February 17-23 Recognized as National Court Reporting and Captioning Week

Posted on 02/18/2013 by Lynette

The National Court Reporters Association, the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters and broadcast captioners, has announced that February 17-23 has been deemed National Court Reporting and Captioning Week. The awareness week pulls together a nationwide effort to highlight the contributions of stenographic court reporters and captioners to society and to showcase the career opportunities that exist in the court reporting and captioning fields.

Omega Reporting, your Memphis court reporting firm, is planning to get involved with National Court Reporting and Captioning Week by joining grassroots efforts to promote the profession and educate local communities about the value stenographic skills bring to today’s marketplace.

The court reporters of Omega Reporting are stenographic reporters, are members of the National Court Reporters Association, and have earned nationally recognized credentials, including: Registered Professional Reporter, Registered Merit Reporter, Registered Diplomat Reporter, and Certified Realtime Reporter.

I invite you to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my blog this week as we celebrate and highlight the invaluable contributions court reporters make in our communities.

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My Top 10 Productivity Gadgets

Posted on 01/30/2013 by Lynette

This article was written for the Journal of Court Reporting, January 2013 Issue.

Productivity is defined as: “the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services.” As a busy professional, I am always striving to find new ways to aid me in my quest to complete a job more efficiently. After all, who doesn’t want more time to spend with family and friends; right?

My iPhone and iPad are my top go-to products to help me with my court reporting business and are a tremendous asset for productivity. As I’ve written in a previous blog post: “The smartphone has become an essential tool for every court reporter and ultimately eliminates the need for other gadgets one used to traditionally rely on in completing certain functions/tasks to get your transcript out the door. My smartphone of choice has revolutionized the way I do business and increases my efficiency and productivity immeasurably. Utilizing one intuitive device is the preferable and superior choice over multiple devices. In addition, the size of a mobile device conveniently and effortlessly fits into a pocket or a handbag.” The smartphone is, indeed, very powerful; but there are a few gadgets that I rely on when I’m in the deposition setting and/or the courtroom.

1. Outlets To Go Power Strip with USB: This compact affordable power strip will serve any court reporter well in those situations when you need to plug in your computer, if you forgot to charge your writer battery, or if you need USB power. Just the other day, I had an attorney ask me if she could charge her smartphone in my computer because she had forgotten her charger. What a perfect option for her when I simply pulled out this power outlet!

This Outlets To Go Power Strip with USB boasts the following features:

  • Provides 3 AC outlets to power laptops, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, and other accessories when traveling.
  • 3 AC outlets for convenient power and charging.
  • Recharges electronics that use USB with integrated USB port.
  • Ultra compact design to fit into luggage and briefcases.
  • Dual side design maximizes outlets space, minimizes bulk

2. MXL AC404 USB Conference Microphone: I discovered this microphone when searching for an upgraded option for my audio backup. Not only was I looking for high-quality sound, but I wanted something that would sit flat on a table. In Tennessee, we do not have official court reporters in our civil judicial system, so the attorneys and litigants hire an independent court reporter to transcribe the proceedings. Some court reporters, I noticed, used tape to secure their mics to the judge’s bench which, ultimately, will ruin the finish of the wood. So this microphone fits the bill completely and the sound quality far exceeds my previous one!

3. Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse: I have to say that I’m not a fan of the trackpad. Don’t ask me why; I just don’t like them. When it comes time for read-back of important testimony, this travel-size mouse gives me more control when searching my netbook for that question that was asked 30 minutes ago. I own three of these, and each one is color-coded for the three computers I utilize in my business. I love them because they are so compact and there’s even storage for the receiver inside the mouse.

4. Belkin USB 2.0 4-Port Ultra-Mini Hub: My netbook that I carry to the job does have three USB ports, but there occasionally comes a time when one may need additional ports, as I mentioned above in the situation where my attorney wanted to charge her smartphone.

5. Apple Airport Express: My realtime cables are a thing of the past, and I love being wireless! There are a variety of methods to provide realtime to legal professionals, and I choose to use this router. I find that it is always reliable and a connection is made every time. Using this router allows me the flexibility to have several connections with a computer, a netbook, and an iPad.

