew I didn’t want to be a secretary. I saw a commercial on TV for ICM School of Business in Pittsburgh advertising for court reporting students. I called them up, visited them the following week, and they were getting ready to offer what they called Saturday Special classes to introduce people to the machine. Interestingly, I remember them trying to talk me out of it, until I took a typing test, and then they were happy to sign me up.

Mayleen A., Washington State Reporter

My aunt was a court reporter. I was studying psychology in upstate NY after high school. However, in those days, I thought my aunt’s life was so luxurious compared to what I saw growing up. She would go to the Bahamas. I never saw anyone going on vacation. She always had money, it seemed. She always seemed to be home and not working. And she — God bless her — encouraged me to come to NY and attend court reporting school. I drove down eight hours from upstate NY and attended an interview at Long Island Business Institute in Commack, NY. Long story short, I went back upstate, gathered my belongings, and moved in with my grandmother and my aunt while I studied court reporting. My aunt is currently a court reporter in Tampa, Florida!

Kathy DiLorenzo, Director of Court Reporting

I don’t necessarily know why. Heck, sometimes I still wonder why. Though I do know “how” I became a court reporter. When I was in high school, I was a super-speedy typist. By the time I graduated high school, I was typing 105 words per minute. That was quite fast back in 1979. (What’s interesting is that years later, my daughter would graduate elementary school at 111 wpm.)  I competed in contests in the tri-state area — and won! So, it was my instructors who encouraged me to apply for a scholarship program offered at a local business school in Pittsburgh. I applied in the secretarial category, assuming that was the direction I was destined to go. When I spoke with the admins at the school, they asked if I might be interested in a career in court reporting, given my fast typing skills. I remember asking, “What’s that?”  Nonchalantly, I agreed, and at the same time filled out an application for the full scholarship offered in court reporting. After an aptitude test and interview, I was awarded a full scholarship for court reporting…and the rest is history.

If you or someone you know wants to join the Planet Depos court reporting team, click here.

In February of 2016, in conjunction with NCRA’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week, Planet Depos announced the launch of Planet Institute, a program developed to bridge the gap between student and career.

Some of our “senior” generation of reporters may remember the training they received in court reporting school, but no doubt each of us can remember well the single person who trained and mentored us, who influenced us to be the reporter we are today. In most cases, it was a firm owner who took us under their wing, allowed us to shadow, read through every transcript we produced for upwards of a year’s time, and who instilled in us a commitment to excellence in our profession. What encompassed that “commitment to excellence”?

• Continuous speed development
• Insatiable passion for learning
• Thorough research
• Proper formatting, punctuation, and legal procedures
• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Can-do attitude
• Certification
• Continuing Education
• Professionalism
• Adherence to our Code of Ethics
• Giving back

Just after the launch of Planet Institute, I was interviewed by Ari Kaplan on his program called “Reinventing Professional Services.” About Planet Institute, he asked, “Why?”

There are three particular movements that we have witnessed over the years that have dramatically changed the way students are educated and enter the workforce.

1. The vast majority of students are learning court reporting online.
2. Court reporters who would have served as mentors in the past are now working from their home office and, as such, opportunities for mentoring, coaching and professional guidance are often nonexistent.
3. Unlike years gone by, new graduates are not working for a single local firm which impacts the agency’s desire to commit to onboarding fledgling reporters.

With these three factors in play, who is it then who takes on the nurturing and leadership role in laying a solid foundation to a successful career in court reporting? While there are individual court reporters and firm owners who understand the value of paying it forward and mentoring new reporters, there are simply not enough options for the next generation to be intensely and appropriately trained and mentored. Planet Institute is Planet Depos’ contribution to this effort.

As an international court reporting firm, Planet Depos is uniquely positioned to assess the broad spectrum of talent that exists within our profession, particularly within the profession’s newest entrants, as well as the general weaknesses related to writing skills, general knowledge, ethical considerations and overall professionalism. To that end, we created the position of Professional Development Specialist – a full-time employee dedicated to providing one-on-one professional development for new reporters.

Although there is no cost to enroll in Planet Institute, we realized at the outset that there needed to be minimum requirements to enter the program. Anything less would render the program meaningless and provide little incentive for students to “make it” into the program. In order to apply, the student must:

• Be in final speeds or have graduated within the past six months
• Complete an online application
• Provide a letter of reference from an instructor or working reporter
• Be proficient with CAT system
• Pass a 30-minute writing evaluation*
• Pass entrance exams (spelling, vocabulary, error-spotting)
• Undergo a personal interview

* Candidate is given five hours to write and produce a transcript of a 30-minute videotaped deposition, with full use of audio/video.

Once a student is accepted into the program, they are assigned shadowing opportunities with seasoned reporters in their area. Each of these reporters has an established professional relationship with Planet Depos and can be relied upon to provide guidance in all aspects of reporting. In working with several experienced reporters, the student is exposed to the various styles of interacting with clients, how the everyday is handled in terms of readback, exhibit handling, interruptions, as well as a peek at what their future might hold if they embrace realtime technology and enhanced skill development.

For each shadowing assignment, the student prepares no fewer than 50 pages for in-depth review, a verbatim evaluation comparing the transcript against the audio. This review will reveal weaknesses, if any, in the following areas:

• Word knowledge
• Research skills
• Punctuation
• Transcript formatting

The ultimate goal with each student is to get them to “fly solo.” Do they understand the importance of their role? Do they understand their ethical obligations? Do they understand that if something doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t right? Do they question words, phrases, terminology that they aren’t absolutely certain they know the meaning of? Are they their toughest critic? Do they ask questions? Do they improve with each transcript?

If we can answer “yes” to each of these questions, the student has then completed the program. At this point we provide advice on how and where to market their services. Several of the Planet Institute graduates are now working as independent contractors for various firms. Some have since passed their CSR, while others are still working toward that goal. Two of the Planet Institute graduates waiting to pass the CSR chose to relocate to begin their career until they were successful in passing the exam. It’s all about students taking advantage of the opportunities whenever and wherever they are.

Planet Depos is proud to announce at the end of one year that all students who were accepted into the program have either completed and are working court reporters or are still enrolled in the program awaiting state certification. Upon successful completion of the program, the student is awarded their first year of professional dues to NCRA, compliments of Planet Depos. Meet three successful graduates of Planet Institute.

Planet Depos acknowledges that we could not offer this program without the support of dedicated court reporters who have so willingly agreed to allow these students to sit in, observe and learn from their years of experience. We extend our sincere appreciation to the following mentors:

Wendy Andino, CSR, RMR
Maria Beesley, CSR
Judy Bellinger, CSR, RPR, CRR
Kathy Ferguson, CSR
Carrie Hewerdine, CSR, RDR
Theresa Hollister
Kari Hruneni
Cynthia Jyu, CSR
Michelle Knowles, CSR, RPR, CRR
Danielle Krautkramer
Carol Lowe
Alda Mandell, RPR, CRR
Katherine Stride, CSR, RPR
Ashley Soevyn, CSR
Anne Torreano, CSR, RPR
Ashala Tylor, CSR, RPR, CRR
Kim Whitmire, CSR
Cindy Whyte

Read related press release here.