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What I wish I knew my first year as a reporter

I haven't done one of these in a while. So let's talk about your first depo, what you should know and what you should ask and what you should do.

I'm going to assume you know the rate for the job you are about to take, payment terms, you have your equipment, and the job has been confirmed.

These are things that I like to ask the agency before the depo starts. It will make you look more like a professional

Time estimate - I always ask for a time estimate. …

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Added by Kyung on January 11, 2015 at 11:30 — 1 Comment

Looking for a new writer, and I found one

So the other day, I had to stop the depo bec. there was this very loud beeping noise coming from God only knows where. Oh, yeah, it was me. What's going on? Am I about to crash? Nope. My disk was full and I had to end job soon!!!!

Okay. So I say, I just need a quick second to change out my floppy, at which all the attorneys in the room mocked me for using floppies. So there's one reason to get a new writer.

Second reason - I am on Eclipse and I will be…

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Added by Kyung on February 28, 2013 at 21:30 — 31 Comments

What I wish I knew - second year

Hey,

It's been a while. Don't know if anyone is listening or reading. But here's a thought. Instead of my annual rant and rave about the tax man coming, how about I tell you how I keep track of stuff so that when I have to go into the tax man (or THE MAN) as I'll be calling him from here on out (as in don't let the man get you down). Anyhoo, I digress.

So you've got your Depobook. You have your shoebox full of receipts. You've got your mileage written…

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Added by Kyung on December 23, 2012 at 6:50 — 5 Comments

Free Wi-Fi is your friend - Love it!!

Free Wi-Fi, gotta love it. I use it all the time for work. I use it when I get a call from an agency or attorney while I'm out on a job, I didn't get that file, can you re-send it. I use it when I've decided to work remotely, i.e., not from home.

The important word here is "free." I am outraged that the cell phone companies want you to pay $60/month so that you can buy one of those wi-fi cards. Don't do it, I say. There are plenty of places you can get wi-fi for free.…

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Added by Kyung on December 23, 2012 at 6:13 — 7 Comments

Ironic

Wage and hour lawsuits - taking a depo from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no breaks, and all they keep talking about is did you get your 15-minute rest break after five hours, did you get your 30-minute lunch break. The thought wanders through my mind, when do I get my rest break. Am I getting paid time and half here?

ADA discrimination lawsuits - having to lug all your equipment up two flights of stairs bec. there is no elevators.

Added by Kyung on May 7, 2012 at 8:25 — 4 Comments

Court Reporting Diseases

These may all be fatal bec. the reporter may stand up and shoot the person who is so afflicted.

Carpenteritis – cannot form a coherent sentence, false starts at least three times per thought before finally laying down something completely incomprehensible on the record. Never takes breaks, badgers the witness, and is very argumentative. You’ll know you’re in the presence of attorney who has Carpenteritis bec. it will feel a little like you’re taking a deposition where…

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Added by Kyung on March 18, 2012 at 8:21 — 20 Comments

Taxes - 2009 - What I wish I knew my first year

It's been a while, and I've been a little bit under the weather so what better time to talk about a dreary subject than taxes. Yay!!!!!

Short and sweet.

Do I have to pay quarterly taxes?

Yes, Virginia.

Sole Prop

Also, I use File Taxes to produce the 1099… Continue

Added by Kyung on January 5, 2010 at 9:00 — 6 Comments

Interpreters get away with murder.

So I'm at a depo today. The interpreter says to counsel, "Please say you have an afternoon matter."
Counsel says, "Do you have another matter to go to?"

Interpreter says yes. Attorney ways, well, then I guess we'll have to end early for you. Then during the whole, the interpreter keeps looking at her watch.

If a court reporter did any of the above behavior, we would literally get killed. I swear.

Added by Kyung on November 16, 2009 at 18:56 — 6 Comments

Getting Paid

So really, it's not a matter of keeping busy alone, but also one of getting paid.

I'm noticing a trend of agencies taking longer and longer to pay reporters, which is bad. So what's going on?

I know agencies are having a harder time collecting from their attorney clients, who in turn are having a challenge collecting from their clients. It's all very easy to say, but I'm working for the agency and they need to pay me on the O&1 when they say they're going to pay, which… Continue

Added by Kyung on October 25, 2009 at 19:58 — 11 Comments

Time, time, time. What time is it?

Well, the world is getting smaller or so they tell me. And if you work for several different agencies, it can get quite crazy in terms of keeping track of time.

This may not have happened to you, but you want to call an agency 3 o'clock your time and you realize it's 6 o'clock their time and you've missed the boat. Or the attorney wants the job by end of business their time, and you lose track of time.

