When Karen Morris, a certified court reporter, is asked about her job, she has replied with "It's the only job I know of where you can get sent to jail and still have to work." Not only does her work take place in a court room, but if a reporter doesn't meet his or her filing deadlines, they could be jailed, and would still be required to finish their work.

Morris, a resident of Pampa, Texas, has worked as a court reporter for 30 years, first for the 108th District Court, and for the past five years as a freelancer. She has also served as the president for the Texas Court Reporters Association, and liaison from the association to the Court Reporters Certification Board. 

When Morris began her career, she told the Pampa News that one of the reporters she replaced once took notes by hand. Since then, Morris has moved from working on Stenotype machine that records onto a roll of paper, to her recently acquired $6,000 machine, not including the software, that records onto a flash drive. Considering Morris recorded 8,000 pages for a case earlier this month, having the most up-to-date technology is vital. 

Morris also said that even as she upgrades her machines, she collects tools from all over the world, including a 100-year-old Stenotype machine. 

In a profession where every word is required to be 100 percent precise, having the best technology and certified court reporters can make all the difference. Even for court reporting veterans, like Morris, staying up-to-date on all possible resources can help provide the most accurate transcript. 

The idea has an obvious appeal. Getting a typed transcript and a video record of a deposition without having to pay the wages for two professionals to be present sounds great. In fact, it sounds too good to be true.

Having a single individual attempt to perform both services simultaneously may result in the creation of a record that is incomplete or does not conform to existing professional standards.

The most valuable aspect of having a trained videographer behind the camera is that he or she can monitor the equipment and ensure the recording is running smoothly at all times. The same level of performance simply cannot be guaranteed when one person is charged with controlling the camera while creating a verbatim transcript.

The creation of a complete video record depends on the successful coordination of multiple moving parts and it is critical that all equipment is set up properly at the outset of the interview session. Failure to meet existing standards for legal videography could jeopardize the utility of the record.

The set of standards for video depositions developed by the Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS) Council of the National Court Reporters Association includes 62 specific rules. For example, videographers are required to deploy at least four working microphones at all times during a deposition and ensure that the deponent and any exhibits being presented are in clear view of the camera.

The CLVS standards also stipulate that a "videographer shall continuously monitor the video recording" and the audio output during the deposition. It would be nearly impossible for an individual to follow this rule while creating a verbatim transcript.

For lawyers working on cases in Wisconsin, nothing ensures that a comprehensive record of your depositions will be created like working with both a certified court reporter and a trained legal videographer.

Court reporters have often been referred to as the "guardians of the record." While their role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the federal and state judicial systems is widely known, these professionals also contribute to our collective culture in many ways.

For instance, court reporters are often asked to provide real-time captioning services at major public events, such as the World Series and Super Bowl. Today, the industry is working to help transcribe veterans' oral histories in order to preserve their experiences and accrued wisdom for future generations.

In fact, during 2013, the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its official partnership with the Library of Congress's Veterans' History Project (VPH).  In recognition of the milestone, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), which administers the NCRF, put out a press release on April 25 to encourage broader participation in the program.

According to the organization, more than 2,875 veterans' stories have been transcribed through the VPH so far. However, the NCRF is hoping to get that number up to 3,000 by the end of May in recognition of Memorial Day. To that end, the organization is encouraging registered court reporters to interview any wartime veterans they know and transcribe their stories for inclusion in the VPH archives.

The NCRA has asserted that this type of project offers "a great way to 'do good' while raising the stature of the profession to the general public."

Wisconsin court reporters who are interested in participating in this meaningful project can contact Beth Kilker, the NCRF's oral histories project coordinator, to receive more information.

Registered court reporters can earn professional development credits at no cost through the program, while current students are eligible to receive a free membership in the NCRA.

Certified court reporters have an important job that is highly respected in the legal world. Without realtime court reporting, subtle nuances in witness testimony can be overlooked or small details within a trial can be missed. A strong court transcript is essential to a case's outcome, which is why mentoring programs are often used.

In the April edition of The Journal of Court Reporting, several experts in the field discussed the practice of an experienced court reporter working with less tenured individuals to help them become stronger. 

Susan Kiniry, RMR and chair of the Student Internship School Liaison Committee of the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association, told the news source that mentoring programs are crucial to court reporting.

