If you want to stay competitive in court reporting throughout the entire length of your career, you will need to stay current on technology. This has always been the case, but it is true now more than ever.  Technology cannot be ignored in our era and keeping up with the newest technology is a key part of developing your court reporting career.

Since the first American shorthand machine was invented by Miles Bartholomew in 1879, the field of court reporting has been steadily and continuously changing and evolving.  Court reporting and shorthand has always been moving forward and developing.  The changes in technology used by court reporters began to pick up speed as the information age was born.  Today, one of our most valuable assets is our ability to keep up on new technologies.

Thirty years ago, when a new court reporter began working in the field, many court reporters were still writing steno during the day, and reading back all notes into a dictation machine when it was time to transcribe. If that new court reporter had continued to work and never learn new technology as it came along, they would have been out of work years ago.  They would not be able offer the types of services clients now expect, such as e-transcripts, condensed transcripts or streaming video. Court reporters who  began their careers 30 years ago found it necessary to learn how to use a computer. Then they needed to change their theory of writing so that it was compatible with a computer. For many, their writing and use of technology continued to evolve until they could write with realtime translation during a deposition or court proceeding.

This trend in technology growth will continue long into the future. This means to continue to be a top-notch reporter, you will need to stay current on what is new and what is up and coming in the field of technology.  You will continually need to motivate yourself to learn new software and theories.  You will also need to continually purchase new equipment as hardware continues to evolve. 

Because the speed of technology has sped up to such a fast pace, it is difficult to keep up. You are spending your time working, producing transcripts. So much new technology comes out, that you don’t always hear about what’s new.  As part of your career development, you need to implement a plan for staying informed as new technology emerges.

When new technology is introduced, there will be reporters who jump in right away and try it out.  There are others who wait until everyone is using the technology before they will look at it.  If you want to stay competitive, you should push yourself to become an early adopter.  This will keep you in the mindset to watch for new developments. As an early adopter, you will be learning and using technology long before the late adopters.  This can give you a competitive edge. You will become known for your technological savvy by other court reporters, but most especially by your clients.

So how can you stay informed?  Here are a few ways you can stay on top of the newest technology. These strategies are easy to fit into your schedule a few minutes at a time.

Court Reporting Technology Articles

In this information age, there are good articles being written all the time about emerging court reporting technology.   The Journal of Court Reporting, published by the National Court Reporters Association, frequently offers articles on new technologies and how people are using them. Even if you are not a member of NCRA, you can access recent articles on the JCR website.

By searching Google, you will also find many websites and blogs that are continually producing new articles on new hardware and software. Find articles on new technology as it is introduced.  Keep track of new technologies you have heard about and read all you can online about how they are used and how successful they are for other court reporters. 

Online Training Materials

Many software and hardware companies offer free training materials on their websites demonstrating how to use their products.  By accessing this training, which is often free, this allows you to learn about products more quickly. You will more likely use all of the features the product has to offer if you have taken advantage of the online training materials.  These online training materials can be pdf documents, videos and website pages. 

Some examples of companies with online training materials are Stenograph, Cheetah International and Aristocat:

• Stenograph offers online training manuals, training in their software and training from certified training agents around the nation.  In partnership with Prince Institute, a court reporting school owned by Stenograph, more training is offered as professional development training accredited for CEUs through the NCRA. To view more upcoming live and recorded CEU training, go to CEU training for court reporters.
• Cheetah International offers online training on its products at http://www.caption.com/English/training/Online_Education.php
• Aristocat offers training webinars to its users. Some are pre-recorded and can be viewed at any time.  http://www.aristocat.com/Webinars.htm

YouTube

You can find all kinds of good information on YouTube that is fast and easy to consume.  Most vendors have videos that introduce their products.  This gives you the ability to quickly see what is out there and available.  Many vendors also offer video training tutorials that are free for anyone to view.  It is not uncommon to now see videos put out by various organizations that offer interviews of vendors from the latest conventions or trade shows.  These will often give you a quick glimpse of the latest offerings.  If you are not able to attend conventions and trade shows, these videos allow you to still see what is being offered that is new from vendors. 

