Court Reporting Blog - Todd Olivas

I Love Problems

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:13:27 GMT

Well, I dont looooove problems.nbsp; I merely need them in order to improve...

I found a glitch in our invoice system that was losing who the client was.nbsp; Not to bore you with technical mumbo-jumbo, but the SQL server was losing the ClientID when replicating from another invoice.nbsp; Anyway, invoices were getting corrupted or broken and we couldnt figure out why.nbsp; I love problems.nbsp;

The seemingly easy way to fix a problem like that is to simply edit the specific ClientID of the invoice and its fixed.nbsp; Done.nbsp; Lickety split.nbsp;

Or by actually getting to the root cause of the problem -- which is a much bigger pain in the neck -- the problem can be fixed forever.

I chose to dig into the code and find the problem.nbsp; I found it and fixed it after a long time.nbsp; The benefit of fixing a problem for reall -- rather than address symptoms -- is that I have now saved myself and the staff tons of time in aggregate of constantly fixing the same thing over and over.nbsp;

Moral of the story is to fix something forever, not just for the short term.

Questions for you:

Office staff

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:42:04 GMT

Typically we forgo an official TOA Christmas party in lieu of a January luncheon.nbsp; This year we went to Shogun which is an awesome restaurant similar to Benihana where they cook the food in front of you.nbsp; We were missing only Sherry Longo from our Virginia office.nbsp; Even Nancy Steinhilber from our Texas operations made it this year!

I cant believe this is our 9th year in business.nbsp; Ive personally learned so much and had so many wonderful experiences.nbsp; None of which would be possible without an incredible staff who all bring their unique talents and gifts to the company.

Heres a cool pic of our latest get together...

Top row: Joy Emeterio, Todd Olivas, John Castro
Bottom row: Mayra Martinez, Nancy Steinhilber, Lori Lowery
(Not pictured Sherry Longo)

Website Outage on Friday the 13th

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:49:19 GMT

Dontcha just love technology?nbsp; Seriously, I do!nbsp; My businesses live or dies bynbsp;my web presence these days.

Its 7:30 a.m. and Im checking -- as per usual -- on my various databases and websites that I maintain in order to run Todd Olivas Associates, ReadBack.org, and others.nbsp; I check what our Virginia operations have done as far as East Coast scheduling and overall company billing. (I live in California.)nbsp; I see whos posted on ReadBack.org over night, etc.nbsp; Ive got programmers and designers working for me on various projects through a sourcing website.

Meanwhile, here at goodnbsp;old ToddOlivas.com, our Arizona hosting company Brinkster is experiencing a denial-of-service attack (DoS).nbsp; Per Wikipedia, the definition of a Dos:

an attempt to make a computer or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of the concerted efforts of a person, or multiple people to prevent an Internet site or service from functioning efficiently or at all, temporarily or indefinitely.

nbsp;I cant reach my own website.nbsp; I ping myself.nbsp; Nothing.nbsp; I ping Brinkster.nbsp; Nothing.nbsp; This is bad.nbsp; What do you do when your key vendor for something like this your hosting provider nbsp;-- or ISP or telephone carrier whoever their own website is down?nbsp; Thoughts of the zombie apocalypse come to mind.

Still, I dont panic.nbsp; I do what has worked countless times in situations like this.nbsp; I go to the companys twitter account: twitter.com/Brinkster.nbsp; And there was my explanation:

We experienced an outage on our network this morning due to malicious targeting of one or more of our end users....

I went to Brinksters Facebook page:

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; We experienced an outage on our network this morning due to malicious targeting of one or more of our end users. We are working with our ISPs in an effort to prevent this activity from reaching our network to begin with.

Now here is a company who knows social media!nbsp; I left a little tweet for them giving them most likely very redundant information Hey my site is down too. Blah blah blah.nbsp; Its all I could do.nbsp; At least I had chimed in.

Not more than one hour later, Chris Flournoy, from Brinkster calls me on my cell phone.nbsp; Hey, Todd.nbsp; Got your tweet and Facebook comment, here is the situation, blah blah blah.nbsp; Actually, he didnt say Blah, blah, blah.nbsp; (Just for the purposes of this blog post it doesnt really matter the specifics.)nbsp; Suffice to say I was slightly surprised that such a large hosting provider like Brinkster would actually take the time to read my tweet, look me up in their customer database and take the time to contact me personally.nbsp; Now that is excellent customer service.nbsp; Something I try to emulate in my own business.