6. Square: Start accepting credit card payments today! A free credit card reader will be sent to you when you sign up with Square for use on iPhones, iPads, and Android. The account setup process is quick and easy. As mentioned above, as an independent court reporter, I do work in the courtroom. There are occasions when an attorney has forgotten to hire a court reporter and then approaches me to ask if I can cover his matter as well. In the instance where an attorney is not known to you and you are unsure of the payment history, Square comes to the rescue. You have the ability to swipe their credit card on the spot for the attendance fee and never have to worry if you will be paid later.

7. Hotspot/iPhone for tethering: There are many hotspot options available in the marketplace, but I currently use my iPhone for this function. There are a myriad reasons for tethering, or connecting, with another computer.No WiFi available at your location

  • Value-add service for your attorney clients to give them Internet access during the proceedings
  • Use as a connection for providing realtime
  • Internet connection for your own computer to upload files to Dropbox
  • Highlights your techno-savviness to your clients and/or potential clients

8. Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset: For those of us who do not have a hands-free option for using cell phones in the automobile, this is an excellent gadget to try. When court reporters are in between assignments, we do take advantage of the time in the car for scheduling our next deposition, reaching out to other reporters for coverage, checking in with the office and our family members. Safety first!

9. DYMO LabelWriter: This labeler is my all-time favorite gadget. Just upload your company logo, add your contact information, and print a professional-looking label for every transcript that heads out the door. My labeler is connected to a dedicated computer. But I have no worries about keeping my contacts up to date, because I utilize Apple’s iCloud. When I effect a change or update in my address book on one computer, it then syncs on all computers, so my contacts are always up to date and available no matter which computer or device I happen to be using. The product features of the DYMO labeler are many:

  • Create and print address, shipping, file, folder and barcode labels
  • Print USPS approved DYMO Stamps postage directly from your desktop – no monthly fee, contracts, or commitments required
  • Uses thermal printing technology — no expensive ink or toner needed

10. Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Plus Sleep Tracker: As everyone knows, a court reporter’s job is a sedentary one. Use the Fitbit to help you stay active and healthy every day. According to the product description: “The Fitbit Ultra monitors your all-day activity to provide you with real-time feedback on steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed to encourage you to walk more and be more active. It wirelessly uploads your data to Fitbit.com so you can gain deeper insight into your daily or monthly fitness and sleep levels with free online graphs and charts.”

There are other gadget options available in order to help you be productive in your daily tasks from what I enumerated above. I would love to hear about your personal experiences with the use of your favorite gadget.

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Embracing Technology

Posted on 01/27/2013 by Lynette

Image from New Yorker Article

This past weekend, I discovered the popular PBS series, Downton Abbey. My daughter said, “Mom, we are having a Downton Abbey marathon so you can catch up before Season 3 starts.” After viewing 15 hours of this show, I have to say that I absolutely love it and am addicted!   According to a recent article from the New Yorker, the creators of the series “chose 1912 as the start date for the series because it was the beginning of the modern technological era. And indeed, every season has inserted some piece of technology into the plot, and into the house, modernizing Downton despite itself.”

Downton Abbey is set in the early 1900s — a period when inventions and communications technology were making huge leaps. Throughout the first two seasons of the series and into Season 3, Downton has introduced electricity, the typewriter, the telephone, and, most recently, the toaster into the home. The portrayal of these modern conveniences that we take for granted today is interesting. As each of the new inventions have been introduced into the household, the characters are skeptical and are slow to adopt this new and “strange” technology.

As I viewed the reaction of the household of Downton toward new technology, it brought to mind how the field of court reporting has changed from when I was a student 30 years ago. While some may argue that the technological advances in most recent years does not compare to the inventions in the early 1900s, it should be noted that there are some fantastic tools available to assist court reporters to be more productive, efficient, and valuable to attorney clients and legal professionals. Court reporters should keep in mind that in order to be effective and stay relevant, we must keep abreast of technology, embrace it, and never be skeptical of the newest innovations.

Below are just a few of the tools utilized by Omega Reporting, your Memphis court reporters:

As I’ve said many times before,

Technology is great!

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How to Ensure You Receive Posts From Your Favorite Facebook Pages

Posted on 11/05/2012 by Lynette

Have you noticed a change in your Facebook News Feed recently?

Facebook is constantly making changes and updating its app. It seems hard to keep up at times!

