You v. The Mic: Mitigating Microphone Mistakes

by Planet Depos | Oct 18, 2017 | 0 Comments

You v. The Mic: Mitigating Microphone Mistakes

By Debby Cavazos

It’s the middle of your depo, and you pull your mic off, creating a loud sound on the record. You take a quick glance to the left and see the videographer giving you a stern look. You’re embarrassed, but don’t worry — this happens quite often. Although the microphone is an important component for a depo, ensuring high-quality audio, it can also create chaos! Here are some helpful hints to consider to avoid microphone issues.

Before you put your mic on, ask yourself this question: What direction will you be facing for the majority of the deposition? This is good thinking, because you want to make sure you get a clean record. If you’re facing away from the microphone, it will be difficult to catch your questions on the record. On the other hand, placing the microphone too close to your face can result in overblown audio. Depending on your wardrobe, try placing the microphone somewhere on your chest, perhaps on your blazer, shirt or tie. If you’ll be facing toward the left, then place the mic on your left side, and vice versa.

Do you have long hair? Like to wear scarves or necklaces? Long hair tends to drape over microphones and cause static as it rubs against the windscreen. Necklaces sometimes rattle as you move throughout the day, which can cause significant audio issues. It’s sometimes difficult to attach microphones to scarves, and oftentimes they tend to brush against the microphone. Consider wearing your hair up and perhaps not wearing items that cover your neck area. You’re sure to get much better audio quality.

Are you planning to discuss a private matter during the deposition? As mentioned before, the microphone picks up everything. When you’re whispering, you may think that no one in the room can hear you, but the mic still can! If you have private matters that you don’t want others in the room to hear, consider removing your microphone so that your private conversations won’t be heard on the record.

Try not to fiddle with your mic during the depo. The microphone is sensitive; if enough force is applied, it can detach. Any movement can be heard, so playing with the wire isn’t recommended either. If you are stepping away, remember to remove your microphone!

If you keep these tips in mind, you can avoid many common mistakes when using a microphone. Our videographers are experienced in mitigating potential problems, so don’t be afraid to ask on your next deposition. Have a question right now? Reach out to our video team at video@planetdepos.com or call us at 888.433.3767.

You v. The Mic: Mitigating Microphone Mistakes

By Debby Cavazos

How Do Court Reporters Transcribe?

by Planet Depos | Sep 7, 2017 | 0 Comments

This post originally appeared on the Cook & Wiley blog.

A court transcript is the record of every spoken word and who spoke it during court. In order to capture this transcript, a court reporter must be able to hear the entire proceedings and set them down as they occur. At one time this was done using shorthand, which is an abbreviated way of writing that is able keep up with speech. An early version of the stenotype machine was created in 1877 by Miles Bartholomew, who was a court reporter and hoped to replace pen and paper with his invention. Today, court reporters get special training in order to understand legal terminology and process and use special equipment to create transcripts of court proceedings, as well as creating legal records of hearings, depositions, or other meetings requiring an official transcript.

REQUIRED TRAINING

Training to become a court reporter requires fulfilling the general requirements and standards at a certified court reporting school that has been accredited by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). Required courses generally take around three years to complete, and applicants must have a GED or high school diploma to enroll. Some schools have prerequisites in keyboarding or data entry skills that must be met, as well. Classes include information on keyboarding, machine shorthand, law, legal terminology, court reporting, vocabulary, proofreading, medical terminology, dictation, ethics, and more. A student learning court reporting must also take speed building classes and spend a generous amount of time practicing with the stenotype machine, because 225 words per minute is the minimum requirement to pass keyboarding.

Upon graduation, the student receives a Registered Professional Reporter certificate from the NCRA. A Certified Shorthand Reporter license is required as well in order to obtain work as a courtroom reporter. States have different license requirements, but an extensive written exam in addition to a performance-based dictation test is fairly standard.

EQUIPMENT USED

In order to be able to capture every word that is spoken during the courtroom proceedings, a courtroom reporter must be able to produce the transcript accurately and at high speeds. This is most commonly done with a stenotype machine. This machine, although much different than the one originally created by Miles Bartholomew, uses the same concept of keys that may be pressed simultaneously in order to create words, sounds, and phrases quickly. The stenotype has 22 black, unmarked keys set up in a way that resembles a piano’s keys more closely than a typical qwerty keyboard. These keys represent some of the alphabet, and combinations of keys must be used for the letters not included.