When there is a problem not if but when there is an epic fail in the product or service you deliver,nbsp; what do you do?nbsp; Do you run and hide behind the anonymity of the internet?nbsp; Or do you do like Brinkster did and use it as an opportunity to reach out even more to clients touch them on a personal level and in return gain a huge boost of brand respect?

Today might be Friday the 13^th, but it couldnt have been any less bad luck!

nbsp;

Tax And The City

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 12:19:01 GMT

Ive been hearing some talk about California cities issuing tax bills to court reporters and agencies for work performed within their city.nbsp; Have you encountered this yet?nbsp; Due tonbsp;budget contstraints --presumably --nbsp;felt by cities and municipalities they have resorted to this sort of revenue strategy.nbsp; I am mortified at this although it has yet to affect my business.

Can you imagine if every single city where you perform a deposition subsequently sends you a bill for their cut?nbsp; I shudder to think...

Thoughts or personal experiences welcome...

nbsp;

Someone is reading my mail

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 17:10:39 GMT

Yes, indeed, someone is reading my mail.nbsp;

Literally.

Someone broke into my buildings mail boxes during Easter weekend and stole all of our mail.nbsp; The experience has been.... um,nbsp;interesting.

What To Do When Your Mail Box Is Broken Into

You file two reports.nbsp; One with the Postmaster in your area.nbsp; The other with the police in your town.nbsp; I did both of those.nbsp; What is interesting is that I learned from Officer Johnson of the Temecula Police that the actual victim in this case is the Postmaster General, not me.nbsp; The mail boxes are actuallynbsp;his property, not mine or the buildings.nbsp;

Next I let our clients know the theft had taken place and referenced the fact that I had made the police report.nbsp; Luckily, most of our work is transmitted through the internet but we do receive certificates from the reporters as well as exhibits.nbsp; I personally sent a letter via fax and email to our clients letting them what was going on.

What To Do When Clients Checksnbsp;Are Stolennbsp;And A Third Party Forges Their Name On The Checks And Takesnbsp;Them To Wal-Mart To Cash Them

Its not long after we discovered the theft that two clients reported to us that they discovered two checks that they had written to us were cashed at checking cashing places under a different name.nbsp; In one instance, even the amount had been changed.nbsp; The check originally was written for $230.00 and the thief/forger changed it to $830.00.nbsp;

I was flabbergasted.nbsp; I didnt know it was so easy to forge checks.nbsp; And I certainly didnt suspect that the good folks at Wal-Mart would honor them.nbsp; But it is.nbsp; And they did.

So, its back to the police to add the evidence of the cashed checks to the police reports.nbsp; I learned through this process that its best to put in writingnbsp;everything that younbsp;report tonbsp;the officers so there is a paper trail with times and dates for yours and the officers easy reference.nbsp; In fact, I created a special secured login on my website for all of the parties involved -- the victims and the police.nbsp; Not once but twice the officersnbsp;on this case -- from two different cities where checks were cashed -- applauded my detective skills.nbsp;

Things I Didnt Know About Check Fraud

Its extremely rampant especially since the economy tanked.
Its fairly easy to do as long as younbsp;are anbsp;criminal mastermind and are good with Wite-Out Correction Tape and a typewriter.
Check cashing places -- even Wal-Mart -- are not as vigilant as they should be for forged checks.

Lucky For Me That...

The thief apparently only cashed two checks in total.
Wal-Mart had surveillance footage but no fingerprint of the culprit.
A check cashing place had a fingerprint but no surveillance footage.
The cities of Temecula and San Marcos California have awesome detectives who actually follow-up with leads and care about justice.
My clients money was refunded to them by their own banks and they re-issued payment to me which -- by the grace of God -- arrived safely and securely in my mail without incident.nbsp; :)

As For The Gentleman Who Did This...
I received a call from one of the detectives working this case.nbsp; He informed me that the culprit was caught in Murrieta, California (a neighboring town to my office) attempting further robberies/fraud; plead guilty to the charges and received a four-year prison term.

nbsp;

Were Eight Years Old

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 16:40:10 GMT

Todd Olivas Associates has been in business for eight years today!nbsp; Weve grown from being just me in a one bedroom apartment to having four full-time employees and two part-timers, out of three offices in three time zones.nbsp; Thanks to Lori, Sherry, Nancy, Mayra, Joy and John for helping me build, maintain and grow the agency.nbsp; I have had so many great experiences over the past eight years that its hard to recount them all.nbsp; Suffice to say that its been a fascinatingnbsp;journey.nbsp; Im looking forward to years Nine and Ten for sure but at the same time... Year Eight -- NOW -- is pretty good.