I manage TCRA’s Facebook Page, and it seems that some of our posts may not be reaching as many people as we once had. According to Simply Zesty’s blog:

“What is happening now – with the introduction of promoted posts – is that Facebook is trying to get brands to pay to be seen by all the people who already like their page. They are saying ‘only 5% of people who like your page are going to see your updates so if you want to get the other 95%, you will have to pay again.’”

Read full blog post here.

You may use the following tutorial to ensure you receive the updates from your favorite brand pages.

  • Go to your favorite Facebook Page brand

  • Next, hover your mouse over the “Liked” menu in the right-hand side of the page until you see the drop-down menu

  • Click on “Show in News Feed”

That’s it! You will now be able to see all the updates from your favorite brand.  If you haven’t already “Liked” our Omega Reporting Facebook page, please click on the Facebook icon in the right-hand module to connect with us.  We’d love to have you!

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One More Tip When Networking with Court Reporters

Posted on 11/05/2012 by Lynette

A few short days after my last post regarding networking with court reporters, a court reporter colleague shared a recent experience she had after she referred an assignment to another reporter because of calendar conflicts.  The day of the deposition, the attorney client called and advised that the assigned reporter was late to the doctor’s deposition.  Her tardiness was because she was not familiar with the area and got lost.  Of course, this situation can happen to the best of us; right?  The attorney was very understanding and got the testimony of the doctor.

When he received the transcript, he was shocked and amazed when he opened the envelope.  In addition to the transcript, exhibits, and invoice were several marketing materials from the assigned reporter’s agency.  The loyal attorney client then advised his regular court reporter (referring court reporter) that he received these materials.

The following additional tip will ensure success in building a client relationship with a referring court reporting firm and/or court reporter.

  • When you accept an assignment from a court reporter or an agency, send ONLY the transcript and invoice to the attorney client.  You would not want someone to solicit your clients, so afford the same courtesy to the referring agency to ensure a long-lasting and trustworthy relationship in the future.

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Networking with Court Reporters – Top 7 Tips For Building Strong Client Relationships

Posted on 10/24/2012 by Lynette

Many people have a preconceived impression of what a court reporter does based on what they see on television or in the movies.  One of the funniest portrayals I’ve seen recently depicting the role of court reporter was on the television show, Franklin & Bash. Then, there are those who truly know and understand the complexities, challenges, and stressors of a court reporting professional.

There are so many facets to our daily tasks as a court reporter. One would think that providing realtime or daily-copy requests would be most daunting. Not so, in my opinion! Managing the calendar, I believe, can be one of the most stressful aspects of our job duties. The calendar is constantly in flux and we, as court reporters, overbook knowing a certain percentage of bookings will cancel. Inevitably, there are days when one needs to reach out to other court reporting professionals to look for coverage. Of course, as the referring court reporting firm and/or court reporter, it is imperative to know we are working with a reliable reporter and one who will represent the firm well.

Building relationships with court reporters is analogous to building relationships with attorneys and paralegals. In our marketplace in Memphis, we have an excellent community of freelancers that are willing to cover jobs when needed and I am proud to work with them. The following tips will ensure success in building a client relationship with a referring court reporting firm and/or court reporter.

  1. Keep in mind a court reporting firm is your client, just like a law firm, and deserves your time and attention as well.
  2. Once you make a commitment to handle a job, stand behind it, even if a seemingly better job comes along. The referring reporter will not take kindly to last-minute cancellations. You wouldn’t cancel on your attorney client, so don’t cancel with the referring reporter client either.
  3. If a firm has certain requests because of their business model, always adhere to them; such as, arrival time, transcript formatting, delivery time, etc.
  4. When you receive a voicemail, text, or email request for availability, respond to said request regardless of whether or not you can help the firm. Whenever a reporter emails me that they cannot help on a specific job, I appreciate it so much because they took the time to let me know and, thus, I am assured that reporter values me as a client. Those reporters that reply to me, no matter their availability, will be my top choice when looking for coverage.
  5. If a request comes in while you’re on vacation, upon your return, send a polite thank-you to the court reporting client and explain the tardiness of your reply.
  6. Follow the rules of business etiquette re: response time to a request. Let the date of the engagement be your guide as to how quickly a response is needed. Generally, emails require a 24-hour response time.
  7. When committing your services to another court reporting firm, make sure you understand when you may expect payment and billing procedures. The firm will always be glad to share this information with you so there is no misunderstanding.