A couple of examples of organizations using YouTube for information and training are RealLegal and NCRA:

RealLegal offers several litigation support softwares, including transcript management such as e-transcripts, batched and condensed printing.  The following video is of a sales representative who gives a brief explanation of some of those softwares:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRb2WoMGFxw

NCRA offers a series of training how-to videos highlighting several different hardware and software setups from different vendors. These are useful for those who already own these products as well as for those who are thinking of purchasing:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0500127980FB6C67

Newsletters

Look for court reporting technology websites and subscribe to their newsletter.  Find organizations that are devoted to bringing you news on a regular basis. By subscribing to their newsletter from their website, you will receive the latest information directly into your email inbox without having to go looking for it.

Some examples are the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting (STAR) and NCRA’s Tech Wire Blog.

STAR offers thoughtful articles and discussion on issues that are emerging with the latest technologies.  You can download any of the STAR newsletters on their website at http://www.staronline.org/.

The NCRA Tech Wire Blog offers articles that include tips on using various hardware and software, reviews and tutorials of specific softwares.  You will need to be a member of NCRA to sign up for this newsletter at http://www.ncra.org/applications/blog/The-Tech-Wire?navItemNumber=12840

Making a commitment to learning new technologies is an investment into your own career.  If you are unwilling to learn new technology, you will become extinct like the dinosaurs.  But if you’re willing to make the effort to stay informed and learn new things, you will have a long and successful career in court reporting for years to come.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in “Is it Time to Hire a Scopist?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Jones is a court reporter, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Brown & Jones Reporting, Inc. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Brown & Jones Reporting is made up of individual people who happen to be court reporters in the Milwaukee area.  We wanted to let you get to know our court reporters more than you’d learn working with them at a deposition.

This article is an interview with Mary Ring, who has been a court reporter for over 26 years. She has been with Brown & Jones Reporting for over 25 years.

How long have you been a court reporter?  26 1/2 years

How long have you been with Brown & Jones Reporting?  25 1/2 years

What do you like most about working with Brown & Jones Reporting?

The family atmosphere, our dedication to professionalism, and our cutting-edge technologies.

Before becoming a court reporter, have you ever worked in other jobs or fields? If so, what did you do?

I was a hairdresser.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in the Netherlands, came to America at the age of 6 1/2, and grew up in Antioch, Illinois.

What changes have you seen in the industry since you became a court reporter?

Wow, so many. When I started, I used a manual machine that typed on paper tape. I would dictate my notes onto a cassette tape and deliver those tapes to a typist who lived 30 minutes away. As you can imagine, it could take several weeks before I received the typed transcript from the typist.

In those days we used carbon paper, so if the typist made a mistake, I would have to erase the mistake, line up the paper on my typewriter as close to the proper position as possible and hope it looked presentable. I had to do this for each error on each page times the number of transcripts ordered. I LOVE SPELL CHECK.

What is the best part of being a court reporter?

The people I work with. On the top of my list are all the people that make up the “team” of Brown & Jones. Not only are they consummate professionals, but each and every one of them is a good person, and they all have enriched my life.

I also have to add that I love the job I do. I meet so many great people every day, and what I do for them is very, very important. That is why every job gets my fullest attention.

What is the most challenging part of being a court reporter?

For me it is fast-talking, overlapping speakers. You really have to concentrate at times like that. I prefer to be like a fly on the wall during depositions, not interrupting the proceedings, but sometimes you have no choice. After all, we are the guardians of the record.

As a court reporter, what is your biggest fear?

If you had asked me that 26 years ago, I would probably have said not being able to read back a question and looking incompetent in front of a client. In this day and age, I have some reservations about sharing my realtime with others, even though I do it for myself every day.

What has been your most challenging deposition?

There have been several, from difficult medical/technical testimony of experts whose native language is not English, to a defendant who was under the influence of PCP attacking the court commissioner and sheriff’s deputy, and me trying to still take down every word that was screamed by all…….because, after all, we were still on the record.

Have you ever had funny things happen to you in a deposition?

Yes, too numerous to mention. But one that sticks out in my mind, several years ago an elderly gentleman was given the ground rules of how a deposition is conducted. When the attorney explained to him that two people cannot talk at the same time because the court reporter can’t take that down, he said, “Well, why don’t you get yourself a new girl?”

Do you have any tips about work/life balance?

Life is very stressful, and being a court reporter can at times be more stressful than other jobs. Take time for yourself. There is always someone who wants things yesterday, which is impossible, always someone you can’t please. Put it in perspective.

What else would you like us to know about you?

