Retirement! We all know that the time will come when we all look forward to our retirement, but suddenly as retirement approaches we have the opportunity to reflect on the career that we chose, the people we have met, and the challenges that we have had.  That became a reality for me in September 2013.

When I look back on a 40-year career in court reporting I think about the changes in our profession that were never imagined in 1972 when I graduated from Kenosha Technical Institute (KTI) – realtime, streaming, broadcast captioning, captioning for students at colleges and universities, and even church services – and how fast reporters had to embrace technology whether we wanted to or not.

Change was something that was discussed by my instructor, Mr. Stein, and that change was the new technology of electronic recording in courtrooms and that there would eventually be no need for court reporters.  As a 21-year old student I remember thinking why am I studying and paying tuition for a profession that will be obsolete as I am about to graduate.

During my 40-year career I have worked as a reporter for a federal law enforcement agency, as a per diem reporter at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, and in 1976 I became a freelance reporter, first with Bonk Reporting, and since May of 1988 with Brown & Jones Reporting.

A highlight of my 25-year career with Brown & Jones is that I  had the opportunity to travel to many cities throughout the United States for depositions, and a dream assignment – 12 days in Milan, Italy.

I have had enormous opportunities to report both in court, Grand Jury proceedings, arbitrations, municipal hearings, and in depositions, many interesting cases, and have had the opportunity through those cases to meet the best and brightest lawyers not only in the State of Wisconsin, but lawyers throughout the United States that came to Milwaukee for depositions, and also experts in many disciplines: medicine, engineering, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, business, that have authored textbooks or chapters of textbooks that are recognized throughout the country.

What I really loved about  freelance reporting was the fact that when you went to a law firm, doctor’s office, a business, every day was a different, unique set of circumstances from the witnesses that were deposed in personal injury cases, product liability cases, business deals that went bad, divorce, and the events that led up to their particular situation.  Sometimes I found it extremely uncomfortable to listen to such intimately personal details.

As I look back over the last 40 years I am just astonished as I think about the change in technology that I have experienced first-hand.  The advent of computers to prepare transcripts was a huge change, because no one knew anything about computers, and this was the first leap into technology – observing first-hand the evolution of computers and what they could do – from the large Stenograph Cimarron system, to Premier Power, to Case Catalyst, and especially the advent of the ability to synchronize the audio of proceedings to the text on the screen. 

The most dramatic change was to a reporter’s fundamental piece of equipment – the writer – first with the electric writer with a cassette inserted, to the Smart Writer, the Elan Mira writers, and currently the Diamante writer with built-in WiFi and AudioSync, and even Brief-It to provide suggested brief forms.

The Internet has had an enormous effect on the court reporting profession with the ability to offer to the legal community interactive realtime access to testimony through an Internet connection or a court reporter’s private network wirelessly to clients in the room and around the world, and an iPad app that provides attorneys and judges instant viewing of realtime deposition and trial transcripts on an iPad.”

Looking back on 40 years of reporting, back in 1972, Mr. Stein was correct.  The future of electronic recording has become a reality in many courtrooms, unfortunately, but I wish he were alive to see what change has produced in the court reporting profession that not even he could have imagined.

I am adjusting to retirement very well.  Time to spend with my elderly parents, spoiling my nephews Jimmy and Michael, and traveling with my husband Neil.  We hit the slopes in Utah in January, in March driving to Florida and making various stops along the way before beginning our Caribbean cruise; and on our return, driving along the east coast of the U.S., visiting Neil’s sisters in Lexington, Kentucky, before heading back to Wisconsin.

I will be thinking of my co-workers at Brown & Jones, as I enjoy my retirement!

Linda J. Saari

RPR/RMR

Brown & Jones Reporting, Inc. (Retired)

Every court reporter begins as a student, learning steno theory, and eventually putting steno notes through computer aided software to see what translates.  At first, with a very small dictionary, very little steno will translate.  That means a new court reporter will spend hours editing and changing the untranslated steno to English to create a finished transcript.  Every year, a court reporter adds to the court reporting dictionary, making it better and better.  The goal is to create a dictionary that will translate most of what is written.  This means a court reporter will spend less time editing, will produce pages faster, and will make more money in less time.

Perfecting the court reporting dictionary is not just for new reporters.  Working on your dictionary is one way you can continue to develop as a court reporter and get better and better at what you do.  But what does it take to perfect a court reporter’s dictionary?  The answer can be different for every court reporter.

Dictionary Building for the New Court Reporter

For a new court reporter, adding words to the dictionary, particularly legal terms, is a great place to start.  Find a legal dictionary reference book or website, sit down with your steno machine, and begin writing terminology.  Once you’ve written a list of words, begin defining and adding the terms to your dictionary.