Rather than typing out words, a stenotype machine produces a phonetic code that relates to sound. The reporter’s left hand types the beginning consonant sounds, thumbs produce vowel sounds, and the right hand types the final consonant sounds. Various other key combinations that create both initial and final sounds can be made involving both hands. In this way, court reporters can keep up with conversations at high speeds. In the past, the record rolled out of the machine on steno paper, but it is becoming more common now for the stenotype machines to have a digital readout screen.

There have been several popular methods of producing and translating the phonetic record, but since the sounds produced were not standardized, court reporters could personalize their own method of keystroke combinations to produce and translate the report. This wasn’t necessarily a good thing, since it could be difficult to impossible for anyone but the original reporter to read the transcript. One of the more common translation theories has been used to create computer software that translates the code, so now reporters are more likely to use that method when typing.

A PC-compatible laptop can be connected to a stenotype machine in order to produce captions of the proceedings in real time for the hearing impaired. Since the report is usually digital now, the transcript can be uploaded to the computer to be translated, prepared, and sent through email. There are several different software programs that court reporters may find useful, such as scheduling and billing, in addition to the software necessary to link the laptop and stenotype machine, translate the transcript, and produce closed-captioning.

COURT REPORTERS: THE BEST CHOICE

Some people believe that electronic methods will eventually replace humans in the field of court reporting. This seems unlikely in the near future, though, because while computers do have the ability to document and reproduce in a record all sounds created in the courtroom when they work like they are supposed to, they are not able to interpret the difference between words that need to be recorded and random sounds, like chairs scraping the floor. Malfunctions and constant needs for updates have discouraged even the most pro-technology advocates. It continues to be both less expensive and more effective to hire a professional court reporter.

5 Client Deposition Preparation Tips

by Planet Depos | Aug 2, 2017 | 0 Comments

Guest Post by Henry E. Floyd, Jr., Esq – Attorney with Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, DePaolis & Lightfoot, L.L.P.

You have heard it many times: failure to plan means planning to fail. Depositions sometimes offer a poignant example of this maxim.

Many lawyers schedule a deposition and do nothing more than notify their client of when and where to appear. Others give short shrift to the preparation process, advising the client to arrive 30 minutes early on the day of the deposition.

Minimizing the importance of deposition preparation adds to your client’s nervousness. It can significantly impact the outcome of the case.

Whether you are looking for a large settlement or are trying to avoid a summary judgment, the deposition can be a pivotal point in the case. The American Bar Association recommends treating all clients as novices, regardless of their prior litigation experience.

Here are five deposition preparation tips that can improve the outcome of your case.

Draft a Template Letter You Can Use for Each Client’s Deposition Preparation

Provide each client with a hard copy letter that he or she can study and refer to in the weeks leading up to the deposition. At a minimum, the letter should accomplish the following:

Explain to the client what a deposition is (perhaps even providing a nutshell version of the applicable rule of civil procedure )
Identify the reasons depositions are taken (evidence at trial, discovery, witness impeachment, observation of witness’s candor, responsiveness, and how the deponent might appear to a jury)
Emphasize that a deposition is virtually the same as giving testimony in court, except that no judge or jury is present
Detail the expected conduct and procedures (honesty, when to respond, importance of understanding the question, etc.)
Encourage the client to review any written discovery answers he or she may have provided to opposing counsel prior to the deposition

The client should understand that the deposition is not an opportunity to convince anyone — including opposing counsel — about how great the claim is or how right the client is.

In discussing deposition preparation with your client, remember that your vernacular sounds like jargon to a layperson. Get feedback from your client to ensure they know what you mean.

Consult a Pattern Discovery Treatise

A pattern discovery checklist will prepare you to give your client a mock deposition. It will also help you suss out and research any possible privilege or Fifth Amendment objections in advance of the deposition.

You can even give a copy of the pattern discovery checklist to your client, to make sure he or she understands the elements of the claim. Even an elementary understanding of claims and defenses may prevent your client from volunteering information that, while truthful, results in losing the case.

In one case, a plaintiff sued a fitness facility after a protrusion on a misplaced piece of equipment caught her sweatpants, causing her to fall hard onto a concrete floor and resulting in traumatic brain injury.

This plaintiff was so full of righteous indignation that when opposing counsel asked her whether she saw the protuberance before she fell, she adamantly said “yes, of course! It was there plain as day!” (She had previously told her counsel that she hadn’t seen it.)