"It allows the student someone else outside the instructor and their student peers to bond with and learn from," she said. "The mentors can provide students with additional opportunities to observe in the workplace and, as they progress in the program, to attend proceedings and gain real life experience with their skills."

Kiniry added that once students near the end of their program, a mentor can assist – along with the school – in finding possible job opportunities.

According to Lisa Selby-Brood, a court reporter and mentor, it is important for students to have a "cheerleader." She explained that when she was first starting out, there was no one to take her under their wing, answer questions or encourage her to join the state association.

Furthermore, Selby-Brood said that she took a 17-year break to raise children, and then returned to the court reporting field. Even then, she had many questions involving computers, but luckily her boss was able to guide her.

When court reporting mentorship programs are encouraged, the future of the industry is strengthened and courtrooms will continue to have strong, accurate transcripts.

The importance of realtime court reporting cannot be understated. Trial proceedings and depositions need to be properly tracked, and not knowing what was said can be highly detrimental to a case's outcome.

Additionally, when it comes to witness testimony, courts must be diligent in keeping track of what was said. Take for example, one recent Wisconsin court case that was heavily reliant on expert witness testimony.

A former student sued Carthage College in Kenosha for negligence after she was sexually assaulted in her dorm room. Dr. Daniel Kennedy was to testify to the school's security deficiencies. At first, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin excluded his testimony.

However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated the judgment and remanded the case, citing Wisconsin law. The state law says that allegations of negligence require a party to establish a duty of care. Furthermore, an expert witness is to be qualified by "knowledge, skill, experience, training or education."

"Dr. Kennedy's general testimony about the IACLEA security standards is admissible, as is his more specific testimony faulting the lack of a prop alarm on the basement door of Tarble Hall," Judge Diane Sykes wrote in the decision.

Additionally, the appeals court disagreed with the prior decision of Kennedy's testimony being unreliable. Previously, it was decided that he did not follow a reliable methodology in reaching his conclusions, however, the appeals court thought otherwise.

Witness testimony is critical, and can often push a case one way or another. Once a court deems the evidence admissible, it is essential that the information is not misrepresented. With certified Wisconsin court reporters, the testimony will be accurately recorded, without a question of what was said.

Previously, this blog discussed how court reporting was ranked as No. 4 on CareerCast's list of the "20 Great Jobs Without a College Degree." Not only can Milwaukee court reporters earn competitive salaries, they are working in a profession that is respected and admired.

Individuals who have strong attention to detail, thrive in a fast-paced environment and have great communication skills will be able to thrive in a court reporting position. A more recent report from CareerCast also listed this job as the 68th best in the country.

According to the website, the list was based on environment, income, outlook, and stress. With a robust hiring outlook, certified court reporters found themselves keeping pace with other positions that require a four-year college degree.

Rocco LaDuca covers crime and courts at the Observer-Dispatch in Utica, New York. He explained to The Wall Street Journal that he would not be happy doing anything else because people in the community are affected by what he writes.

"I'm not sure I'd be happy in another setting," he said. "I can't think of any job that would be as exciting or as fulfilling as this."

A similar mindset can be taken by Wisconsin court reporters. Even as electronic recording devices are hitting the market, the need for strong individuals cannot be overlooked. Machines can miss important pauses, glances or even quietly spoken words that a real person will not scale over.

By continuously providing realtime court reporting and services that are not possible with electronic reporting, the job market is likely to remain stable, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). On their website, the BLS explained that the number of court reporters is expected to grow through 2018 and that there will continue to be a need for accurate transcriptions of courtroom cases.

Previously on this blog, we've looked into the dire financial straits that many court systems find themselves in, particularly on the state level. One such instance is in California, where court reporting services have seen their budgets slashed amid a host of other monetary restrictions. These moves have created a sizable backlash from those both the public and those in the justice system. However, the realities of the U.S. economy have forced state administrations to make difficult decisions.

Now, though, it appears that the same problem is occurring on the federal level. As a result of the sequester, the government is now moving to make significant cuts across a number of departments, with the federal court system among them, according to a blog post on the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) website. In the coming months, it's expected that there will be significant staffing and resource cuts in order to meet the strict financial demands of the sequester.