I am all about family. I have been married for 43 years to the most wonderful man I know. We have two wonderful children who have blessed us with three precious grandchildren (in the pictures below). Being a grandmother equals pure joy. It’s worth waiting for.

We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Mary Ring better. Look for future interview articles with other Brown & Jones court reporters. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if Mary’s answers brought up any memories or ideas in your mind about court reporting.

The Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification offered by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is designed to test a court reporter’s basic skills and knowledge of the court reporting profession.  Receiving the RPR certification gives you credibility in the legal industry because it is widely recognized by attorneys, legal professionals and court reporters as a high-quality certification.  Taking and passing the RPR exam can be good for your career in many ways.

Is the RPR certification helpful if I am already a working reporter?

Most court reporters who acquire an RPR certification have been working in the field for some time.  Some states require a state license to work as a court reporter and some do not.  If your state does not require a license, holding an RPR certification allows you to receive instant credibility with attorneys and other court reporters.  Holding an RPR certification confirms that you possess the technical skills and specialized knowledge of a court reporter.

If your state does have a state license requirement, this means you have passed the testing required by your state to demonstrate competence.  But each state has different requirements.  Holding an RPR certification signifies to attorneys and paralegals that you hold the same high standard of skill and knowledge as do other Registered Professional Reporters.

How do I receive RPR certification?

The Registered Professional Reporter testing is made up of two parts; technical skill and written knowledge test.  The written test consists of questions that demonstrate your knowledge of technology, reporting practices and professional practices.

The skills portion of testing is made up of speed tests in Literary at 180 words per minute (wmp), Jury Charge at 200 wmp, and Testimony at 225 wpm. After dictation, you have 75 minutes to transcribe your notes from each leg.

More information on the RPR certification process can be found at the NCRA website.

What do I need to do to keep RPR certification?

All Registered Professional Reporters are required to earn continuing education credits (CEU).  The National Court Reporters Association uses CEU credits to ensure that RPR recipients uphold a high level of skill and knowledge in a lot of different areas.  This requirement will motivate you, as an RPR, to keep learning and increasing your knowledge and skills throughout your entire career.

There are many ways to earn CEU credits.  The different types of CEU credits allows flexibility for each RPR to receive credits in the manner that best suits their learning style and time schedule.  Here are just a few ways to earn CEU credits:

• College courses
• Webinars
• Teleseminars
• Vendor software training

NCRA also offers CEU credits for services performed that benefit the profession, such as:

• Providing pro bono services
• Serving as a board member of NCRA boards and committees
• Oral history transcription
• Participating in the mentoring program

Not only does earning CEU credits allow you to continue to hold your RPR certification, but the education and experiences received through each activity will help you develop as a professional court reporter.  Holding an RPR certification demonstrates your commitment and dedication to your profession.

If you found this article interesting, you might also like “Is It Time to Hire a Scopist?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Kay is a Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Brown & Jones Reporting, Inc. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Brown & Jones Reporting is made up of individual people who happen to be court reporters in the Milwaukee area.  We wanted to let you get to know our court reporters more than you’d learn working with them at a deposition.

This article is an interview with Anne Jacobs, who is starting her 7th year as a court reporter. She has been with Brown & Jones Reporting for over 2 years.

How long have you been a court reporter?  Starting my seventh year

How long have you been with Brown & Jones Reporting?  Just had my two-year anniversary!

What do you like most about working with Brown & Jones Reporting?

I enjoy the help and support I get from fellow coworkers when you have a work-related problem or question.

Before becoming a court reporter, have you ever worked in other jobs or fields? If so, what did you do?

I was at Menards for 12 years, starting as a cashier and working my way up into management.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in St. Cloud, MN until I moved to Eau Claire, WI in 2000.

What changes have you seen in the industry since you became a court reporter?

I feel as though customer service, providing the attorneys what they need/request, is ever more important as the work isn’t always aplenty as it used to be sometimes in years past.  Don’t take any of it for granted.

What is the best part of being a court reporter?

Having a somewhat open schedule and providing a service to the legal system.  I love being able to work at home some days, and I love that what I’m doing makes a difference.

What is the most challenging part of being a court reporter?

Deadlines sometimes when it’s untimely with events in your personal life, but it usually seems to work out okay.  And difficult witnesses…

As a court reporter, what is your biggest fear?

Finding myself in a deposition that is way over my head.

