On-Staff Court Reporters Make a Difference in Your Clients’ Testimony

In times of economic crisis, it’s easy to get caught up in a cost-cutting mindset. Your firm already has so much overhead that you need to curb spending wherever you can, so you naturally wonder if outsourcing your court reporting will do your business any harm.

Although some firms successfully outsource their court reporting, you should know that the process is a crapshoot. If you choose the wrong court reporting firm, the transcripts could contain errors that affect the interpretation of your client’s testimony.

Here are a few benefits to having an on-site court reporter as part of your court deposition services:

  • Vetting their experience in person. Reporters not only need to have excellent listening and grammar skills, they should also be familiar with the specific types of cases you take. It saves a lot of time if the court reporter is familiar with specific medical and legal terminology as well as common court procedures.
  • Retaining the same reporter. Some depositions can stretch for days, and familiarizing a new court reporter with the details of the case each day adds time you don’t have. Reputable businesses can make arrange for you to retain your reporter for the length of each client’s deposition.
  • It saves money. If you don’t know who you’re dealing with, it is often more difficult to get what you want. If a transcript comes back to you with spelling errors, omissions, or repeated blocks of garbled or unintelligible text, you will have to pay for replacement out of your own pocket.

If you want your clients to respect and refer you, you cannot give them any reason to think your services are below par.

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How should court reporters handle transcribing technical terms, lawyer language, or other industry jargon?

It’s common for court reporters to have difficulty transcribing unfamiliar acronyms and case-specific technical language. After all, there are shorthand techniques and code words in nearly every industry—and you can’t possible be expected to know them all. So what should you do when an attorney breezes through a string of complicated legal phrasing without skipping a beat, and it’s up to you to accurately record everything he’s saying?

Here are a few dos and don’ts to remember about recording medical and legal jargon:

  • Don’t guess! Never assume you have used the correct technical terms being used. There’s a big difference between abductor and adductor, fictitious and factitious, hypernatremia and hyponatremia—even transition and translation.
  • Get hard copies. Always get a copy of the documents used in court proceedings. Not only will this help clear up terminology confusion, learning the lingo will be a big help in the future when you take similar cases.
  • Build up your library. There are numerous journals and subscriptions to help court reporters build their technical vocabularies. For example, the Journal of Court Reporting regularly provides a section of new technical terms and commonly-used acronyms across various fields.
  • Don’t rely on pronunciation. There are many different ways to pronounce a given word—and anyone present can pronounce the same word differently.

A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

The best way to prepare for the terms used in your case is to ask for an index of terms at the beginning of your involvement (either from a deposing attorney or before court proceedings begin). Many attorneys will ask for a court reporter with particular expertise in their type of case, but if even if they have, asking for terminology shows initiative and dedication to an accurate record.

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Can I use a medical transcriptionist to transcribe legal documents?

If you are arguing a medical malpractice or severe injury case, you may be tempted to use a medical transcriptionist to turn your recorded depositions into written testimony. After all, these transcriptionists are responsible for creating paper copies of operating room reports, test results, discharge summaries, and even coding and billing services, making them invaluable to a case where any health care elements are concerned.

Here are a few benefits to using a medical transcriptionist to transcribe your case documents:

  • Privacy. Many medical transcription service owners (MTSOs) require transcriptionists to sign a confidentiality statements, ensuring that privacy violations carry appropriate penalties. Transcriptionists are required to protect private information both on the clock and off, and are forbidden from discussing protected documents.
  • Speed. In the age of electronic health records, hospitals employ medical transcriptionists to update patient records quickly, providing many exam and test results within hours after they have been performed.
  • Terminology. Medical transcriptionists are likely to be familiar with medical terminology and abbreviations, avoiding grievous errors in the record (such as confusing epidemiology with episiotomy).

However, there may be drawbacks to using medical transcriptionists, depending on the content and progress of your case. One of the biggest issues is that a transcriptionist cannot swear in an affidavit to the accuracy of a document, so you may have to employ the services of a notary or court reporter for this extra step. Also, in order for a transcript is to be submitted as an exhibit, it must be transcribed in the appropriate legal format—something many medical transcriptionists have never done.

Your Choice of Transcriptionist Can Affect Admission of Your Testimony

At Casamo & Associates, we use only court reporters to transcribe depositions and testimonies, ensuring that your case will proceed smoothly and without preventable interruptions. Use our online schedule form to request our services, and we will call your office to confirm within the hour.

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Using the Same D.C. Court Reporter for Hearing and Trial

Differences in Court Reporting for Hearings vs. Trials in D.C.

When you’re running your own small firm, you know how important it is to keep costs low. You usually don’t have a problem outsourcing your court transcription, but you’ve got a couple of big cases coming in that require extra effort— especially if they go to trial. Should you rely on recorded testimony, or should you hire your own court reporter for live transcription?

Benefits of Court Reporters in Hearings

If you do not choose your own court reporter for a hearing, you may be able to obtain one from the court roster. However, reporters usually rotate and which one you get depends on the court calendar. This is only if the court has on-staff reporters; many smaller courts are moving toward digital recording services only for hearings. If you have hired your own reporter, you can set up real-time transcription so there is no delay in receiving a written copy of the hearing. If there is no reporter or you rely on the court, you will have to request a transcript after the hearing (which may not be available for several days) and pay the per-page cost.

