Planet Depos Blog
News from Around the PlanetConsider a Pet for Stress Relief
You work long hours as a court reporter, don’t like to exercise, meditation isn’t your thing, and you feel stressed often. What you may need is a pet. According to the National Institutes of Health, married couples “who owned a pet were found to have lower heart...
Marketing “What You Can Do”
In 2014, as a court reporter, you are more indispensable to the legal community now than ever before, as you are relied upon for your ability to: • take verbatim testimony, • have the testimony appear instantaneously on an iPad, • disseminate a real-time feed to...
New Court Reporters & Taxes
What every new freelance court reporter should know about being self-employed and paying taxes begins with investing in good expense tracking software. From there, reporters should begin keeping . . . a good record of everything you purchase to do your job. This...
The Do’s and Don’ts of Transcript Punctuation
Delivering the intended meaning of testimony demands the correct usage of punctuation, which, of course, is the responsibility of the court reporter. Punctuation was originally developed in Greece and Rome by speech writers who were attempting to convey when the...
Surviving Court Reporting School
According to a 2006 National Court Reporters Association report, on average, just 5 to 10 percent of students who enroll in court reporting schools graduate. While court reporting programs across the country are working to improve that statistic, Planet Depos wishes...
Passing the Registered Professional Reporter Written Knowledge Exam – A Few Tips
The written knowledge portion of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Registered Professional Reporter exam consists of 110 multiple-choice questions covering reporting and professional practices, medical and legal terminology, and technology. Reporters...
Neck & Shoulder Relaxation Exercises for Court Reporters
Court reporters are required to sit in one position and concentrate for extended periods of time, which is why many tend to develop neck and shoulder tension. Harvard University reports that seven out of ten people will experience neck and shoulder pain at some point...
Hand, Wrist & Arm Exercises for Court Reporters
Because: (a) Princeton Review indicates that as many as 25 percent of those who leave the court reporting profession leave due to stress, (b) The Mayo Clinic reports that, “a little exercise goes a long way” when it comes to stress management, and (c) Stenograph...
When to Interrupt a Proceeding
In polling the reporters who work with Planet Depos about when they interrupt a proceeding, the general consensus was that they don’t unless they absolutely, positively must. The two primary reasons for interrupting include: • People speaking over one another• People...
Paula Eastes – The Highlight of Her Court Reporting Career
As a small-town court reporter in Waterbury, Connecticut, back in 1974, Paula Eastes was looking to make a change, so she signed up to attend the Annual Convention of the National Shorthand Reporters Association’s to be held that year in Houston, Texas. While at the...