Partnerships for Federal Work

[Earl Hicks Jr.]

My company is a federal contractor competing for court reporting jobs in several states. As we consider future opportunities, I would love to have agreements in place that allow us to work with great local firms also eager to team together for additional work. If this interests you, please contact me at [e-mail].

In the meantime, review my page and website to learn more about us and how we work. I hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks,

Earl Hicks Jr.
CEO
LegaLock Secure Transcriptions, LLC

[Lisa Michaels]

Hi, Earl,
I see that your Maryland-based company recently developed a computer transcription technology. The Federal Reporters I know are steno reporters.

Can you please clarify if you are looking for electronic reporting operators for this new computer system? Or are you looking for certified shorthand reporters to transcribe your recordings?

I look forward to this conversation,

Lisa Michaels

[Tricia McLaughlin]

I would like to know the same thing, Lisa.

Tricia

[Earl Hicks Jr.]

Hi Lisa and Tricia. Allow me to explain. Yes, we have developed a secure computer transcription technology that meets the current federal requirements and this occurs after the court reporting process. For our court reporters, each reporter uses their normal recording device. They are also issued a company-owned laptop computer protected with FIPS 140-2 encryption which is dedicated for transcription use only. They may use their steno machines with their laptops for the transcripts.

Once a proceeding is completed, our reporters immediately transfer the data onto an IronKey secure flash drive or onto their encrypted laptop before leaving the room. This practice ensures the government's data is encrypted while in transit and can never be retrieved by unauthorized personnel if a device is lost or stolen. This meets OMB Memo 06-16 requirements.

Reporters can either create transcripts on their laptops or by using their machines connected to our laptops. Copies are produced as normal and delivered either by hand or double-wrapped mailing. If emailed transcripts are requested, they are delivered via our government approved network and patented web portal, which meets FISMA requirements for transmission of sensitive government data.

So, the recording process does not change. What we have done is encrypt the data once it leaves the depo/grand jury room to meet federal requirements and also during the email process. Finally, our servers used for data storage are housed in a facility with a federal facility clearance.

Does this help, or clear as mud?

Earl

[Lisa Michaels]

I now understand what your company does. Thank you.
When you say in your original post that you are "federal contractor competing for court reporting jobs in several states," who are you competing against? I would like to make sure that you are not bidding to replace the current employed Federal Reporters with a new system and new reporters, whatever method they chose to make the record of those proceedings.

Lisa Michaels

[Tricia McLaughlin]

Earl,

It does explain it. As with Lisa, however, I would also like to know who you are competing against. Is it Official Reporters, per diem, etc?

Thanks, Tricia

[Earl Hicks Jr.]

No, we are not bidding to replace anyone. I am a member of NCRA and am working on my CMRS certification because of my commitment toward supporting and promoting the industry. We are planning job fairs at high schools and community colleges to promote court reporting and to find interested students that we can sponsor for the own certifications. We are in this for the long haul and for the industry. We are not replacing anyone.

To clarify, we are not competing for work in Court rooms. The “court reporting” contracts we bid on are for U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) deposition and grand jury proceedings, and Federal agencies that conduct administrative and public meetings which must be accurately captured and preserved for the record. We will be a contractor to these agencies, not to the Courts. Examples of government agencies that use court reporting services in these meetings are the State Department, Commerce Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Department of Defense.

When federal court reporters process their recordings, they do so on the U.S. Court computer systems which meet all the federal IT security requirements. Court reporting agencies under contract to the USAOs and other agencies use company-owned IT equipment which does not satisfy the new federal IT regulations. So we simply developed a federally approved IT system which incorporates court reporting software programs that allows federal agencies to utilize court reporting services, outside of the courtrooms, in full compliance with their own IT regulations.

Finally, we have reporters in DC, MD, and FL but need more. Also, for contracts outside of these locations we would like to team with court reporting agencies that would like to compete for these contracts but cannot fulfill the federal IT requirements. We offer two solutions. 1) For those court reporting agencies, we can act as your partner by submitting the proposal and providing the federally-approved computer network and secure laptops. 2) For court reporting agencies that do not want to have a partner but would like to meet the federal IT requirements, we can provide subscription accounts on our federally-approved computer network and secure laptops.