We have weathered the recession astoundingly well.nbsp; In fact, I wrote a press release about it here: Court reporting is a Recession Resistant Profession http://www.toddolivas.com/press_releases/Court-Reporting-is-a-Recession-Resistant-Profession.asp

Finally, thanks to our clients new and old who we aim to please each and every day!

Todd

Number 7 Be Consistent - 10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:45:09 GMT

As I was saying. So if you eat too many donuts then you will see results.nbsp; And those results might not be totally awesome.nbsp; In fact, they might suck.nbsp; Your waist line will expand until you are as big as a house.nbsp; A very large, 5 bedroom house.nbsp; With lots of unused gym equipment in the basement.

The same thing goes for everything in life.nbsp; Whatever you do consistently, you will see results in.nbsp; Whether good or bad or productive or destructive or fattening.

Take shaving, for example.nbsp; If I dont shave, I see results in the length of the hair growing on my face.nbsp; I tend to look a little bit more dangerous and my wife hates to kiss me and my children run in fear.nbsp; My dog, at least, is oblivious.nbsp; But thats beside the point.

My point is in order to become a court reporter you have to be consistent innbsp; practicing on the steno machine.nbsp; Practice every day. even on weekends and Christmas.nbsp; Practice when you are hungover.nbsp; Or better yet, skip Happy Hour altogether and practice until your little nubby fingers bleed.

And dont play hookey.nbsp; Playing hookey leads to losing motivation in school and subsequently quitting.nbsp; Remember: dropping out of court reporting school doesnt pay very well.nbsp;

Let me drive my point home.nbsp; If you skip school all the time, you are only hurting yourself.nbsp; If you attend school every day you will see positive results.nbsp; I promise.nbsp; Thats the way the universe works, folks.nbsp;

If you type your tests instead of waste time on Facebook, you will achieve your goal a lot sooner.nbsp; So stay in school, kids.nbsp; Type your tests.nbsp; Listen to your teachers.nbsp; Being a court reporter is awesome and I want that for you if you can just make it through school.nbsp;

And finally, if you eat donuts too much you will get fat.

No degree is required but HIGHLY recommended

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:04:20 GMT

Its true!nbsp; You can walk right out of high school, right into a court reporting program, and then right into the field.nbsp; No degree is required.nbsp; However, see the pic below...

Put on your legalese glasses for a moment.nbsp;nbsp;Here in California according to BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE: SECTION 8020-8027.5:

8020.nbsp; Any person over the age of 18 years, who has not committed any acts or crimes constituting grounds for the denial of licensure under Sections 480, 8025, and 8025.1, who has a high school education or its equivalent as determined by the board, and who has satisfactorily passed an examination under any regulations that the board may prescribe, shall be entitled to a certificate and shall be styled and known as a certified shorthand reporter. No person shall be admitted to the examination without first presenting satisfactory evidence to the board that the applicant has obtained one of the following:
nbsp;nbsp; (a) One year of experience in making verbatim records of depositions, arbitrations, hearings, or judicial or related proceedings by means of written symbols or abbreviations in shorthand or machine shorthand writing and transcribing these records.
nbsp;nbsp; (b) A verified certificate of satisfactory completion of a prescribed course of study in a recognized court reporting school or a certificate from the school that evidences an equivalent proficiency and the ability to make a verbatim record of material dictated in accordance with regulations adopted by the board contained in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.
nbsp;nbsp; (c) A certificate from the National Court Reporters Association demonstrating proficiency in machine shorthand reporting.
nbsp;nbsp; (d) A passing grade on the California state hearing reporters examination.
nbsp;nbsp; (e) A valid certified shorthand reporters certificate or license to practice shorthand reporting issued by a state other than California whose requirements and licensing examination are substantially the same as those in California.

The abovenbsp;basically says the following things you should be aware of before going for a California CSR license:

No minors allowednbsp; (Pheeeew!nbsp; 18+ only please)
No convicted criminals allowednbsp;(But if youve never been caught, youre in!)
Must have a high school education (Oxymoron not intended)

Gadhafi rues the good old days of court reporters and gift giving

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 01:00:35 GMT

Certain court reporting agencies offer gifts and incentives (aka bribes) to attorneys for using their services. The practice is flatly unethical and Todd Olivas Associates does not participate in that.nbsp;nbsp;However, watch this exclusive video ofnbsp;General Gadhafi as he describes his feeling about this anti-gift giving movement afoot...