"Around the country federal workplaces, including federal courts, have begun to lay off workers or shorten the work week through furloughs, as well as take other steps to work within the new budgets cuts," the NCRA wrote in the blog post. "However, few in the media have yet to note the sequester's effects on the federal judiciary, which has hurt access by the public to the judicial process and to the court system overall."

As a result of these financial restrictions, it is expected that there will be significant delays throughout the court system. With fewer staff, especially realtime court reporters, to go around, it will take longer for the legal system to arrange enough staff to move forward with proceedings.

Even with these cuts, local legal professionals know that no trial or deposition can occur without a Wisconsin court reporter performing the transcription.

Previously on this blog, we discussed the ethics involved in realtime court reporting, specifically dealing with conflicts of interest. However, one of the biggest duties of working in the legal system involves confidentiality, an aspect of the job that groups like the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) take very seriously.

While accuracy and speed of work are usually looked upon as the primary qualities in a court reporter, they mean very little unless the individual treats the case and the official record as confidential information.

"As 'guardians of the record,' NCRA members and the court reporting profession as a whole have traditionally and historically placed the highest value on the accuracy, impartiality, security and confidentiality of the records they are creating," the NCRA says on its website. "While recognizing the need for efficiency and the client's legitimate desire to manage costs, ensuring the confidentiality and security of the information contained in the records that court reporters and health professionals create remains a fundamental and inviolable obligation."

According to the Kramm Court Reporting, those responsible for working a particular hearing or trial must be able to produce a confidential – or "attorneys' eyes only" – copy of the record upon request. This plays a large part in the reporter's role of allowing those in the legal proceedings to look back upon the record. However, they must be able to perform this task without compromising the integrity of the case at hand. In order for the reporter to remain an impartial part of the trial process, he or she must not allow any details to leak out into the hands of unwanted parties. If this were to happen, the eventual decision could be swayed.

The best way to make sure transcripts for local cases stay confidential is to seek out the services of a Milwaukee court reporter.

When it comes to the discussion of realtime court reporting in the context of a legal procedure, there's a stark contract between its importance in the eyes of the public and in the eyes of those within the court system. For example, there are few in the local legal profession who don't have a healthy respect for Wisconsin court reporters. However, in the public sphere, the idea that the court transcript is vital to any court hearing is often overlooked.

This is why many outlets take the time to examine the idea of what a court reporter does and why the profession is so important. The latest such outlet is Sadaka Associates, a law firm that is based out of New York and New Jersey. In a blog piece posted in the website's blog, the firm detailed the specifics of the profession.

"A court reporter acts as an officer of the court," the article says. "While many court reporters record events that take place inside of the courtroom, others record meetings or depositions that occur at an attorney's office or other location outside the courtroom. When a court reporter is present, it reminds the participants that the meeting or deposition is part of the official record in the case and that everyone should behave and respond accordingly."

The article goes on to discuss the importance of a court reporter's role in providing the official record, especially in depositions. When an individual speaks, it's important that his or her statements are recorded before trial proceedings and that each side has an accurate copy of what those statements are. This way, should there be discrepancies at a later hearing, either the prosecution or defense can point out flaws in the testimony.

At first glance, when a Wisconsin court reporter is brought in to work on a local case, it appears to be a very straight-forward procedure: show up to the legal proceeding, transcribe what is said and turn the transcript in as evidence. However, as pointed out by the Wisconsin Court Reporters Association (WCRA), those in the profession must adhere to a strict code of ethics in order to maintain their impartial status in the courtroom.

These regulations pertain mainly to making sure there is no relationship between the court reporter and the particular case or hearing they are working at. One of the main issues, as laid out by the WCRA, is determining whether there is a conflict of interest between the reporter and the case. If the individual performing the transcription has any prior relationship with any parties involved in the case, he or she should operate within the context of full disclosure, lest the official transcript come into question at some point during the proceedings.

Another major concern when it comes to ethics for certified court reporters deals with illegal gifts or benefits. While this covers reporters receiving improper gifts from those trying to sway the official transcript, it also prevents reporters from giving information to those related to the case.

According to the National Court Reports Association code of ethics, all reporters must "refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to attorneys, clients, witnesses, insurance companies or any other persons or entities associated with the litigation, or to the representatives or agents of any of the foregoing." 

To ensure that the transcript of any deposition or trial is accurate, local legal professionals are encouraged to seek out the services of a Wisconsin court reporter.