Basic Tips for Choosing Quality Court Reporting Firms

Court reporting firms are relied upon by various types of clients such as law firms, educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and governmental agencies to provide top-notch court reporters who are highly skilled in complex litigation, hearings, arbitrations, and all types of meetings and public hearings. Most firms focused on providing a full range of services that include realtime court reporting, centralized scheduling, billing and archiving, world class transcripts, on time delivery, scheduling of complimentary conference rooms, videography, videoconferencing and teleconferencing.

There are some points to be considered when choosing a court reporting firm in order to ensure that you get the highest level of reliability, quality and experience.

Expertise of Court Reporters

Aside from the minimum qualification of a CCR license, there are other essential qualities that a court reporter should have:

Excellent vocabulary and strong grasp of grammar rules to be able to recognize, process, and spell tricky terms that are commonly used in a court room, business meeting or government hearing.

Basic knowledge of the court system to be able to perform official acts such as swearing in witnesses and marking exhibits.

Above-average computer skills to be able to operate digital recording and audio equipment, and also proficiency in computer programs and technical skills to be able to quickly troubleshoot problems on location.

Quality Transcripts

Make sure that court reporting firms provide high quality transcripts that comply with the minimum transcript format standards set forth in state or local rules of court or following the guidelines set by the state licensure board. Most important of all,  they must guarantee the accuracy of information and that the record is free of errors, gaffes, and omissions.

Good Reputation

Check out their body of work and referrals and if they are associated with reputable law firms, legal professionals and industry leaders in the country. Court reporting firms that have a number of years of experience usually have a long list of highly regarded clientele that use their services again and again.

Professional Support

The best court reporting firms are known to provide excellent customer service. Support service is set up with friendly, professional and real, live people that are on-call to chat or speak with you, particularly for last-minute scheduling needs. They provide direct personalized service to ensure that each client’s needs are met and their expectations are exceeded while maintaining the highest degree of integrity. Also make sure that procedures are in place to easily contact them and they provide confirmation or touch base with you immediately after you schedule for any service.

Flexibility

You’d also want to take into consideration that the firm is able to provide services in the areas that you need. Many court reporting firms advertise that they cover state-wide or nationwide depositions, but are they able to do so even if they  do not have actual physical locations in those towns? Many agencies offer offsite court reporters who can travel and can meet requirements for remote depositions in several locations. 

In order to be successful and to ensure repeat business that will bring in a steady income, many court reporters today choose to become affiliated with one or more court reporting firms, either as an independent contractor or as an employee of one firm. This strategic partnership enables an individual independent court reporter to have access to resources that otherwise he cannot afford and position him to provide clients with more and better services.

The Many Benefits of Using Remote Court Reporting Services

Remote court reporting services are slowly gaining popularity in the legal industry. A few months ago, we heard about a trial court in southern Arizona being the first local courtroom to utilize the new technology in the country. After its test launch proved successful, other courtrooms in cities nationwide are looking into launching their own pilot programs to test the application of remote recording systems in their own judicial system.

Remote court reporting allows stenographers to record court proceedings from an offsite location in real time. Further, the new technology allows everyone who is involved in a deposition, but is a long distance away from the courtroom and cannot attend in person to still participate in court procedures simply by connecting to the Internet using their webcam-equipped computers or mobile devices.

It is a virtually new technology that still has a long way to go, but already offsite reporting services are helping to address many challenges that are facing a growing number of trial courtrooms all around the world. The advantages are many, which includes:

Reduction in travel costs - It extends the reach between attorneys, their clients and the courtroom and allows everyone to participate in remote depositions at the same time even though they are not in the same place, thus significantly cutting down expenses needed for travel.

Improved efficiency - Traveling may require a number of days flying in and out of town to attend a deposition, which can affect everyone’s productivity and efficiency. Attorneys, for instance, would need to spend at the very least three full days out of the office because of travel requirements when this time can be spent more productively reviewing case records. In other instances, maybe a judge would decide at the last minute that the case needs more expert testimony to prove the facts, but gives the attorney just a few days to get it. The witness is willing to testify, but lives hundreds of miles away from the location of the hearing. With remote conferencing technology, the witness can be in the courtroom to give testimony on the very day of the hearing, although not physically and from a distance.

Flexibility - Remote connections are accessible through a variety of devices and can be set up whenever and wherever needed, and can be used from any location worldwide.

Ease of use – Remote setups are convenient and easy to use.  Participants can simply connect to any desktop computer, laptop, or tablet with an internet connection, click a few buttons to log in and may be able to participate in the proceedings.

Security – Remote applications are capable of delivering information through a secure, enterprise-grade cloud deployment. This protects information or data by converting it into code to prevent unauthorized access and allows conferencing to take place even in multiple locations with maximum privacy and safety.

Record keeping – Many teleconferencing facilities are capable of streamlining and recording legal proceedings in real time. These recordings are converted into electronic files which attorneys and judges can access and review at any time even after the deposition has ended its session, allowing them to make better decisions about how to manage court cases.

Using remote court reporting services can be an efficient and economical option for holding and participating in a deposition.Judges, attorneys and witnesses can schedule at their convenience, participate from anywhere there is an Internet connection and also communicate and interact with one another just as if everyone were in the same room.

Different Types of Court Reporting Services

From the courtroom to broadcast television, there are various types of court reporting services that a court reporter can do. Gone are the days when their professional career was just confined to the legal field. Nowadays, their world has moved to a more global workplace with job opportunities from all across the world that are both challenging and very well-paid.