For more serious reading about the tax consequences of law firms accepting gifts from court reporting agencies, please go here: http://www.caldra.org/tax_memo.asp

10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do - Number 8 Get Back to Basics

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:26:01 GMT

Alexander Graham Bell once said, "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." For a court reporting student or even a working reporter, preparation means reviewing your theory. Yes, I said REVIEW YOUR THEORY. There is never a time during your career as a reporter that theory is not important. Check out my new video Top 10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do To Get Out of School (with your sanity intact). Watch and learn about Tip # 8 - Get Back to Basics!

Court Reporting Tool Slasher Updated

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:08:45 GMT

Dear Todd, I came upon your slashing text tool recently and think its great. Im sharing it with other instructors here at the Maryland Community College System Court Training Program. It works great! Just last week, I was assigned to teach high-speed (160-225) classes. I usually mark my tests in 15 second increments. Your slashing tool only goes up to slashes for 30 words (120 wpm). Could you modify your program for 35, 40, 45, 50, and 56 words to use for 140, 160, 180, 200, and 225 tests? Thanks a bunch!

- J.K. from Maryland

Hi, J.K.
nbsp;
I am so glad you are getting some use out of my Slasher tool.nbsp; Your suggestion was great so I had it implemented as you requested.nbsp; Please check it out now and let me know if its working the way you suggested.nbsp;nbsp;Thanks again!
nbsp;
Todd

Go check out the Slasher improvements:
http://www.toddolivas.com/court_reporting_articles/slasher-court-reporting-teacher-tool.asp

10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do - Number 9- Do What They Tell Ya

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:59:23 GMT

Court reporter Todd Olivas gives his famous Top 10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do To Get Out of School (with your sanity intact).nbsp; Watch and learn about Tip #nbsp;9 - Do What They Tell Ya!

The they that I am referring to is your school.nbsp; Do what your school tells you to do.nbsp; The are experts in producing court reporters -- not to mention that you are paying them for this!

Now watch my new video:

What Every Court Reporter Should Know About Sending In Exhibits

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:39:26 GMT

A few key things to remember when sending in exhibits:
nbsp;
Please make sure you include any notes that will be important for our benefit.nbsp; For example: double sided pages, color pages, over-sized plans, et cetera.

Tell Us About Any Exhibits That Require Our Immediate Attention
We have received exhibits that needed to be copied and sent out to either an attorney or the witness. Be clear to explain what needs to be done withnbsp;certain exhibit(s).

Example:
(Original Exhibit 3 needs to be sent to Witness Jones at the following address...; keep copy for original transcript)

Make Sure Exhibits Are Marked
Please make sure that the exhibits have been marked. If the exhibits are considered to be un-marked please let us know that as well.

Specify The Deponentnbsp; Job number
Please also make sure you include a note or your job sheet to let us know who the exhibits belong to or our TOA job number so we can enter them onto our system.

When Uploading Exhibits...
If you are uploading exhibits through our website, please do not forget to send in the original exhibits that need to be placed into the original transcript. We understand that in some circumstances the original exhibits dont have to be attached to the original.nbsp; Please let us know on your worksheet aboutnbsp;any special requests.

When Mailing in Exhibits...
You can use any service you would like. But if you have any difficulties give us a call and we would gladly assist you in any way that we can.

Our mailing address is:nbsp;
Todd Olivas Associates
41690 Enterprise Circle North, Suite 200CC
Temecula, Ca 92590

10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do - Number 10 - Show Up!

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:35:10 GMT

Court reporter Todd Olivas gives his famous Top 10 Things Court Reporting Students Must Do To Get Out of School (with your sanity intact).nbsp; Watch and learn about Tip # 10 - Show Up!

There is nothing that I can do for you if you dont AT LEAST show up for school.nbsp; Dont be like me.nbsp; Dont skip school or cut class.nbsp; Remember, playing hookey doesnt pay very well.

Now watch my new video:

$1000 Student Scholarships!

