Migliore--Half-empty.pdf

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SCREAM/FIGHT



Imagine you are on a New York street in the wee hours of the morning. As you walk by an alley, you see a man stabbing a woman and grabbing the purse she's clutching. She's near death from the many blows he's delivered. Do you scream, "Stop"? Do you yell for others to help? Do you attempt to fight off the attacker to save the woman before it's too late? Do you walk by and do nothing? Surely you would offer some kind of aid.



Why when you see people causing the… Continue

I jumped over here to see what discussions I might be missing on this subject, and there was none. Shoot. I guess I'll get the ball rolling.



Guidance on Gift Giving Rules (Provision No. 8)



Statement of Facts

The NCRA Board of Director of the Association asked the Committee on Professional Ethics to provide practical guidance on the gift giving restrictions of Provision No. 8, which states in part that “A Member shall … Refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any… Continue

“I am what I am, and that’s all that I am” is Popeye’s famous line, monosyllabic and simple, but poignant. After being pushed and bullied, Popeye would eat his spinach and bring down the bad guys.



If court reporting were to make the same statement, “I am what I am,” it would beg the question, “What are you?” What is the answer? Is court reporting defined by the reporters, firms, ethics, our method of taking down the spoken word—all of the above?



Sadly enough, just like any… Continue

The advice given in the “Don't look a gifthorse in the mouth” proverb is, when given a

present, be grateful for your good fortune and don't look further to assess its value. This

may not be sound advice in our legal arena.



Gifts and incentives designed to influence your decision on which firm to use for court

reporting work are coming in all forms. You might wonder why your court reporter

doesn't offer such incentives. The answer is simple: According to the state… Continue

Michele Owens, a Louisville court reporter, has had her right to work restored!



After a short tenure of working for a firm, Michele Owens terminated her relationship due to concerns about breaches of the ethical guidelines that govern court reporters, breach of an employment contract, and an overall dissatisfaction with her employment. Upon Ms. Owens’s departure, Ms. Owens was presented with a restrictive non-compete that she claims to have never signed. A co-owner of the firm… Continue

Let me start by thanking all of our membership for allowing me to attend the 2008 NCRA Legislative Boot Camp. For the uninitiated, the Legislative Boot Camp is an intensive two-day seminar held in Washington, D.C., designed to train court reporters to lobby for issues affecting our profession to their respective state representatives in the House and Senate. When I was asked if I would like to attend, my first response was, "Me? Really? Are you sure you want ME to attend?" Refusing to let fear… Continue

Reprinted from JCR, June 2008, Tip of the Month, Pages 24-26:



Reference Check on Firms

By Lisa Andriot Migliore



How many reporters quit the business altogether because of bad firm experiences?



As a court reporter and former teacher who loves our profession, I hate seeing new reporters end their careers before they have even begun. Our future relies on these rare souls with the tenacity to make it through the program to begin with. Even seasoned… Continue

Opinion 17: Who Gets The Toaster?



By

Marcia A. Johnson, Director

Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility



Reprinted from Bench & Bar of Minnesota (August 1993)



It is the age of rebates; it is the time of perks and incentives. Companies need a gimmick. Even companies that sell services to lawyers. And the perks aren’t just toasters these days. They start with coffee makers, Walkman radios, or tickets to the Guthrie and they progress… Continue