She did not understand that if she saw a danger, the duty shifted to her to avoid it. Her dishonesty was motivated by a lack of knowledge about the law. (Result? Summary judgment for the defendant on the basis of open and obvious danger.)

Schedule a Deposition Preparation Meeting

This meeting should have a clear agenda and take at least two hours. Be sure your client can answer questions about his/her written discovery responses. Reviewing the pleadings is also a good idea.

Show your client a video-recorded deposition just to observe what the process looks like. Many commercially made products on the market effectively demonstrate dos and don’ts of giving a good deposition.

Showing the client such a video ensures consistent delivery of information among clients and shows the client what to expect.

Conduct a Mock Deposition

Help your client become more alert to double meanings, factual assumptions, and long, complex questions. Answering questions in an evidentiary proceeding is different from answering other questions. Request that the mock deposition be videotaped so you can review your client’s facial expressions, physical reactions, and tone.

Send your client transcripts or videos of previously taken depositions with similar subject matter. The formal flow of a deposition is not as it appears in the movies. They should know what to expect, from being sworn in to answering questions they may not deem relevant.

In our everyday lives, we are usually quick to answer questions (sometimes even before the question is asked). Your client may need to practice a new cadence of question and answer.

Tell your client that the deposition transcript will not reflect the amount of time it takes to respond to a question (unless videography is involved). Tell your client to pause before answering so that it gives you time to object to the question, if appropriate.

Your client should get used to providing the following responses: “yes,” “no,”I don’t recall,” “I don’t know,” and “can you please rephrase the question?”

The client should also know that while cases are not won at a deposition, they can be lost. Loose lips sink ships, as the saying goes.

Be Mindful of Your Client’s Deposition Day Nerves

When you do what you do every day, it is easy to overlook how your client feels about what’s to come.

Make sure you allow enough time with your client on the day of the deposition not only to address any last-minute concerns but also to engage in some small talk about the client’s hobbies, family, etc. This may help keep things in perspective.

Deponents tend to ramble when nervous. Remind your client to testify only to those matters within his/her personal memory or knowledge and to answer closed-ended questions with a “yes” or “no.”

You may even want to ask your client in advance of the deposition what music he or she sings or listens to (if any) to relax. Having your client’s favorite beverage on hand and playing his or her favorite music may help ease your client into the right frame of mind.

Conclusion

With so much riding on the deposition, both you and your client should spend ample time preparing.

Preparation should include retaining a certified court reporter who can help you build a reliable record. Contact Planet Depos to learn how they can help your next deposition go smoothly.

About the Author: Henry Floyd, Jr., Esquire

Maryland injury lawyer Henry Floyd, Jr. is an Associate Attorney at the firm of Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, DePaolis & Lightfoot L.L.P. Mr. Floyd is admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. He is currently a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the Prince George’s County Bar Association, the DC Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, the Washington Bar Association, and the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association. Mr. Floyd represents clients in workers’ compensation claims in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and a wide range of personal injury areas, including car accidents and premises liability.

Four Critical Components in Scheduling International Deposition Locations

by Suzanne Quinson | Jun 21, 2017 | 0 Comments

One of the hurdles to tackle when planning for international depositions is the search for the right location. For someone scheduling their first deposition in Tampere, for example, this can be a bit like chasing a shadow in a fog. Here are four points to consider when looking for a deposition location in an area unfamiliar to you.

Proximity to the legal team’s hotel – if possible, book a conference room in the hotel where the attorneys are staying. This saves on transportation costs, as well as time! It’s a huge bonus if the hotel has an adequate business center to help with last-minute print jobs, though the court reporting agency can help you find nearby printers, and shredders as well, if needed.
Technical capabilities – will videoconferencing (mobile or traditional) be needed? If so, don’t forget to conduct a test call prior to the deposition date, to verify the connection strength and stability.
Comfort – this includes any catering considerations. If food and beverage will be requested, confirm any dietary restrictions can be accommodated. In cases of multiple days of depositions, the comfort factor is of the utmost importance both to the attorneys and witnesses.
Expense (of course) – certain cities are notoriously expensive. Hot spots like Paris and Hong Kong can require some creativity to save costs for your client (for example, deposing a witness in a hotel room, rather than reserving a separate conference room). Don’t forget to check cancellation policies and fees as well. Check with the court reporting agency to see if a corporate discount is available if they book the conference room on your behalf.