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:58:56 GMT

The Deposition Reporters Association is offering three scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to deserving court reporting students, currently enrolled in an approved court reporting program, who are in the 180-and-above speed classes, in qualifier classes, or sitting for the California CSR exam. An applicant sitting for the CSR must continue to be enrolled in school and maintain excellent attendance. The scholarship is intended to be used for school-related and court reporting-related expenses and may be used at the discretion of the recipient.

http://www.caldra.org/scholarship_application.asp

Top 10 Things Reporters Should Remember When Turning in Jobs

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:42:24 GMT

Fill out your worksheet correctly
Always make sure you have your information correct: Case name, Deponents, Attorneys, etc.

Have all information correct on order form
When the attorneys are filling out the order form, inform us if they have any specifications. For example, the quantity, if they just want an e-tran or a mini, a copy of the video, etc.

Inform us of special exhibits
For example, if there are two sided exhibits, color exhibits, plans, or anything in the exhibits that require our insight.

When mailing in exhibits...
Please include your worksheet or anything indicating what you have sent, make sure you have marked your exhibits, when we can expect your e-tran, if the job is expedited, or any information that would be beneficial to us.

Certifications
Californian/Arizonian reporters: we have some of your certs. All other state reporters, please make sure you send in your certs with your exhibits and worksheets. (If you are sending it through email make sure you have also included your certs.) Dont forget to sign them.

Reporter Instructions
Be clear and detailed if you have specific instructions for the Production Department. For example, attorney Mr. X wants the unmarked documents to be added to his transcript but not on the remaining attorneys. Please mail back the unmarked documents to witness Ms. ABC at the address provided below. Or Exhibit 145- Please make a copy and send original back to witness. You get the picture...

Please Turn In Jobs on a Timely Matter
We arent saying to Rush on them but our turnaround time to our clients is 14 days. So give yourself enough time to complete your job and send it to us.

Upload Your Job
Make sure you upload your job to our system. You should have received an email with upload instructions.nbsp; Refer to that email for the proper place on our website.

Always Double Check Your Work
Double check to make sure everything is in order and set to go.

Please Call If You Have Questions
Dont feel as if you cant call us. Give us a call (888) 566-0253 if you have any questions or concerns.

Kill the Mistress How to Stop Working and Enjoy Your Time Off

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:36:03 GMT

As any court reporter will tell you, the work day never stops.nbsp; Even after a full day of court, deposition or hearings we still have to go home and continue editing, scoping and proofreading.nbsp; When does it stop?nbsp; Never.nbsp; Or until you retire or run away to the circus.

Most of you have home offices where all this homework gets done; right?nbsp; I typically sit in front of the TV with my laptop and continue to do work-related stuff after hours.nbsp; And all that is fine for a certain amount of time.nbsp; Say, Monday through Friday.nbsp; But what is the net benefit to your quality of life if it extends past that?nbsp; What about Saturdays and Sundays and holidays?nbsp; At a certain point you have to force yourself to stop working and as Ive rather crudely coined it Kill the Mistress.

(If youre not into mistresses, insert your own cruel master here.)

Other Names The Mistress Goes By:

Getting ahead
Catching up
Work
Scoping
Editing
Proofreading
Marking exhibits
Billing
Invoicing
Writing Collection Letters

A Rampant Mistress Will Cause You To Be:

Constantly tired
Constantly irritable
Never enjoying your family
Never content in the moment
Joyless
Wrinkled in the forehead
Overweight
Overwhelmed with work
Underwhelmed with life

What Things Could You Do More Effectively If You Killed Your Mistress?

Enjoy down time
Appreciate your kids instead of them being annoying
Have a peaceful, non-work environment during off hours
Actually have off hours
Exercise
Look sexier and less stressed

Ways To Kill The Mistress

Turn off all technology after hours
Make plans to do something else, thus leaving no option for anything else
Utilize every possible moment during work hours to avoid even having to do homework

Final Questions

Could you learn to scope at the time of the job instead of doing it later?
Could you bring proofreading with you in case the parties are late?
Could you hire a scopist so you can relax more?
Could you beef up your realtime skills so you have fewer untranslates and have to spend less time cleaning them up?

KILL THE MISTRESS!

nbsp;

Online court reporting programs, do they work?

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:10:11 GMT

Hi Todd, I recently found your blog and its very informative! I appreciate you taking the time to let us hear more about the life of a court reporter. I was a student in court reporting school and I did not like the school at all. It felt very unprofessional and frankly I think I would just do better with an online program because of how much I work. Also another factor was that it was very expensive. I cant afford something very expensive because Im paying for school on my own and I was wondering if there were any successful schools that you knew people graduated from that were online and affordable. Thanks so much for your time.
- Former Student innbsp;California

Hi there, thanks for writing to me and for your compliments on my blog.nbsp; I have tried to make it somewhat interesting and informative for students and reporters alike.nbsp; So its a pleasure to get emails like yours with some feedback on how Im doing.

