Your first job - Oh my God!! What do I do?

[Kyung]

You've passed your test. You've paid your dues. You're now a card-carrying CSR. Yeah. You get a flimsy paper card/license. I bet nobody told you that. You've done your interviewing. Now what?

Well, once the agency calls you with a job and you accept, the preparation begins. Make sure you've got extra paper(if your writer is not paperless), your writer, your computer, cables, power strip, Depobook (or some other form of keeping track of your depositions). I pack everything in the car the night before except for the computer. I'm working on that up until the next morning when I leave the house. Print out a map of where you're going to.

In the morning, I suggest you leave early enough to get there at least a half hour early or earlier if possible. Since this is your first job, you're going to be nervous. You'll have to find parking and the office. Make sure you have a phone number for the location that you're going to. That way if you get there or you can't locate the office, you can call the office and ask for directions.

Once you arrive at the office, the receptionist will probably show you to the conference room. Otherwise, there might be a short wait in the lobby. If the time of your deposition is rolling around, feel free to speak up to the receptionist. Be polite, but let them know that it takes you a few minutes to set up and you were told the deposition was to start at whatever time it's supposed to start.

If you're still kept waiting, it's not your fault. When they rush you in last minute, don't feel you have to rush your setup. It's not your fault that you were not allowed into the conference room. Sometimes attorneys like to have conferences w/the deponent before the deposition starts. They will sometimes want some privacy. If you're already set up, by all means give them privacy. If they're in the conference room first, just say, "Would you mind if I set up quickly, and I'll leave after that. That way the deposition will start on time." If they still won't let you set up. No problem. Just wait. When it's time to set up. Don't rush. Make sure all your connections are good. If they have to wait. So be it. This is one of the advantages of arriving early.

Once, you're there and set up or waiting in the lobby area, ask for a caption. You can ask the receptionist, and she'll relay your request to the attorney or the paralegal assistant. A caption is very important. Sometimes the agency will provide it, so ask them the night before. If they don't have it. It's very important to get it from someone the day of the deposition. The caption will have the case number, the names of the parties, and at least information for one set of attorneys and who they're representing. It will be very difficult to complete your index w/out the caption.

When the attorneys start arriving, ask for their business cards and who they're representing. Find out who the deponent is and ask them their full name. Ask them if they have a middle name. At which point, they will give you their name, but don't be surprised that when they're on the record, they'll give their full name and some random middle name which you will not understand and which they did not say earlier. This is also a good time to get the spelling of their names. Just to double the caption. Captions are typed up by people. People make mistakes. People's names can be spelled wrong. Always get it from the horse's mouth.

Anyone else in the room during the deposition, get their name. If they're not an attorney representing a party, then their name goes under Also Present on the appearance page. That means any party to the deposition who is not being deposed but is still in the room, interpreters, legal assistants - if they're in the room during the deposition, put them on the appearance page.

Sometimes a party has more than one attorney or more than one law office representing them, they go on the appearance page but under the For Plaintiff or For Defendant section, not under also present.

When you get in the conference room, look for an electrical outlet. That's the end of the table you will be sitting at. If you can't see one, ask the receptionist. If there's one at either end of the room, ask the receptionist where the court reporter usually sits. I know this seems obvious, but you never know. I've been in rooms where the outlet is in the middle of the table and there's no outlets along the wall.

Once you're set up, take the deposition, go home, and produce your first transcript.

absolute minimum you will need day of depo
Phone numbers to have day of depo: agency, location, tech support
Equipment to bring: writer, laptop, power strip, cables
Office supplies: Depobook, extra paper, rubber bands, pen, business cards, job information

If I've left anything, please let me know.

[Corinne Dupuis]

Don't forget a stamp or stickers to mark exhibits, paper clips, extension cord, tape to tape down the extension cord, a mini stapler to name a few more things. I would also bring a bottle of water and a snack bar in case it goes a little longer and you get a chance to wolf something down or to eat/drink after.

[Rhoda Collins]

First thing: Go to the bathroom, LOL, after I set up. ;) That first job is a killer!!! I was stuck in a tiny room for a Prelim Parole hearing and it lasted a few hours!! Those are usually 7 pages, LOL. I had 60!
Rho