Here is a website that might help you with that problem.… Continue

Added by Kyung on October 23, 2009 at 9:30 — 1 Comment

Waiting . . .waiting

So I'm scheduled for an 8 a.m. depo this morning. I am up at the crack of dawn. Barely. Haul myself down here. Of course, the witness is not here. So I'm just waiting. I am thrilled that I have Internet access so I can blog online. I can also take care of my farm on Facebook and play some games.

Oh, yeah, I can also finish that transcript.

Waiting. Sounds like they might be calling it and sending me home.

Added by Kyung on October 19, 2009 at 8:54 — 1 Comment

Here's another secret.

Quite honestly, I don't want a ton of pages. My goal is not to write more pages, but to get paid more for the pages I do take.

So when I ask agencies the rate, and they tell me I'll make it up in volume, I'm often of two minds. Do I really want to make it up in volume?

I don't feel like a hamster. Do I look like a hamster? Why would I want to run just as fast to stay in place?

Too many times, I hear it's a great job, you'll get a lot of pages. But what's the… Continue

Added by Kyung on October 2, 2009 at 20:50 — 4 Comments

What I wish I knew my second year as a court reporter - scopists - Part II

Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Scopists are your friends.

Okay. So where can I find these scopists? Why you can find them right here on CSRnation under the classifieds.

If you are on Eclipse, you can find them at the Advantage website.

The T3 website has a list of scopists.

Here's a list of scopists by… Continue

Added by Kyung on September 30, 2009 at 17:10 — 3 Comments

What I wish I knew my second year as a court reporter - scopists

Scopists are here to make your life easier. There are good scopists out there and bad.

Scopists see all sorts of writers. Don't worry if your transcript is horrible, unless it is horrible on a consistent basis. Then worry. But seriously, scopists are not here to judge how good or bad a writer you are. If you are a truly horrible writer, they will either refuse to take work from you or charge you an arm an a leg.

I don't care what they say. Everyone has drops, except for… Continue

Added by Kyung on September 19, 2009 at 22:08 — 8 Comments

Another Day in the Life - Blackouts

So we're going merrily along and all of a sudden the lights go out. Darn it!! Long story short, there was a black out.

I have recently had my writer shimmed and made paperless. Also, I have a Stentura 8000. The battery is shot. I always run on electricity. I got it refurbished about a year ago, but then it ran down again and will no longer hold a charge.

So basically, I had about 2.5 hours on my laptop. I think there were batteries in my digital recorder, but I could not… Continue

Added by Kyung on August 28, 2009 at 9:30 — 4 Comments

Working on transcript from hell

I know this transcript is horrible bec even my scopists are remarking that the people in this deposition are CRAZY.

Constant interruptions, constant rudeness from all parties involved. Witness to Q attorney, Opposing Attorney to Q Attorney. Actually, I guess the Q attorney was not too bad in terms of rudeness, but constant interruptions and talking over each other despite my statement saying that they need to talk one at a time. Court reporter being ignored when trying to interrupt… Continue

Added by Kyung on August 27, 2009 at 6:30 — 5 Comments

Here's a secret.

I really hate expedites. I'm too old to not be sleeping at night. I always feel like I don't have enough time to get out a quality job. I'm always afraid that I will screw up when I fill in the worksheet bec. I'm so tired from staying up all night to get those next-day expedites out.

I don't mind a one-week expedite. Those are great. But it's the next-dayers that kill me.

Of course, I do like the money, but I'm at a point where I think I would rather get my… Continue

Added by Kyung on August 21, 2009 at 12:00 — 2 Comments

One of those doh moments

Don't you just hate it when you read back wrong. The question is perfectly correct on the screen and for whatever reason, what comes out of your mouth is not what is on your screen.

For instance, today the name was Jim so-and-so. I read John so-and-so, when the screen said clear as day Jim so-and-so. It kills me bec. then the attorney says this is how you spell the last name and by the way the name is Jim so-and-so. Of course, it's all videotaped.

It's one of those times… Continue

Added by Kyung on August 11, 2009 at 19:23 — 7 Comments

Readback

I took Volume II of a depo. Volume I was taken by a completely different reporter. I am a 5'2 Korean woman. The reporter for Volume I, the day before, was a tall, blonde white woman.

At the start of the depo, the attorney turned to me and asked me to read the last question from the day before.

I just looked at him for a second. I was so amazed my mind actually went blank. I reminded him that I wasn't the reporter from the day before.

I know we're… Continue

Added by Kyung on July 29, 2009 at 9:09 — 4 Comments

Things you wish you could say during a depo

Feel free to talk over each all you want, I'm not listening.

I write at 225 wpm, I will drop all words starting at the 226th word and on for those minutes you choose to speak at 300 wpm.

Do you think the room has been struck deaf. We can all hear you whispering really loudly to your client and chances are that counsel can hear you instructing your client and I can hear you. Take it outside if you don't want it on the record.

Why do you think I am a lip reader… Continue

Added by Kyung on July 29, 2009 at 9:03 — 19 Comments