The location for a deposition abroad should so completely meet all your needs it’s like taking the deposition in your own conference room at your office. This is entirely possible with proper planning and preparation.

The Planet Depos International Team works with local court reporters around the world and has been scheduling international depositions for over a decade. For assistance scheduling international depositions, contact Planet Depos International Scheduling at 888.433.3767 or international@planetdepos.com.

Trial Presentation: Wired vs. Non-Wired Courtrooms

by David Andre | May 3, 2017 | 0 Comments

Trial presentation has become a powerful litigation tool in today’s courts, but there are certain pieces of equipment that are required. The idea behind trial presentation is to display your case materials in a digital format so that you can communicate more effectively with the jury. Generally, you’ll need a way to display this digital info, so you will need such equipment as monitors, TVs, projectors, screens, laptops, etc.

Presenting in a Wired Courtroom

Some courts have trial presentation equipment built into the room. These “wired” courtrooms enable you to just plug in your laptop at counsel table and display your case. The equipment in a wired courtroom doesn’t always work that easily though; you definitely want to do a test run as they sometimes have resolution problems or are faulty for other reasons. Wired courtrooms are like bike-shares: everyone is allowed to use and abuse them.

Additionally, there’s a range of trial presentation equipment that’s been set up in these wired courtrooms. There are generally three options, or a combination of, that you’ll encounter. My personal preference is a projector placed reasonably close to the jury, and I like to pull up a document to test out how well the jury will be able to see it. Another acceptable alternative you may see is monitors for the jury, counsel, witness, and judge. If you’re close enough to a screen, the size doesn’t matter much. Again, test it out. Lastly, a large TV on wheels can suffice, but you obviously want it close to the jury while not blocking anybody’s line of sight. If all you are showing is video, then it doesn’t really matter how large it is. However, if you want to show documents, they need to be readable.

When setting up for trial presentation, I sometimes like to bring in my own projector and find a good place for it even if the courtroom is wired. If the existing setup isn’t sufficient for my needs, I will bring whatever other equipment is required.

Non-Wired Courtrooms: Bring Your Own

Now, your normal courtroom with no trial presentation equipment is what we call a “non-wired” courtroom. Such a courtroom will, obviously, need equipment if you want to utilize trial presentation in your case, but it’s completely up to you which equipment you’ll use. If there’s space for it, a good projector and screen is all you need. You just want to make sure everyone can see it, and read from it, so test it out.

Some prefer monitors for everyone, and in certain courtrooms, it’s effective, but perhaps a little more expensive. Personally I think it’s often overkill.

Reach out to Planet Depos and ask to talk to one of our certified trial presentation specialists at 888.433.3767. We keep detailed notes on every courtroom we visit, and we reach out to all courtrooms prior to trial. We assess the situation and can help determine the best options for your trial. We are dedicated to making your trial presentation experience with us a good one, and your trial a success.

Taking Realtime Arbitrations in China

by Planet Depos | Apr 19, 2017 | 0 Comments

By Jade King

The Planet Depos local team set up for an English arbitration recently with nine realtime connections.

Though China does not permit the taking of depositions (and there are some great alternative locations in this previous blog), there are many arbitrations that take place. Mainland China is home to more than 1.3 billion people. And with a massive 160 cities having more than one million residents, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn there were well over 100,000 arbitrations conducted in China last year. Most of these, of course, were domestic and conducted in Chinese, but there is a growing demand for English international arbitration, particularly administered by the “big 4” arbitration institutions: CIETAC, SHIAC, SCIA and BIAC. These institutions have centres in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.

Currently, including the big 4 institutions, unless the arbitral contract specifies English as the language, the arbitration will be conducted in Chinese. But as these and other institutions move to internationalise their arbitral rules, further growth in English reporting services is to be expected.

Mainland China provides a complex and challenging work environment, though not without its rewards! A visa is required for any non-Chinese national entering mainland China for any purpose. In most cities, visitors will struggle without the assistance of Putonghua-speaking colleagues. Customs and living standards are vastly different to the Western norm. On the other side of the ledger is the opportunity for life-changing experiences such as visiting the Great Wall, wandering through the European concessions, or eating a fresh jianbing for breakfast as you walk to your hearing.

The local PD reporters team is well versed in the arbitral rules of the above institutions, speaks Chinese, and possesses China visas or return-home cards. Please contact asia@pd-reporting.com if you have an English arbitration coming up on the mainland, and we will be happy to provide our first-class realtime reporting service just as in any other country!