I am very sorry you did not like the school you attended.nbsp; You didnt mention which one it was, but I can assure you that every school that Ive visited in California is AT LEAST professional.nbsp; They are not all created equal, to be sure, but there are standards set forth by the CRB to meet beforenbsp;even being able to offer reporting classes.nbsp; So Im a little disappointed to hear that one of them left you with a negative impression.nbsp; That being said, I have heard of a lot of former students continuing their education with online courses.nbsp; So many people have to work day jobs and have families and kids to raise, that it makes sense.nbsp; And, yes, cost is a contributing factor.

To answer your question -- whether or not I know of any successful online programs with real world graduates -- the answer is no, I do not.nbsp; That does not mean that they do not exist.nbsp; I am simply saying that I personally do not know of any working reporters who came up through the ranksnbsp;via an online curriculum.nbsp; Please dont be discouraged by that, however.nbsp; It is most definitely possible to complete the training and sit for the California CSR allnbsp;by practicing withnbsp;online classes.nbsp; Its just that I dont have personal experience or know of anyone currently who has done it that way.

Most importantly, keep up the hard work.nbsp; Stay focused.nbsp; Stay connected to other students in the real world, and you can do this!

-Todd

Skype depositions

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:28:00 GMT

We just did our first Skype deposition.nbsp; If you are not familiar with Skype, heres the primer.nbsp; Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free.nbsp; Did you hear me, F-R-E-E!nbsp; Granted, Skype is not a replacement for true videoconferencing but the cost differences are profound.nbsp; Did you hear me, P-R-O-F-O-U-N-D!

Hownbsp;does all thisnbsp;work?
Here is how it works.nbsp; My court reporter (a very experienced CSR) and the deponent (a very well known expert doctor) and a laptop equipped with Skype were in my conference facility at one of my rented offices in Newport Beach, California.nbsp; My client and opposing counsel were both in Dayton, Ohio.nbsp; At the appointed time, 9:00 a.m. PST (12:00 EST) we did a dry run of the connection between the two Skype accounts.nbsp; That all went just fine.nbsp; Both sides were able to see and hear adequately.nbsp; Perhaps, most importantly, the court reporter was able to hear as well.nbsp; (Remember, these are just laptop speakers Im talking about.)

The doctor was skeptical about Skypes ability to handle this type of meeting.nbsp; We even joked a little in the beginning about Skype being merely a consumer level product typically used just for grandparents Skyping across the country to see their grandkids.nbsp; Still, the quality of the picture is good enough on both ends to get the job done.

How did it all turn out?
The deposition went off without a hitch.nbsp;nbsp;In fact, we have had more troublenbsp;doing speaker phone depositionsnbsp;before than this!nbsp; I believe that we will see more and more of these types of ways of conducting depositions.nbsp; The absence of travel and expensive videoconferencing costs certainly makes it an attractive alternative.

Call us if you want to schedule a Skype deposition near you!

How to launch a new court reporting community website that does not suck

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:28:34 GMT

Heres a burning question I am sure that has kept you up at night... Hownbsp;do I nbsp;launch a new court reporting community website that does not suck? There are a million reasons to not try new things in life.nbsp; Heres a partial list of some of the biggies:

It will be hard
Im afraid
I hate change
It might be uncomfortable
Im afraid it might not succeed
Im afraid it might succeed
A unicorn might eat me

Of all the reasons listed above, I can relate to each one.nbsp; Some more than others, yes. :)
I have used them all at various times to avoid trying something...nbsp; Heres a partial list of some of the things I have avoided trying:

Asking that girl out (at first)
Asking for a raise
Mushrooms
Joining a sports team
Holding public office
Looking for unicorns

Maybe my life has seriously been depleted of all promise since Ive avoided those things.nbsp; I said, maybe.nbsp; Because truth be told, I have forged ahead on many things that have initially been scary or weird:

Being in a band
Starting court reporting school
Becoming a CSR
Getting my own clients
Starting a court reporting agency
Having kids, changing poopy diapers

And now, I am proud to add the following feat to my list of previously-unattempted-due-to-fear-of-failure tasks:

Start a social media website for court reporters called readback.org

Ah, yes, that was indeed a long lead in merely to announce readback.org.nbsp; But, thanks for bearing with me as I describe what exactly it is that I have done.