Client, as defined by Merriam-Webster:  a person who engages the professional advice or services of another

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Electronic and Digital Signatures For Court Reporters

Posted on 10/19/2012 by Lynette

Keeping abreast of technology for court reporters, I feel, is extremely important, as I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts. Technology is definitely one of many distinguishing factors utilized by me and my colleagues every day. We strive to highlight and market our technology to our clients and potential clients as well. After all, the technology we use, ultimately, is of great benefit to attorneys and legal professionals, too!

Every electronic transcript produced in our office carries both an electronic and a digital signature so that our clients can be sure they are receiving a certified transcript and that no changes have been made to the document since our signing. We apply them to both the condensed and the full-page formatted files. You may ask, “What is the difference between the two?”

An electronic signature, according to Wikipedia, means “an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.”  What that means, in layman’s terms, is simply that it is an image of your handwritten signature, like so:

A digital signature as defined by BusinessDictionary.com is, “binary code that, like a handwritten signature, authenticates and executes a document and identifies the signatory.” In other words, the code ensures that the signer is, indeed, the one who originated the document. Here is an image of what my digital signature looks like on my certified transcript:

How to create an electronic signature is quite easy. Simply write your signature, scan it, and then use software to create a .jpg image. The digital signature, on the other hand, requires a few additional steps.

  1. First, one needs to select a company from which to purchase your digital signature. There are several options available. I chose VeriSign.
  2. Purchase your digital ID. Remember that digital signatures are good for one year only.
  3. Download and install the ID, per the vendor’s instructions.

If you choose to utilize VeriSign’s service as I did, please keep the following cautionary instructions in mind.

  • Keep safe your challenge phrase. You will need it when it comes time for renewal or in the event you need to transfer it to another computer.
  • Purchase the digital ID on the computer where you will be using the digital ID.
  • Use Internet Explorer when purchasing your digital ID, even though the site has instructions for using other browsers.

When it came time for my renewal, I used Chrome, one of my favorite browsers. The company has browser-specific step-by-step instructions on their site for downloading the digital ID; right? So what difference would that make? Wrong! According to the support department, Chrome is not supported. Needless to say, I had to go through several additional steps to retrieve my renewed signature.

There is only email support with VeriSign, but they were so helpful and responded to my messages very timely. I have now placed all of my email correspondence from the support department and the instructions for replacing my digital ID in Evernote, one of my favorite apps, so that next year, come renewal time, I will remember to check for the correct steps before blithely proceeding to renew my digital signature!

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Top 8 Resources From Omega, Your “Mac Reporter”

Posted on 08/14/2012 by Lynette

The 2012 ABA Tech Survey is out, and this year’s report reveals a surge in iPhone/iPad usage among attorneys. Jeff Richardson, a/k/a iPhone J.D., has a great blog post revealing more statistics about this report. According to his post, 89% of attorneys use smartphones for a law-related task and 33% of attorneys reported use of a tablet device (91% of these used an iPad).

If you and your firm utilize an Apple product in your practice, you can be assured you will be fully supported when using Omega Reporting (Memphis court reporters) — your “Mac Reporter.” Below are the top eight resources we offer to help you with your deposition and hearing needs when using your Mac.

1. Omega OnTheGo – excellent resource for legal professionals to schedule a certified court reporter and videographer for depositions and/or hearings, order transcripts, access your transcripts and exhibits on our secure online repository, calculate an estimated cost for a transcript, find directions to our office, and more.

2. Full-service website - go-to resource for online scheduling, transcript order form, recommended iPad apps, and much more.

3. Electronic transcripts compatible for viewing on the iPhone/iPad – written tutorial on how to navigate our electronic transcripts.

4. Written tutorial on how to access/read your electronic transcript on an iPad.

5. Our website is mobile-enabled. Simply bookmark our site on your iPhone or iPad for easy access at your fingertips!

6. Just getting started on your iPad and don’t know which apps to download? Free and low-cost recommendations are on our website.