Top 5 iPad Apps for the Legal Professional

by Planet Depos | Apr 14, 2017 | 0 Comments

By Mary Lide

Your iPad can be used for much more than FaceTime and Netflix.

Planet Depos has put together a list of the top five iPad apps for the legal professional. These apps will help make your life easier, and make your iPad as versatile and useful as any laptop.

DocketLaw

PacerMonitor

Lexis Advance

WestLaw

Rulebook

Adobe Reader

1. DocketLaw

This free app is handy for figuring out dates and deadlines based on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. When you enter the date of a triggering event (like a trial date), the app will calculate events based on which jurisdiction you’re in. For an additional fee, you can subscribe to specific, rules-based calendars for state and federal courts.

2. PacerMonitor

This is a great app for staying on top of Federal Court case dockets and filings. A companion to PacerMonitor.com, this app makes it easy to view, download, and email case filings. You can even save the cases that you’re tracking so that they are easy to access.

3. Depending on which service you use, we’ve split #3 up into a two-fer:

a. Lexis Advance | b. Westlaw

These apps are companions to the best legal research services. You can set up alerts, access and share your research, and view documents easily. They’re great for staying organized across devices, from your laptop to your tablet and back again.

4. Rulebook

This app is good for staying up-to-date on federal and state court rules. It’s easy to navigate through the different rule sets, which do need to be purchased—and it’s great for accessing the Bluebook. It also has a handy multi-task function for going back and forth between authorities.

5. Adobe Acrobat Reader

With all of the documents you need to read daily, a good PDF app is essential. Adobe does it best—you can easily open any PDF, search, zoom, annotate, sign, share, and save documents. We especially recommend it for reading your Planet Depos transcripts, which are always provided in full and condensed PDFs!

In this digital world we live in, it’s important to be able to rely on our devices to help us out. These apps are must-haves for any 21^st-century legal professional—the tools you need are right at your fingertips!

KCAB Celebrates Its Golden Jubilee with Expansion to Los Angeles

by Planet Depos | Mar 22, 2017 | 0 Comments

By Jade King

For court reporters, especially those working internationally, no two days are ever the same. We could be working on anything from an arbitration about plastic surgery, a court case about corruption, a deposition about chipset patents, or a corporate event launching a product. And occasionally, we may even be called upon to undertake a bit of acting. Planet Depos’ Seoul-based reporter, Lisa Feissner, RDR, CRR, CRI, CLR, was delighted to perform a cameo role in a recent video produced by the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board. This thorough and entertaining video provides an understanding of the Korean arbitral process from start to finish, and includes a mock arbitration. The video, with bilingual captions, can be viewed here.

Originally established in 1966 as the Korean Commercial Arbitration Centre, then expanded and renamed in 1980, the KCAB has a long and distinguished history in the ADR space. There are five key features which attract international parties to arbitrate at KCAB: impartiality; party autonomy; finality; efficiency; and privacy. With its main office in the Trade Tower in Gangnam, and a branch office in Busan, the sixth feature has to be convenience. In 2016, the KCAB also opened its first international branch office, in Los Angeles. As the US is Korea’s second-largest trading partner, this is a strategic expansion that will be of great benefit to US practitioners for resolving commercial disputes with Korean counterparts.

Apart from opening the LA branch office, the KCAB had an exciting year in 2016, summed up in their recent newsletter. They hosted a number of conferences and academic programs, as well as, of course, a gala celebration for their 50th anniversary.

Planet Depos has a long-standing relationship with users of KCAB and our Korea-based team has provided reporting services at numerous arbitrations there. We look forward to continuing this in 2017 and beyond, and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the KCAB and its staff on the recent golden jubilee.

If you would like to schedule our arbitration reporting service in Korea, please be in touch with asia@planetdepos.com.

Why I Became A Court Reporter

by Darlene Williams | Feb 17, 2017 | 0 Comments

This week marks NCRA’s National Court Reporting & Captioning Week, and on the 12th of February the Association inquired of its membership, “Why I Became a Court Reporter/Captioner.” Planet Depos followed suit and asked a few court reporters why they chose this career path.