Oh, No!nbsp; What Have I Done?
Readback.org is a website that is specfically for court reporters, depositions reporters, and students.nbsp; It is designed to function as a Q A site but with the added versatility of being able to vote on the best answers.nbsp; Plus there is a social networking component to it.nbsp; You can invite friends, you can tell Facebook that you Recommmend It, you can subscribe to it, you can follow it on Twitter, you can take it with you on long walks,nbsp; blah blah blah.

Arent There A Million Such Sites as Readback.org?nbsp; Why Another One?
There are seemingly a million (at least) websites out there, for sure.nbsp; Not many of them are dedicated strictly to our fine reporting profession.nbsp; The few that are, are doing a fine job.nbsp; For example, I like www.depoman.com, www.courtreporterconnect.com, and formerly www.csrnation.com (RIP).nbsp; I chime in to Depoman now and again.nbsp; Its a neat forum.nbsp; However, readback.org is not a forum in the Web 1.0 sense.nbsp; Meaning, what makes readback.org so different is that it is not designed for discussion.nbsp; Yes, discussion of topics will take place.nbsp; You can comment and chirp away all you want.nbsp; But the end goal is to share information on a One-Question-to-One-Answer basis.nbsp;

Here is what I mean: youll notice that in most forums, someone will post something along the lines of:

Help with this please...
What the hay...
Does anyone else feel this way?...
Whatcha talkin bout Willis?...

And then a bunch of folks will chime in with their takes on exactly what Willis is indeed talking about.nbsp; (Please let me know since Im still at a loss.)nbsp; While there may be some useful interchange going on -- and specifically on the sites I mentioned above, there is -- but the threads meander.nbsp; They swerve and dodge to where they were never intended.nbsp; They take twists and turns.nbsp; So in effect were you to start a post entitled, Do you have a brief for curmudgeon? You would get a few correct answers, yes, but only if you sift through page after page of interesting yet irrelevant anecdotes like:

I once knew this old lawyer who used that word so many times that my head fell off...
I have never heard of that word, what does it mean?
I once knew a unicorn with a curmudgeonly grin...

Nice stories but what the poster really wanted to know was if someone had a great brief for curmudgeon.nbsp; Thats it.nbsp; No offense to the yarn spinners.nbsp; But its true. The poster asked a question and wants an answer.nbsp; (The best or most correct one possible.)

Readback.org is specifically designed -- via the ability to vote on the best answer -- to make sure that the best answers are at the top.nbsp; So at the end of the day, the question is followed by the answer.nbsp; No hunting and digging looking for the golden nugget answer.nbsp; No wasted time.nbsp; No unnecessary (yet fascinating) unicorn diatribe.nbsp;

Readback.org is not a great place to post questions that cannot be answered, in an objective sense.nbsp; The site is best used for marrying together a very specific question with the most correct and best answer possible.nbsp; Itsnbsp;the holy matrimony of Qnbsp;+ A.nbsp; Not Q + Opinion + Opinion + Rant + Opinion + Unicorn.

Here is an example of some great questions that have already been asked and answered:

Here are some that are not as great, due to their subjective nature:

So, Im trying something new here.nbsp; I have launched this thing in the hopes that it accomplishes the following goals:

I hope it grows to 30,000 members
I hope to have 100,000 questions with at least two answers each
I hope it becomes a trusted resource for court reporters to find answers
I hope it helps the court reporting community share information
I hope it doesnt suck

Will you help me by joining readback.org and interacting with the Q A community that is already developing over there?nbsp; If you have insanely made it through this entire blog post, then you must care about the court reporting community.nbsp; A whole boat load!nbsp; And thus, you probably know a thing a two that would be helpful to share with others.

Check out www.readback.org!

nbsp;

1 800 COURT REPORTER

Thu, 1 Apr 2010 13:22:46 GMT

Anybody got a spare $40,000 to purchase 1 800 COURT REPORTER?nbsp; I just got contacted by a telephone broker trying to sell menbsp;that phone number.nbsp; I figured it would be expensive but not that expensive! I politely wrote back, Too rich for my blood.nbsp; Thats what I wrote, anyway.nbsp; What I was thinking was more along the lines of, Youd have to be an idiot to purchase that phone number at that price.

