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The Road to the Speed Contest

June 30, 2008: I began practicing for the 2009 Speed and Realtime Contests. I took out my tapes, got my computer ready. I'm also using Realtime Coach to build my accuracy and my dictionary. The Realtime Contest can have some killer material.

My practice began with 240 QA speed building practice. I actually did better than I thought I was going to do. During the practice, I felt the need to shorten my writing more than I usually do. I also tucked my endings, like WAEUGT… Continue

Added by Anthony D. Frisolone on July 17, 2008 at 3:30 — 7 Comments

Getting paid by a reporter

Any suggestions on getting paid by a reporter who hasn't paid me for scoping services for work that was performed and is now 6 months overdue?

Added by Kathy Jack on July 12, 2008 at 2:26 — 18 Comments

Not carpal tunnel, but tennis elbow

Well, it seems that I have tennis elbow aka epilateral condilytis. Whoo-hoo.

Has anyone had this? What did you do? I'm seeing a chiro and I just started some anti-inflammatories.

Any other suggestions?

Added by Kyung on July 9, 2008 at 8:38 — 8 Comments

Dress professionally, please!!

I've been a depo reporter a very long time. I was taught early on to always dress professionally.

I am always glad to see a fellow court reporter in a law firm or office. Lately I keep meeting very friendly

court reporters, but I am shocked to see what they are wearing, i.e., open-toed shoes, (flipflops) spaghetti straps, etc. Please consider what you are wearing. You are representing all of us! You are not on your way to the beach. You are a professional! Save the cutesy stuff for… Continue

Added by Lorraine Brazil @ BrazilCo on July 8, 2008 at 21:32 — 22 Comments

Holding transcripts for payment of account balances

What do you do if your client wants a transcript and yet hasn't paid their bill in a year?
Do you hold that transcript 'hostage' until they bring their account current? Is there some law about us
no longer extending credit...including a transcript they need for trial...until they bring their account current?

Any help or guidance would be most appreciated.

Added by Debbie Landi on July 8, 2008 at 19:44 — 3 Comments

Let's Help Each Other!!

Sorry, I'm going to have to rant about my pet peeve. If you are part of a reporting TEAM working a multi-day job, why do other members of the TEAM not communicate with the next person coming on, at least a note about what attorney is present or maybe a topic area? Let alone a few spellings? I have encountered this too many times to count and it aggravates me no end. When I start off a multi-day job, I leave a seating chart, appearances, spellings and instruction from attorneys about how they… Continue

Added by Sue Baker on July 7, 2008 at 7:00 — 5 Comments

The Grass Isn't Always Greener...

which is a saying that I've heard since I was a child. Recently, I had an experience where I learned a valuable lesson. What started this was work was extremely slow and if I'm not challenged, I get bored and restless. When there's no work, there's only so many games of solitaire you can play and five-page transcripts just don't cut it for me. My office was cleaned up, e-mails were returned, and paperwork filed. I kept asking myself, "What else is there?"

Well, along came a phone… Continue

Added by Anthony D. Frisolone on June 29, 2008 at 13:52 — 2 Comments

California fires

How is everyone in Northern CA?

My eyes hurt so bad from the smoke!! Trying to stay inside, but it's hard, especially with a two-year-old. Today is a lot better. Tuesday was really bad.

I'm about 1.5 hours away from the fires. I feel so bad for the people right there.

Definitely need to skip the fireworks this year.

Added by Patricia Babits on June 28, 2008 at 21:56 — 2 Comments

Have you answered "The Challenge"?

Okay. The RPR results are generally out. Did you complete "The Challenge" I posted several months ago? Did you improve yourself? Are you still preparing for the November test? If not, why?

I complete my RPR and passed that. Yea! I'm excited about that. But....one of my other reporters also passed the RPR and beat my score by two errors. I don't like to lose. LOL I hate losing. I gave them grief about it. We actually laughed because I'm very happy that they passed and that they did… Continue

Added by Breck Record on June 28, 2008 at 8:07 — 3 Comments

FedEx horror story - It could happen to you.

So I sent a package out by FedEx ground last Monday, June 16, 2008. Checked online tracking. It said it arrived Friday, June 20, 2006 at 3:05 p.m. w/signature proof of delivery. Good to go, I think.

I get e-mail yesterday, uh, where's the package? I don't know. In your office. No. No. We don't have it.

What address did you send it to? The one you told me to. Spent all day on e-mails back & forth. Spent today back & forth in between other things. After much pushback… Continue

Added by Kyung on June 25, 2008 at 15:42 — 9 Comments

Late Cancellations are Putting Me in the Poorhouse!