Lisa W., North Carolina Reporter

I had never heard of court reporting and, while trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up, was flipping through a college brochure in the guidance counselor’s office. I knew it would be business something or other because Calculus and Trig and all of those other crazy courses were not for me. I ran across a two-page spread on court reporting and thought, hmmm, I might like that. My guidance counselor said, “Oh, you don’t want to do that, the attrition rate is really high.” Not being one to back down from something tough, I said, challenge accepted. The rest is history. Can’t imagine what I’d do if I wasn’t a court reporter.

MaryJo L., Maryland Reporter

I was just starting my senior year in high school and had no idea what I wanted to do. I was good in Gregg shorthand and typing – though nowhere near as good as Kathy DiLorenzo. I was taking all the office courses in school, but I knew I didn’t want to be a secretary. I saw a commercial on TV for ICM School of Business in Pittsburgh advertising for court reporting students. I called them up, visited them the following week, and they were getting ready to offer what they called Saturday Special classes to introduce people to the machine. Interestingly, I remember them trying to talk me out of it, until I took a typing test, and then they were happy to sign me up.

Mayleen A., Washington State Reporter

My aunt was a court reporter. I was studying psychology in upstate NY after high school. However, in those days, I thought my aunt’s life was so luxurious compared to what I saw growing up. She would go to the Bahamas. I never saw anyone going on vacation. She always had money, it seemed. She always seemed to be home and not working. And she — God bless her — encouraged me to come to NY and attend court reporting school. I drove down eight hours from upstate NY and attended an interview at Long Island Business Institute in Commack, NY. Long story short, I went back upstate, gathered my belongings, and moved in with my grandmother and my aunt while I studied court reporting. My aunt is currently a court reporter in Tampa, Florida!

Kathy DiLorenzo, Director of Court Reporting

I don’t necessarily know why. Heck, sometimes I still wonder why. Though I do know “how” I became a court reporter. When I was in high school, I was a super-speedy typist. By the time I graduated high school, I was typing 105 words per minute. That was quite fast back in 1979. (What’s interesting is that years later, my daughter would graduate elementary school at 111 wpm.) I competed in contests in the tri-state area — and won! So, it was my instructors who encouraged me to apply for a scholarship program offered at a local business school in Pittsburgh. I applied in the secretarial category, assuming that was the direction I was destined to go. When I spoke with the admins at the school, they asked if I might be interested in a career in court reporting, given my fast typing skills. I remember asking, “What’s that?” Nonchalantly, I agreed, and at the same time filled out an application for the full scholarship offered in court reporting. After an aptitude test and interview, I was awarded a full scholarship for court reporting…and the rest is history.

If you or someone you know wants to join the Planet Depos court reporting team, click here.

Spotlight: Jean Hammond, Proofreader

by Darlene Williams | Feb 15, 2017 | 0 Comments

In keeping with the celebration of NCRA’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week, it seemed only fitting that we shine a light on an integral behind-the-scenes component of transcript preparation — proofreading. Jean Hammond is a proofreader living in Groveland, FL, with 20 years in the legal community as a legal secretary/assistant.

Jean, please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about your background.

Hi, my name’s Jean Hammond. I’m a proofreader of transcripts for court reporters, and I live in Central Florida. My very first job out of high school turned into a 20-year run as a legal admin and assistant. After some wonderful stay-at-home-mom years and then a while as a Pilates instructor and personal assistant, I worked at my church for ten years in the Local Outreach ministry organizing and managing a food pantry, home repair and renovation teams, care packages to U.S. troops overseas and a myriad of other efforts and events all involving multiple moving parts, hundreds of volunteers, details, schedules, precision and personalities. In all of the experiences of my work and life I’ve tried to live by the motto that Excellence is in the details.

Can you please tell us what sparked your interest in becoming a proofreader? How long have you been proofreading for court reporters?

Well, I’ve always been a bit – can I say “anal”? – about words. I love good grammar and proper speech. I think word origins and idioms are interesting. Errors pop off the page at me. I’m the go-to person that people have proof their books and school papers and create their fliers and publicity materials. For several years I helped a friend edit and publish her first several books.

Life had been getting exponentially more stressful with my fulfilling (though increasingly demanding and not especially lucrative) full-time job and trying to stay on top of my family and home and not run out of hours for the “me” time I needed since I’d become a single mom. Until I stumbled across an article online about the niche field of proofreading for court reporters, I’d never imagined there was a way for me to combine my legal experience and years summarizing and proofreading depositions, my random other work experiences and my error-spotting superpower and do it all as my own boss, in my own business, from the comfort of my own home! So after a lot of researching, I found the only structured transcript proofreading training program online (Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice™) and learned how to be the best possible proofreader for court reporters. Eventually I left that full-time job and have recently celebrated my one-year anniversary of working solely for myself, from home, proofreading and enjoying my life in a way that I hadn’t in years.