Dictionary Building for the Experienced Court Reporter

If you are a reporter who has been writing for several years, it is likely that your writing theory has changed from the time when you first became a court reporter. In fact, your writing might have changed drastically. If that is the case, then you probably have a gigantic dictionary with words defined several different ways that are compatible with your old style of writing and your new theory.  If you find your CAT system mistranslating terms often, you may want to begin sifting through your dictionary.  Some court reporters begin by eliminating long phrasing that are defined in the old theory. It is true that combing through a very large dictionary is time consuming; however, this is a task that can be done a few minutes at a time.  When you have down time before a deposition or a few minutes at the end of your work day, open up your dictionary and continue eliminating unnecessary definitions.

We should note that some court reporters never eliminate entries as long as they are not mistranslating. Instead, they focus on regularly reviewing the current theory they are writing and adding words that are not yet in the dictionary.  Some court reporting software allows you to sort your dictionary by the date an entry was last used.  Thus, you can look at all of your entries that you have not used for years, and decide whether to delete them.

Specialized Dictionary Building

If you are beginning to work on depositions with specialized language, such as medical depositions or technical depositions, you can often find a specialized dictionary or a number of terminology lists online.  Adding this specialized language will help you breeze through the next time you have medical or technical testimony.  You will be glad you spent the time to define new words and add them to your dictionary.

Dictionary Building with a Partner

If you’re not sure where you want to start with dictionary work, you might consider asking a court reporting friend to review your raw steno notes and make suggestions on ways of writing that you have not considered.  You can do the same in return for your partner.  You may be surprised to hear some simple suggestions that you’re not familiar with that can help you improve your writing and your translation rate. 

These are just a few strategies for building your dictionary. How you decide to tackle your dictionary work is up to you.  Try different strategies and decide which work for you.  The most important thing to remember is that you are working to increase your translation rate so that you can write more cleanly.  This higher translation is the key to becoming faster at transcribing which will allow you to produce more pages and make more money.  The time you spend on your dictionary, in the long run, can pay off over and over in the years to come.

If you found this article interesting, you may also like “Resources for Keeping Up with the Latest Court Reporting Technologies.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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+.

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 Jessie Waack, who has been a court reporter for 17 years. She has been with Brown & Jones Reporting for over 15 years.

How long have you been a court reporter?  17 years

How long have you been with Brown & Jones Reporting?  15 years

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

I love the people I get to work with.  Everyone has a lot to offer the company in addition to what we do for each other.  Whenever someone has something come up, the rest of the reporters are willing to jump in and help out where they can.  It is really a family atmosphere.

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

I was fortunate to have gone from high school straight into court reporting school.  I wanted to take a “gap year” before going to college.  Let’s just say my mother was NOT going to allow THAT to happen.  Needless to say, I didn’t see the outside of a classroom until I was 21 years old.

Where did you grow up?

I have lived my entire life in Wisconsin.  I grew up in a small town called Reedsville in the middle of nowhere.  I still have some great friends who live there.  Whenever I go back home, I love to catch up with them.

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

I started reporting with an old manual steno machine.  I mean OLD manual machine.  I had a can of oil that looked like the one I use on my bike.  I also had to learn WordPerfect in college so I could type up transcripts.

What is the best part of being a court reporter?

I love being a jack of all trades.  I always know something I can insert into any conversation.  Another asset is the freedom my schedule offers.  I can do my shopping during the day and not wait in lines.  It’s a HUGE time saver.

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

They don’t let me talk all day.  By the time I meet up with someone at the end of the day, my mouth is going non-stop – a lot like those chattering wind-up teeth.

What has been your most challenging deposition?

Living in the city, I enjoy walking around during snowstorms.  I got a phone call to cover a deposition another firm was unable to cover.  Instead of taking the time to go home, I picked up an older backup machine at my office and went straight to the deposition.  I was using an steno that used floppy disks.  I had no computer, no realtime feed, NOTHING!  I didn’t even know if it was writing to the floppy disk.  I was prepared to type everything from the paper notes.  Two people were in the room – the other SIXTEEN were appearing by phone.  It was a half-day deposition of an expert on boiler valves.  I hadn’t read back from my notes since college – but I did it!!

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

Let’s just say I have been mooned twice and another gentleman offered to share his prostate scar.  I still don’t know what the prostate scar had to do with his car accident.

Do you have any tips about work/life balance?

Get up every morning as if you are going to work.  The mindset has you prepared to work all day and ready to take any last-minute deposition.

What else would you like us to know about you?

Traveling is my passion.  I have covered 64 countries in seven years.  I will be heading for the second base camp of Everest in April 2014, and then 2015 will be spent on Mount McKinley, dog-sledding the northern boundary waters of Canada up to the Arctic to ice climb in Greenland.  I figure once I have those things knocked out, I am going to look into these vacations I have heard of where there are umbrellas in coconut shells.

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

Writing clean is a good goal for court reporters.  When you are a student and increasing your speeds, you may not always be able to write cleanly.  As a reporter, when the speed in the deposition or courtroom increases, clean writing is much more difficult to sustain.  Once you are no longer a new reporter, you have time to concentrate on writing theory once again.  This is a good time to begin adding to your brief forms.  Developing your own strokes for common phrases decreases the number of strokes you are writing, and slows down the pace of strokes.  This allows you to be more deliberate in your writing and begin seeing less areas you need to edit when you begin transcription.