What has been your most challenging deposition?

Taking a witness via teleconference from Italy and trying to understand his deep accent regarding paint compounds, but the attorneys were very helpful sliding me notes of words when I gave them the “I didn’t understand that” look. 

Have you ever had funny things happen to you in a deposition?

I once found myself in a job where I had to work in a few cow trailers at different farms (case involved defective parts on the trailer resulting in an injury to someone) in the dead of winter, freezing cold, and the trailer was covered in blood and let’s just say undesirables from the animals.  Luckily I was told in advance, and we all showed up in old tennis shoes and jeans.

Do you have any tips about work/life balance?

Have a hobby(ies) you enjoy or an outlet, such as the gym/working out, and spend time with family and friends to offset the stress we as court reporters endure.  It seems to make work more enjoyable knowing I can do both.  I still love my job and enjoy and appreciate my time with friends and family more.

What else would you like us to know about you?

My husband and I just had our first child, a girl named Emily Grace Jacobs, and we couldn’t be happier to start our little family!

We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Anne Jacobs better. Look for future interview articles with other Brown & Jones court reporters. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if Anne’s answers brought up any memories or ideas in your mind about court reporting.

Every court reporter knows that the workload in the legal industry ebbs and flows. Some months you are easily able to finish transcripts on time, maybe even earlier than the deadline.  Other months you are pulling your hair out with too many pages to finish and not enough time.  How will you produce all those pages during the busy cycle?  One way to alleviate the stress when the pace is frantic is to hire a scopist to help edit your transcripts.

If you have never worked with a scopist, you may be reluctant to give up control of any part of your transcribing process.  You may also not want to share revenue. But the fact remains, if you have too much work and not enough time, something has to give.  A scopist can perform the initial edit of a transcript, allowing you to breeze through your editing much faster, using your time to perform the most important parts of the transcription process.

The Transcription Process

Even if you are a clean writer, working with a scopist will help you produce more pages.  It is true, you will need to be ready to give up control of part of the transcription process. That doesn’t mean you will be sacrificing quality over quantity.  The quality of your transcripts is still in your hands. Your scopist will perform an initial edit and work on the areas that are easy to edit. This is not a crucial step that needs to be performed by you.  The later stages of transcription will still be in your control. The final transcript will not go out before you have finished editing and proofreading the transcript. 

When time is scarce, you need to spend your time on the most important tasks that must be performed by you.  Outsourcing the initial editing to a scopist will allow you to keep control of the process, turn out an excellent transcript, and allow you to produce more pages with less time spent by you.

Sharing Revenue

It is true you will need to pay your scopist a portion of the revenue that you are collecting for transcripts.  However, a scopist does not become an added expense. Instead, the expense of hiring a scopist is an investment that allows you to bring in even more revenue.  While you will be sharing revenue with your scopist, you will also be bringing in more revenue from the increased number of pages you will be able to produce. This increase in revenue will cover the amount you will be paying a scopist.  How much more would you be able to make in income if you were able to accept more work assignments?  In most cases, the increase in revenue will more than cover the expense of the scopist, allowing you to boost the amount of revenue you are able to keep as income.

Good Business

If you are a freelance court reporter, you are a small business.  Every good business knows how to increase production when demand is high.  Outsourcing part of the transcription process is a good way to scale your business when there is more demand for your services.  Your clients are relying on you to be able to handle an increase in work flow.  Hiring a scopist allows you to scale production while still retaining the quality of your product.

Fast Deadlines

Another good reason to hire a scopist is when you have an expedited transcript order.  If you have a relationship with a good scopist, your stress level will decrease tremendously when you get that call asking for yesterday’s all-day deposition transcript within 24 hours.  Rather than panic, you will be able to contact your scopist to make sure she or he is available to work on your project immediately.  Your scopist can begin working on pages, and sending them to you a few at a time so you can work on the final edit and proofreading. That time savings can mean a world of difference when you get that call for an expedited transcript.

If you are considering hiring a scopist, you will want to be sure that it is a smart decision.  Are you struggling with deadlines?  Do you wish you could accept more work assignments?  If the answer to one of those questions is yes, then it might be time to outsource part of the transcription process by hiring a scopist.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like “Increasing Your List of Steno Briefs May Improve Your Writing.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Jones is a court reporter, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Brown & Jones Reporting, Inc. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.