What qualities should a reporter look for in a proofreader, and what advice do you have for reporters looking to use a proofreader for the first time?

I believe a proofreader’s job is to help a reporter look their best. We are the final eyes, the detail watchers, the difference between a “good” and “great” transcript, so the three main qualities that a (very) good proofreader needs to have boil down to:

Knowledge. A proofreader needs to know their stuff (meaning the official punctuation rules, spelling, formatting, a great grasp of language, familiarity with idioms, adages, legalese, etc.) and have an extreme attention to detail. I was trained and rely on Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters and the Gregg Reference Manual with Margie Wakeman-Wells’ Court Reporting: Bad Grammar/Good Punctuation thrown in the mix for good measure. I’m happy to cite rules, suggest punctuation options, explain word choices or write in punctuation or spelling reminders on transcripts or in e-mails with my reporters.
Flexibility. Since the spoken word brings proofreading to a whole new level and since reporters and agencies can vary in what they want in their transcript, it can’t always or only be about rules. A good proofer is flexible and can allow for and find a balance that meets somewhere between rules and readability, preferences and consistency. Along with the rules, I proofread for clarity, correctness and consistency within each reporter’s preferences. I’m okay with a reporter who is a comma minimalist, uses or doesn’t use quotation marks, or any other style or preference. I just ensure: (a) it’s consistent throughout the transcript, (b) it allows for the easiest reading within those guidelines, and (c) it changes nothing in the meaning of the testimony.
Communication. A reporter should look for a proofer with great communication and is realistic and dependable in their turnaround. There’s probably nothing worse than getting the “Yeah, sorry; I didn’t get to it” message at the eleventh hour! We’ve all heard the horror stories. But a proofreader worth anything will want to protect their reporter’s work-product and stress level and will send a quick “I received your job. You’ll get it back by _____!” or “I just received your job. Unfortunately, I’m swamped/sick/moving/having fun in Vegas right now. Can I help you find a backup?”

Of course, there’s no way for a reporter to know if a proofreader has these qualities until it’s tested, so I would encourage reporters to audition proofers until they find one (and a backup!) who meets their needs. Sending a 25-page transcript with a selection of common errors will cost as little as $7-$10 but will show a proofer’s knowledge, communication, turnaround and dependability. Do yourself a favor and do it well before you actually have a job to be proofed (and don’t let on that it’s a test)! Is she reading for content or just skimming through the words? How’s her legalese? Did she catch the missing “an” or the wrong-tense ending in the sentence? The missing end-quotes, or inconsistent commas? How’s her hyphen-no hyphen and semi-colon knowledge? Did she note that the Appearances page doesn’t include the speaker on page 12? Did she see that the attorney’s name was spelled differently on the last page? Did she send it back on time (or even just a bit before)?

Also, reporters should keep in mind that a proofreader is not a scopist. While some (like me) ensure that business and other proper names, medicines and technical/industry-specific words and terms are accurate, proofers are the final eyes that double check the transcript before it’s complete and shouldn’t be relied on to make edits to a transcript.

What are the three most commonly misspelled words you see in transcripts?

For the most part, my reporters (and their scopists) do a really good job of weeding out the errors that a simple spell-check may reveal, but I do find the usual homonym and homophone troublemakers like effect/affect, on to/onto, insure/ensure, perspective/prospective.

By far, though, the most errors I see are errors of wrong tense or wrong-ending — dropping an “s” when it should read plural, “ed” instead of “ing,” “simply” instead of “simple”. This is the very reason proofreaders are needed, and as my friend the writer tells me, “That’s job security, baby!”

What are the three most common punctuation errors you find when proofreading?

This one’s easy:

(1) the comma splice that misuses a comma in joining two independent clauses (It was a dark and stormy night, the roads were wet and slippery. Nope.);

(2) NOT using a comma to join independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (It was a dark and stormy night, and the roads were wet and slippery. Yes!); and

(3) NOT punctuating noncoordinating conjunction independent clauses correctly with a semi-colon (It was a dark and stormy night; the roads were wet and slippery. Yes!)

Can you explain the difference between using dashes and ellipses? Perhaps provide an example of when each one would be correctly used.

