Court Reporters, Court Reporting, Stenographers

There are a number of qualities which make for the perfect court reporter.  Professionalism and accuracy are among the most important of these qualities – and should be expected above all else when you hire a reporter to work on trial, deposition or other business matter.  The following represent those things which you should NOT expect from your court reporter.   Bear these qualities in mind the next time to hop online on pick up the phone to contact a court reporting service in your area.

What NOT to expect from a qualified court reporter

Don’t expect them to be late

A good court reporter understands that at a deposition or trial-related proceeding, time is money!  That’s why the best court reporters are always onsite at the pre-agreed time without fail.

Don’t expect them to be slow

Great court reporters are built for speed.  No matter how fast the conversation is, you can count on them to keep up and provide a full transcript of everything that is said.  Professional court reporters practice their craft at the highest speeds so that their ear and hand are trained to maintain a fast pace.

Don’t expect them to make mistakes

The beauty of great court reporting is that it combines elements of speed and accuracy.  Your court reporter is simply not going to make many mistakes in their pursuit of creating the perfect transcript.  Depositions, hearings, business meetings or other important functions will all be captured without a flaw – befitting the document’s place as an official record of the court.

Don’t expect them to just work at a trial

One of the least-known facts about the court reporting industry is that reporters do not spend the majority of their time within the walls of a court house.  Instead, their valuable skills are used to help provide official records of depositions, arbitration hearings and other key legal proceedings outside of the halls of justice.  You are much more likely to find a court reporter in a law office than in front of a judge.

Don’t expect to a great court reporter to be hard to find

In the past, when an attorney or a law firm found a court reporter that they liked working with, they stuck to them like glue because they were so hard to replace.  Now, although the position is still in constant demand, court reporting services have made it easier than ever to find a qualified court reporter.  The great thing about these services is that the candidates are generally pre-screened, meaning that attorneys do not need to worry about the level of expertise of the individual they are bringing on for the job.

Don’t expect to NOT find a court reporter on short notice

The above mentioned court reporting duties are all available on even short notice.  Court reporting services staff a number of reporters in all their targeted areas, which increases the likelihood that they will be available when needed most.  (Note:  some court reporting services attach a small premium on last minute requests.)

For court reporters, plus a WHOLE lot more, visit www.CourtReporterNet.com.   CourtReporterNet.com is the one-stop source for all your Court Reporting, videography and Transcription needs. Powered by innovative technologies, and a professional customer support staff, CourtReporterNet.com is sure to meet your complete satisfaction.  The court reporters of CourtReporterNet.com are currently available in New York, California, Florida, Chicago and other areas throughout the United States.

A deposition is an integral part of most criminal and civil legal cases (but for the purposes of this article we will focus primarily on civil cases).  During a deposition, an attorney will take testimony from a party involved in the case.  This could be one of the litigants in the case, or a witness who is crucial to the case.

Evidence can also be a part of the deposition.  The individual being deposed may bring papers or other documents and evidence with them to the deposition.  The attorney may then ask the individual questions about this evidence – which is also entered into the record during the deposition.

There are two primary purposes for a deposition:

1)      The deposed individual is giving the testimony because it is not required that they appear in court, or they will be unable to appear.

2)      The attorneys are using the deposition as a discovery in order to obtain more information that will be used in their case.  In this instance, the individual may be called to testify during the trial, at which time their live testimony will be checked against the statements they made during the deposition.

Juries and judges are not present during a deposition, but in a small number of cases, judges or other members of the court can be called into to help settle disputes or clarify the rule of law.  The adversarial parties may also attend the deposition in order to gather information about the case or confirm that everything is being handled in proper legal order.

Individuals who appear at a deposition have the right to have an attorney present with them during the proceeding.  The attorney can provide to the individual “on the fly” and lessens the chance that the individual will incriminate themselves during testimony.

The deposition is also an evaluation period for the individual who is being deposed.  Simply put, attorneys may use the opportunity to get to know the individual and determine whether or not they will be suitable to appear before a jury.  Some individuals are combative or speak without clarity – and therefore could damage a case if they were to provide live testimony.

While a deposition is taking place, a court reporter is creating a written record of everything that is being said by both the attorney and the individual who is being deposed.  The court reporter plays an integral role in the deposition.  Accuracy is of the utmost importance since the transcript of the deposition may be entered into the case as evidence during the trial.  Much like court reporting during a trial, the written record of what takes place during a deposition is kept forever and can be referenced at any time by attorneys working on similar cases or appeals.

When a deposition is complete, all involved parties will have a chance to review the transcript.  And although they are given a chance to make corrections and revisions, the written word created by the court reporter generally stands as law.

Veritext is nationwide leader in court reporting and transcription services.  With expert court reporters available throughout the United States, Veritext provides courtrooms and law offices with professional reporting services for a variety of legal proceedings.  Visit www.veritext.com today for more information.