7. Realtime has never been easier to receive a feed on your iPad. Call and ask us for a demonstration.

8. Our secure online repository, i-Tran, is an excellent resource for our clients to access their transcripts 24/7. i-Tran is a cross-platform tool and is not browser specific — go ahead and use Safari, Firefox, or Google Chrome to access your transcripts and our website.

Omega Reporting was cited in an ABA online article by Victoria L. Herring, The iPad for Trial and Litigation, Vol. 28 No. 4. We love the Apple products (especially the iPad and iPhone) and use them extensively daily in our court reporting business.

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How to Change your iPhone Password When Tethering

Posted on 08/10/2012 by Lynette

In a previous blog post, I wrote about the advantages of tethering (personal hotspot) with my iPhone and scenarios of use, of which there are many. Approximately a month ago, I was working with some out-of-state attorneys in a location that did not have WiFi available. I immediately let them know that I could provide them Internet access and they were very appreciative.

I advised them to locate the wireless network named “Lynette’s iPhone.” That’s the name that was assigned to my iPhone at the time. They easily located it. Next, they needed a password. Apple automatically generates a password on each device. I proceeded to tell them the password was “Muffin673″ or something similar. The response I received was hilarious! Did I mention these were male attorneys I was working with? Anyway, they gave me a bit of a hard time about my password — they felt it was quite feminine. It never occurred to me that I could change my password to one of my choosing. After the deposition was over, of course I did a little research and found out how to change my password.  Below is a tutorial on how you may change your password on the iPhone when using your personal hotspot.

  1. Go to Settings and click on it.
  2. Then at the top of the screen, select the Personal Hotspot menu.
  3. Next click on the Wi-Fi  Password menu and type in your new password.

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The “Silent Person”?

Posted on 08/08/2012 by Lynette

Every court reporter remembers their first official deposition or court hearing — I certainly do! My first employer assured me she would not send me out alone to a deposition until I was ready. And, being a 20-year-old newbie, I believed her. My sheltered North Dakota upbringing maybe (most probably) had a hand in my naïveté regarding such matters.

One of the initial benefits of becoming a court reporter (according to my 16-year-old shy self) was the fact that court reporters were portrayed as the “Silent Person” in the courtroom. While that is true to a certain extent, I realize, after my 30 years of being a court reporter, that one definitely needs to be more than that “Silent Person.”

Today’s deposition prompted this blog post, so let me set the stage:

  1. I arrived 30 minutes early to the job. Videographer was in process of setting up his equipment. Great!
  2. Next, I proceeded to set up my laptop and writer. Fifteen minutes before the appointed start time, the videographer and I are ready to go.
  3. Attorneys started to arrive. Upon their entrance in the deposition room, I immediately introduced myself, shook their hand, and exchanged business cards. Pretty simple; right? (This used to be the hardest part of my job when I was a young reporter. I always had a knot in the pit of my stomach at the beginning of each job just thinking about those dreaded introductions.)
  4. When the witness arrives, he is escorted to his seat — right next to me, of course! I always insist on this so that I am able to hear the softest of voices. Then I introduce myself to the witness and request that he/she spell their first and last names. Even some of the most common names may have an unusual spelling. Number-one rule, in my estimation, is: never misspell the witness’s name.

Okay, now the stage is set. After I have the spelling I need, opposing counsel turns to me and says, “Lynette, you are so nice. It is so refreshing!” Of course, I always love to hear positive feedback. Who doesn’t? He proceeded to inform everyone in the room that attorneys from his home state wouldn’t know what to do with me. He advised that I could move to his state and have almost instant job security. Apparently, at least according to his experience, attorneys can barely get the name of the court reporter in attendance. I know my professionalism and congeniality left a favorable impression with counsel.

Our court reporting profession is a great one with many extremely competent people with high-level skill. With so much competition in the marketplace, court reporters should be aware always of potential consequences of personal interactions with legal professionals and witnesses alike — your livelihood may depend on it!

I now realize (after taking over 5,000 depositions and hearings in a dozen states) that court reporters have never really been the “Silent Person” in the courtroom. We play a vital and important role in the judicial process, to be sure. We are a valuable and integral partner with attorneys and their cases. We provide the experience, skill, and technology for their transcript needs. But, remember, we have an obligation to market ourselves and to be advocates of our great profession by having positive verbal communication and interactions with others. We truly are more than the “Silent Person” in the courtroom!

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