Oh, good question!

Okay, the double-hyphen “em dash” (as opposed to the shorter “en dash,” which is a whole ‘nother story) creates a strong break in a sentence. It can be used – and always in pairs – like parentheses or alone to show that a speaker’s thought or sentence was broken or interrupted. (I visualize it as an “aggressive” punctuation option; it forces its way in!) The witness who can’t complete a thought gets an em dash (So the first time – I first knew that the car was gone when I – when my wife told me.) Speakers who interrupt or talk over each other get an em dash:

Q. I’d ask that you let me finish my ques- —

A. Uh-huh. Sure.

Q.– -tion before you start your answer, Mr. Smith, and I’ll —

A. Sure.

Q. afford you the same courtesy.

Ellipses are used to denote missing words, but in a different way. Words or phrases omitted from quoted text (Sir, do you see where Paragraph B states, “The parties . . . will hold each other harmless”?), or at the end of a line when a speaker either just trails off or somehow has no more words to finish his sentence (It was so long ago that I don’t . . .).

The difference is really in the speaker’s intonation or the other speaker’s actions, and it’s almost impossible for a proofreader to know whether the speaker just trailed off or the other speaker actually “stepped on his line” (to use an old acting idiom). Generally, the amount of time between speaker 1 and speaker 2 is the deciding factor, and that’s up to the reporter to record. To make things even harder, some people have a habit of using a hard, throw-away “so” to end their sentences (I don’t know how fast I was going, so.), while other people may use it in a more questioning or drawn out/trailing away way (I don’t know how fast I was going, so . . .) and it really is left to the reporter to either differentiate or choose one and be consistent. (Have I said before that a reporter’s job is crazy hard?)

Where do you stand on quotation marks/not quotation marks?

I stand wherever my reporter stands, but I’ll be honest. As a reader, text is just harder without quotation marks. I often have to reread or at the very least slow down and revise on-the-fly my understanding of an awkward sentence when quotation marks aren’t there to give me cues. It’s taken some getting used to, but even the more recent adaption of comma-capping quotations is an easier read and, to me, allows for more clarity although it, too, has its issues. For example, She came over and said, Are you hurt? is quite understandable, but She came over and said, Are you hurt? I just wanted to hit her . . . not so much now, right? (See what I did with the ellipses? Casual, non-legal writing lets me use it as a pause for effect.)

What software do you use to proofread, and what should a reporter expect to receive when you have completed proofreading?

I proofread documents in PDF format using iAnnotate software on an iPad. iAnnotate allows me to make annotations exactly where they’re needed, directly onto the PDF pages, mostly using a yellow highlighter and with corrections, additions and questions typed in red, like this:

Proofing via PDF is so much quicker than an errata sheet! And it ensures my eyes never leave the transcript page. When I’m done, iAnnotate allows me the option of e-mailing back only the annotated pages, saving the reporter from going page-by-page to search for (and potentially miss) my corrections. Comparison and corrections can be made, literally, in minutes.

How many pages do you typically read in a day/week?

My total monthly pages now average at just over 5,100, so that means about 1,175 pages per week. That seems like a lot, but I can read 100 pages of pretty “clean” (not excessively needing corrections) and standard transcripts in about an hour and 75-85 pages per hour for the tougher, not-very-clean (i.e., not ready to be proofread) jobs, or expert or technical transcripts that require me to start and stop a lot, or for word-dense narratives or hearings.

What are your other interests when you’re not reading transcripts?

When I’m not reading transcripts, I enjoy spreading my creative wings and planning parties, fundraisers and other events for friends and acquaintances. I’m also on the board of directors of Unforsaken Ministries, a local nonprofit that provides support to single moms and widows in my area and which fully funds a school of about 100 students in Morriseau, Haiti. In addition to that, I’m the mom of two busy teenagers, and I enjoy meeting friends for coffee dates or lunch and shopping. With my ability to literally proofread anywhere, I’m looking forward this year to a return to a log cabin in Gatlinburg and a visit in the fall with my best friend in Upstate New York.

Are you taking on any new clients at this time? What is the best way for reporters to contact you?

Yes, I am. I look forward to connecting with reporters who need a (or need a new) proofreader. You can check out my website at jeanhammondproofreading.com for more information about my rates and services, as well as a few testimonials of some current reporters. I am also happy to be contacted directly by e-mail at jhammondproofreading@gmail.com.

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Blog Category: Arbitration