Let’s take a look at some of the services that a court reporter can offer:

Transcription services

Court reporters are hired in court proceedings and in legal depositions to create a word for word record of everything said. When requested, they also take note of the gestures made by the speakers. In the transcription process, everything is first recorded by typing into a stenotype machine. After which, the steno notes are translated into understandable words. Then, proofreading is done to check for any typo errors, paying particular attention to technical terminology and people’s names. Finally, the translated notes are submitted as the final transcript and will become the official record of the proceedings or event.

Transcription services are available not just for the legal community, but can also be made for police statements, witness statements, interviews, 911 calls, voice mail messages, web meetings, etc. Experienced court reporters can convert any file format, such as DVDs, videos, digital recordings, audio files, cassettes, micro-cassettes and even VHS recordings into high quality transcripts.

Broadcast Captioning services

Court reporters can also use their court reporting skills to provide broadcast captioning, also called steno captioning. This is a type of service wherein audio is immediately translated into readable text that can be displayed in any language format in live television programs for viewers who are deaf or hearing-impaired and also for viewers whose first language is different from the language being used. Broadcast captioners can work in local stations, national networks, and cable channels and can caption any types of live broadcast, such as the news, emergency airings, sports events, entertainment programs and other real-time programming. Federal law mandates captioning of live TV programming throughout the Canadian broadcasting system, and so this creates numerous career opportunities for court reporters with these skills.

CART services

CART is a method of converting speech into text. It is very useful for people with disabilities and who require verbal communication to be enhanced with text for them to be able to understand. This method is commonly used in broadcast captioning, but nowadays these services have expanded into many settings, such as classrooms, community events, business meetings, government functions, internet webcasts, corporate training sessions, courtrooms, and conventions and conferences. A common situation these days is hiring CART professionals as personal translators or interpreters, i.e. a deaf or hard-of-hearing client will retain the services of a CART reporter to accompany him to college classes in order to provide instant translation of speech into text by using a stenotype machine that is connected to his laptop computer.  

Webcasting services

Webcasting services allow video, audio and scrolling transcript broadcasts to be done via the internet. This service is particularly useful and cost-efficient when parties involved are spread out across the country or across the globe. You can hold just about any event through a webcast - sales meetings, press conferences, product introductions, and technical training seminars, etc. Remote participants can see words appear on a wide screen or on each computer, they can speak into telephones or microphones, interact through chat messages, and present and view documents, such as financial earnings reports, sales figures, product portfolio, etc.

Videography

Videography has become an essential court reporting service, particularly in litigation for clients who require videotaped depositions. In these types of services, both a court reporter and a legal videographer, also called a Certified Legal Video Specialist, will be present for the deposition that is set on a particular date.

Court reporting services are no longer limited to litigation support. Advanced technology and equipment now enable court reporters to provide many other types of services that were once beyond their scope and qualifications. Whether the client needs accurate court reporters for local or out-of-town depositions, transcription services, or interpreters, they can uniquely tailor their services to meet every need.

The Methods of Court Recording in Whitby

Court recording in Whitby is a highly skilled profession that involves creating word for word transcriptions of recorded speeches, court hearings, sworn proceedings, depositions, conversations, meetings, and other events. The main difference between different types of court reporters is in the method they use for making the record.

There are three common methods use for creating official transcriptions: stenographic reporting, voice writing, and electronic court reporting.

In stenographic reporting, the court reporter makes use of a stenotype machine to record every word that is being said in the courtroom. The stenotype reporter presses several keys on the machine simultaneously to type stenographic shorthand, a standard combinations of letters that represent words, phrases, or sounds. After recording, reporter translates shorthand recordings into readable text form to produce official records of spoken words. Nowadays, shorthand symbols are recorded electronically and instantly translated and displayed as readable text using a software system called Computer Aided Transcription or CAT. In real-time court reporting, the stenotype machine is simply connected to computers and as the reporter types in the shorthand symbols, these are instantaneously converted into plain words that appear on television or monitor screens right away.

In voice writing method, a voice writing reporter records what he hears by speaking directly into a Stenomask, which is a hand-held mask with a built-in microphone. He simply repeats testimony or speech word for word by speaking into the mic, the mask prevents him from being heard and also helps block off any background noise. The voice recording is then converted into readable text document by using speech recognition software.

The method of electronic reporting, also called digital court reporting, uses digital audio equipment or analog tape recorders with multi-channel capabilities to record speech. The electronic reporter simply monitors the functioning of the equipment, notes down identity of the speakers, and listens throughout the proceedings to guarantee accuracy and clarity of the recording. The digital recording is then transcribed into written transcript, and can be done either by the reporter himself if he has acquired special skills in electronic transcription, or another person who is a certified transcriber is called on to do transcription.

Each method of court recording requires different training to develop specific skill sets. It’s important to be clear on the method you wish to use if you are thinking about pursuing a career in this field so you can direct your career growth properly. Although court recording does not require a four year degree, it involves technical training, achieving certification designation and continuing education credits.

Employment opportunities for court recording are projected to grow by 10 percent until 2022. Those who wish to work in industries outside of the legal realm can do so in government agencies, in television programming and in broadcasting as long as they possess additional skill sets for broadcast or real-time captioning, Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART), and/or webcasting services. No doubt, there is a bright future ahead if you wish to make a career out of court recording in Whitby.