Here are some resources you may want to take advantage of if you are working on your writing and brief forms:

NCRA Database and Tips

If you decide this is the area of proficiency you want to work on, you don’t have to go it alone. The National Court Reporters Association offers a database of briefs contributed by working court reporters.  This database is a treasure trove of good briefs organized by categories such as numbers, prefixes, punctuation and more.  Anyone can use this NCRA Database to gather new brief forms.

NCRA also provides the following tips for learning and using briefs: 

• Do not use briefs if they do not fit within your theory or they will cause conflicts.
• Test a new brief against your dictionary. If it conflicts, don’t use it.
• Practice writing the brief or phrase many times before implementing it.
• Put the new outlines in a job dictionary until you’re sure you want to use them forever. Then put them in your personal dictionary.
• Having a brief for a term does not mean you’ll understand the term when it is said, remember the outline to write it without hesitation, or write it without fingering errors.
• Use a brief when the word/phrase is frequent or you frequently misstroke it.
• Don’t use a brief that creates fingering errors.

Briefs Dictionary

If you’re looking for a dictionary of brief forms, you may want to pick up a copy of Laurie Boucke’s book, “Brief Encounters:  A Dictionary of Court Reporting.” The publisher, White-Boucke Publishing describes this reference book as follows:

“A professional dictionary of approximately 64,000 conflict-free, mainly one-stroke briefs and phrases for realtime writing. It is an invaluable tool for reporters and students. The briefs are compatible with common writing theories and are easy to remember. The dictionary contains general vocabulary, as opposed to specialized terminology. It includes irregular verbs, the principal parts of all verb entries, arbitraries, punctuation, homonyms, special characters and more.”

Court Reporters Who Share

The internet has given court reporters a platform on which to share ideas. Some reporters share brief forms and tips on writing speed and practice. Here are just a few places you can find briefs from court reporters:

• Court reporter, Robin Qualy, lists briefs on her Twitter page.  It’s been a while since Robin has added to her list, but you can still find dozens and dozens of good briefs in her Twitter stream.  Find Robin on Twitter @RobinQualyCSR.
• Elsie Villega, a court reporting student, has her own website, “I love Steno”, where she lists new briefs she is learning and using.  There may be some here that might work for you too.
• Court Reporter Keith Vincent from Texas offers a PDF file filled with hundreds of short ways of writing words in steno. His list is made up of shortcuts contributed by him and other court reporters.   Keith says on his website, “I think this is an area where steno writers can help each other. So I’m creating a “Steno Tips” section of this website.”  The PDF is free to download.

Making a concerted effort to add to your list of common brief forms you use will lead to cleaner writing for you in the future.  Clean writing can make your life so much easier when reading back and transcribing.  The time you spend practicing and adding brief forms to your steno vocabulary now will pay large dividends into the future.

If you found this article interesting, you might also like “4 Excellent Online Grammar Resources for Legal Professionals.”

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 Sheila Finnegan-Martinez, who has been a court reporter for 7 years. She has been with Brown & Jones Reporting for over 2 years.

How long have you been a court reporter?

I am in my seventh year of court reporting. 

How long have you been with your current firm?

A little over two years.

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

The fabulous management, great/hilarious coworkers, traveling and meeting new people, and flexibility in scheduling.

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

Yes. I became interested in court reporting after working for five years with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Madison, Wisconsin. When I learned about the court reporting/closed captioning program, I thought – BINGO – and knew this is where my journey would really begin. 

Where did you grow up?

Though I am a proud “California Navy Baby,” I grew up primarily in Central Wisconsin. 

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

The intense need for obtaining your Realtime certification, which I am striving for. I was so close last time!

What is the best part of being a court reporter?

Always learning something new!  Through hearing the testimony of many witnesses, I now know how to lay carpet properly, what the right pitch a roof needs to be for Wisconsin weather, and how to best scrub a tub!

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

Trusting your GPS to get you where you need to be! 

As a court reporter, what is your biggest fear?

Equipment malfunction and attorneys who put their beverages a little too close to me. 

What has been your most challenging deposition?

Taking my first medical deposition of a very fast-speaking chiropractor!  Oh, and pulmonary radiologists are always a treat to work with, as well! 

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

YES!  It happens to me so often that I ought to write a book about it!  On a lunch break, years ago, I grabbed soup and a sandwich at a local deli.  The deposition resumed, then ended, and I got in my car, looked in the mirror, and saw that I had tomato bisque soup all over my cheek!  Why no one told me is still baffling… 

Do you have any tips about work/life balance?

RELAX!  Everyone is human, and taking time out for YOU is crucial – something I think we sometimes forget. 

What else would you like us to know about you?

I’m pretty good at nunchuks.

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