I hope this better explains the services we will provide and why we would like to team with court reporting agencies interested in federal work assignments.

I appreciate your interest and welcome any additional questions you have. You may also call me directly at 301-697-6973 to discuss further.

[Patricia A. Smith, RPR, FPR]

Sounds like something similar to what is happening down here in Florida. If I'm wrong, I apologize. But I fear it is competing with the jobs of federal and state reporters by using freelance agencies. If I am wrong, Earl, please correct me.

Patricia A. Smith, RPR, FPR
Court Reporters, Inc.,
Fort Pierce, Florida

[Earl Hicks Jr.]

Hi Patricia. I hope my explanation above clarifies your concern. Also, FYI, we have made a corporate decision not to engage in contracts for Courts that have removed reporters and replaced them with recording equipment. These Courts do issue transcription contracts and pre-approved transcription company listings, but we do not support that practice and have chosen not to compete for that work.

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Hello, Earl. How are you? I notice on your website that the contact page says, "Please contact us to learn more about our transcription services." And also, your Managing Director of Operations is a former court reporter who, quote, "After three years of employment as a Court Reporter, Ms. Turner saw a void in the industry for quality transcription from taped proceedings, but many court reporting agencies at the time did not share Ms. Turner’s vision."

I've read through this entire thread, and it's still not entirely clear that you are, indeed, looking for partnerships with machine stenographers as opposed to tape transcribers. For example, "The “court reporting” contracts we bid on are for U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) deposition and grand jury proceedings, and Federal agencies that conduct administrative and public meetings which must be accurately captured and preserved for the record." It seems vague to me.

Also, "For our court reporters, each reporter uses their normal recording device. They are also issued a company-owned laptop computer protected with FIPS 140-2 encryption which is dedicated for transcription use only. They may use their steno machines with their laptops for the transcripts."

It's just very puzzling, Earl. How would a reporter's CAT software get onto those laptops?

In any event, as you compete for reporting jobs across the country, and especially here in the Washington, DC/Virginia/Maryland area, feel free to contact me when your clients require realtime. So many times, especially with government work, that means lowest possible bid, sometimes in exchange for large volumes of work, sometimes on a piecemeal basis. I don't engage in contracting, nor am I never the lowest bidder. But I can provide no-excuses realtime reporting services of the highest caliber, and your clients will be delighted with the quality, guaranteed.

As an added benefit, if the caliber of the work turns out to be as promised, of course I'll share that good experience with others, and your network of excellent machine stenographers will grow! OTOH, I tend to be protective of my reporting colleagues, and I'd never recommend a firm that was displacing official reporters.

Best of luck to you and your new firm.

Regards,

Mary Ann Payonk, RDR-CRR, CBC, CCP, CLR
Independent Freelance Court Reporter
Washington, DC
Notary: DC, VA, MD, DE
DE State CSR No. RPR-206
CA State CSR No. 13431
[e-mail]

[Earl Hicks Jr.]

Hi, Mary Ann. Thank you for joining our discussion and including good comments. Admittedly, we are a new company whose initial mission was to provide legal transcription services to federal legal and law enforcement offices that conduct sensitive interviews. We are now submitting our first proposals for court reporting services and have not yet modified our website to reflect these updates.

Our company-owned computers provided to court reporters are programmed with Eclipse software. Based on feedback, we are also working to have Case Catalyst added but must first ensure its compatibility with security encryption software programs.

Our first goal was to develop a federally approved computer network that our legal transcribers and court reporters could use to provide total compliance with new federal IT resgulations. We would now like to now share that network by teaming together with agencies on federal contracts or by providing court reporting agencies subscriptions onto our network so they can provide improved services and government compliance to their clients. Either way, we want to help good agencies win in the selection over the “lowest bidders".

Earl

[Stephenie Hollyman]

Do you need CLVS videographers in Florida? I have done jobs for the SEC while in NYC.