Benefits of Court Reporters in Trials

Most courts still require a live court reporter for trials. There is often more than one reporter assigned to a particular courtroom, meaning that the reporter may change throughout the many sessions of your trial. In addition, not all court reporters are suited to every type of trial. If your trial requires extensive discussion of patents, business law, or any other complex subject matter, he or she may make errors in the transcription that cause delays. Hiring your own court reporter will not only give you a faster turnaround time for transcripts, but you can also request a reporter who has knowledge of your particular case and retain the reporter for each court session. You may also ask if your trial court reporter knows how to produce an appeal transcript if the case is unsuccessful.

Many attorneys who prefer to videotape their clients’ depositions have trouble making the switch to live stenographers. While there is nothing wrong with recording depositions and sending them out for transcription, there are enormous benefits to having your own court reporter present at a hearing and during trial proceedings. Both you and your client have a lot riding on the outcome of the case, and real-time transcription can make the difference between many future referrals and the loss of a settlement.

Do you need a court reporter for an upcoming hearing in Washington, D.C.? Visit our online scheduler page to give us a brief description of your needs and we will contact you with a list of options within the hour.

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Choose Wisely: Discover If a Court Reporter Is Right for You

Look Past Basic Skills When Choosing the Right Court Reporter for Your Firm

When you’re staring at a list of potential court reporting firms, it can be tempting to make a decision based on a single factor. Maybe one is closest to your office, or has the cheapest page rates, offering you a simple way to make a tough decision.

However, simpler is not always better. Too many attorneys see choosing a court reporter as an a la carte solution rather than a permanent position. If you approach the choice as a hiring decision for a prospective employee, you will likely find a service that you can depend on throughout the life of your firm.

The first step in choosing a court reporter is evaluating his or her technical abilities.

A Good Court Reporter Should Have These Fundamental Skills:

  • Minimum typing speed of 200 wpm
  • State certification
  • Excellent editing and proofreading skills
  • Good organization and research ability
  • Concentration and listening skills
  • Computer proficiency
  • Ability to speak clearly

After you have assessed the basic requirements of your court reporter, you should think about which person would suit your specific needs. This depends on the right mix of professionalism and on-the-job training, and each candidate will vary based on his or her experience. For example, you probably wouldn’t immediately hire a court reporter for a multi-district litigation case if his only experience was taking divorce depositions.

Consider the Following Attributes of Your Prospective Court Reporter:

  • Experience in the types of cases you prefer
  • Professional, respectful attitude
  • Discretion and impartiality to the facts of the case
  • Flexibility (in case the deposition runs long or needs to be rescheduled)

Finally, your choice “on paper” will have to hold up in person. The best choice will have a good mix of technical skills, professionalism, and positive personality traits. If your reporter’s attitude, punctuality, demeanor, or reliability have become a problem, you shouldn’t hesitate to make a change.

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Four Questions You Must Always Ask a Potential Court Reporting Company

Finding a Good Court Reporting Company Serving Virginia and Washington, D.C. Can Be Tricky, But Not Impossible

You’ve outsourced your court reporting for a while now, with mixed results. You think it might be worth it to deal with someone local to the Washington, D.C. metro region, but you don’t want to pay outrageous prices. So how can you find a court reporting company that you can rely on?

When vetting prospective court reporting firms, be sure to ask them…

  1. What kind of experience do you have? Independent court reporters have to provide references, so why would you expect less from a court reporting company? Find out whether the company you’re evaluating can provide references from other attorneys who deal in similar case law. Don’t be afraid to ask about each court reporter’s abilities, experience, and any certifications they may hold. Positive reviews from other attorneys and glowing testimonials are also a bonus. Make some calls and do your homework before signing a contract; it’s better to find someone you can rely on again than settle for shoddy, one-time service.
  2. What services do you offer? Some firms believe that an audio recording is sufficient to accurately portray a client’s position in court, and that can be true. But if you are adamant that your clients should have access to video depositions, stick to your guns. Does this firm have access to recording services? Will it provide a quiet location for taking depositions? Which transcription formats does it use, and how quickly can it provide you with a copy?
  3. What areas do you serve? The best option is to find a court reporting service that has a hosting space or multiple office locations. If your chosen firm does not host depositions, you will have to find out which geographical areas it serves and how far its staffmembers are willing to travel. Depositions may need to be taken on multiple days in different cities, so the logistics of this must be worked out in advance. If you’re worried about variations in the transcripts, ask if you can retain the same reporter for all of your depositions.
  4. How do you charge for your services? Court reporting costs vary widely depending on the types of services provided. However, keep in mind that cheapest is not always best. Consider the total invoice cost, not just the cheapest page rates or daily fee schedule. The key is to get all of the litigation services you need at a reasonable cost with people you would be happy to deal with in the future.

If you forget any of these questions, just remember this: you’re looking for someone who can make your job easier. Click the links below for more insider info on choosing the best court reporter for your firm.

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