The past month has been a nightmare of 4:55 pm cancellations for the next day, after I've already turned down six jobs, and then I end up with no job at all when it seems like everyone in town is taking a deposition. What is the deal? I know there are a lot of factors to cancellations, but I am beginning to think it's a trend due to the commitment-phobic state everyone is in nowadays. "Well, if I wake up in the morning and just don't feel like it, I won't go!" or maybe it really is some of the… Continue

Added by Sue Baker on June 24, 2008 at 16:13 — 15 Comments

Administrative duties - What I wish I knew my first year out.

When you think of court reporting, you think you're going to be out in the "field" taking down the depo or at home producing a transcript.

Well, while you're at home there will be a ton of administrative duties for you to take care of that can quite easily eat away your time and your day.

There's administrative duties at the depo. Get the attorneys' cards and information Make sure you get all the exhibits. Get the witness's address in case the original is going to be sent… Continue

Added by Kyung on June 24, 2008 at 12:47 — 9 Comments

Request to Refresh

Vendors/Providers/Reporters:

I've sat quietly too long again on this subject of "refresh" on the viewing programs.

I think that I can safely say that most reporters in this profession would greatly appreciate it if they could have the "refresh" feature work with their current software, and, that it would work with all the viewing programs that are available in the market.

Whether I'm on Eclipse and outputting to Livenote or I'm on ProCat outputting to Caseview… Continue

Added by Breck Record on June 22, 2008 at 18:40 — 1 Comment

Realtime Cancellation Fees

Does the firm you work with charge a fee to the client if they order a realtime feed and then cancel it after you've already arrived on the depo and are ready to hook up and write realtime?

Added by Susan Magee on June 15, 2008 at 22:31 — 5 Comments

What I Wish I Knew My First Year out - Asking the attorney to slow down

When a lot of reporters start out they are afraid to ask the attorney slow down. They end up with these truly horrendous transcripts. And then you go home and have to figure it out somehow.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK THE ATTORNEY TO SLOW DOWN. And ask again if they don't.

If you're afraid the attorney won't call you back, so what!!!! Do you really want to go back for a second day to take down the hell that is this deposition if it's so fast and he won't slow down. I'm talking… Continue

Added by Kyung on June 15, 2008 at 7:04 — 5 Comments

FINDING A SCOPIST MADE EEEEEEZZZZZEEEEE!

I thought finding some scopists to try out would be a tough search, but learned that all you have to do is hit "ADVANCED MEMBER SEARCH" on the Main Page Tool Bar, and then answer the easy questions, like what CAT program you're on, etc., and you get just the people you're looking for! SIMPLE!

Added by Tracy Perry on June 12, 2008 at 15:51 — 1 Comment

UPS - why they drive me insane

UPS is driving me insane. You can never find ground shipping forms at any of the UPS stores. When I drop packages off at UPS, you can't track them until they've been delivered which kind of defeats the purpose of tracking.

Their last pickup time is at 4:30. AARRGGGHH!!!

I prefer FedEx. When I drop off a package at FedEx, by the time I go home, it's in the tracking on the computer.

You can drop off until 5:30 p.m. for ground.

They have tons of forms.

Added by Kyung on June 12, 2008 at 15:41 — 4 Comments

Sites

Hi everyone,

I find these sites very useful.

www.stenospeed.com
www.typershark.com
courtreportingdvd.com

Have fun!!

Jean-Marie

Added by Jean-Marie A. Browne on June 6, 2008 at 19:32 — No Comments

Another petty rant about attorneys

Now, this is pretty small in the scheme of things, but still rather annoying. Exhibit stickers.

Lately, I've had attorneys coming in asking if I have packets of those stickers so they can mark their exhibits. Well, I give them a sheet, then they number all the sheets. But then they freakin' don't use them all. They're numbering up to 30 or something and they have 10 exhibits.

Hello!!! Exhibit stickers do not grow on trees. I have to pay for those stickers, not you. Stop… Continue

Added by Kyung on June 5, 2008 at 7:00 — 9 Comments

Why I love Houston!

The people here are so great. Yesterday, in a four block walk to my car, three people told me they, a, liked my outfit; b, wanted to help with my equipment; c, just a comment on the weather. That is amazing in a huge city. You get in an elevator, someone usually makes a funny remark or says good morning. In the grocery store, you get in conversations. In fact, almost every line you have to stand in, including DMV, you can get into a pleasant conversation with someone. Very friendly, warm and… Continue

Added by Sue Baker on June 5, 2008 at 6:45 — No Comments