Why this would be a bad idea

Having a catchy phone number is not a marketing plan (Unless you have millions of dollars to buy television commercials like 1 800 FLOWERS.)
There is a reason someone gave up that number.nbsp; MMMM, could it be that it didnt yield enough business to justify an exhorbitant ownership fee?
Having a catchy phone number will not make the phone ring more.
Clients are not in the mindset -- and havent been since the 80s -- to randomly call 1 800 WHATEVER.nbsp; Nowadays, people use the internet to search first.
I could go on and on...

What else can someone do with 40k?

I could buy a brand new 2010 Chevy Tahoe
Inbsp;could hire another collections person @ 40k/year salary
I could buy 40,000 lottery tickets

Either way, I am passing on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy 1 800 COURT REPORTER.nbsp; Do you think Im crazy?nbsp; You can call me at 1 800 TODD OLIVAS to discuss.nbsp; (Just kidding)

Im hosting an event in my office

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:16:24 GMT

Ive decided to partner up with Stenograph in order to co-host an event right here at my office in Temecula, CA.nbsp; All CSRs and students are invited.nbsp; The cost is free but you must register.nbsp; Hopefully, this will be an exciting event that well all want to make an on-going event...

(Click this image to download the PDF flyer)

Good Morning, CSR!
A meet-and-greet mixer with fellow reporters and students. Held at my office in Temecula, California. There will be a presentation by Stenograph, LLC.

Saturday, April 24th, 2010
10:00 - 12:00 noon

Schedule:
10:00 10:30 Meet Greet.nbsp; Welcome by Toddnbsp;(+ coffee, juice water)
10:30 11:30nbsp;Stenograph presentation
11:30 12:00 Q A, survey, raffle prizes, wrap up

Registration:
Send an email to registration at toddolivas.com

Admission:
Free! But you must register

Intended for:
CSRs and students

Location:
Todd Olivas Associates, Inc.
41690 Enterprise Circle North
Temecula, CA 92590

Whos in?

nbsp;

Steno Equipment

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:23:12 GMT

This blog post is now dedicated to steno equipment information, repair, and discussion.nbsp; I am going to open it up to Allan Dyer of http://oteconline.com/ to be my resident expert in this.nbsp; Allan has a company specializing in this area.nbsp;

Here is what this blog will be about:

Posting weekly technical tips about the writer and related CAT software questions
Answering questions that people post about the same
Monitoring it daily, on weekdays, to see if anyone has any questions or comments.

nbsp;

West Valley College

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:51:32 GMT

Dear Reporters Concerned About Court Reporting School Closures,

We hope you have a really great job on Tuesday, March 16, 2010; however, if you dont, we would very much appreciate your presence at the West Valley College Academic Senate meeting at which the Court Reporting Department will present its case for continuance. The presentation will take place in Rm. 120 of the new Fox Center located on the Fruitvale Avenue side of campus. The meeting will begin at 2:10 p.m. with presentations from the college administration and the Court Reporting Department. Comments from the public will begin at approximately 3:00. Each side will have approximately one-half hour for comments from the public, up to three minutes each. No need to RSVP. Were working on free parking and I will update as soon as I get confirmation.

The outstanding petition signed by so many DRA members will provide extremely significant evidence in our favor. On behalf of our students and staff, I thank you for your strong support.

Sincerely,

Linda Lawson
Court Reporting and Related Technologies Department
West Valley College
14000 Fruitvale Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070
408-741-2439
408-499-6862

Petition: http://www.caldra.org/Save%20WVC%20Petition.doc

nbsp;

2 court reporting domains for sale

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 14:00:07 GMT

I am offering two of the best court reporting related domains for sale.nbsp;

courtreporter.co.uk
courtreporting.co.uk

I originally purchased the domains in order to build out a UK online presence.nbsp; Time and priorities have taken me down a different path.nbsp; So they are now for sale.nbsp; If anybody wants to make me a reasonable offer for these one-of-a-kind domain names, please contact me at domainsForSale (at) toddolivas.com.nbsp; Only serious inquiries need apply.

Thank yoU!

nbsp;

California CSRs go by California code. Period. End of story.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:08:26 GMT

Question: In a nutshell, whats a California CSRs duty to abide by another state (say, Arizonas) regs codes regarding the signature and changes made to a deposition?nbsp;nbsp;For example, if you do a job in CA for a case venued in AZ where the client demands you do this and that according to some codesnbsp;in AZ law -- whatcha gonna do?

Answer: As of the first of this year -- January 1, 2010 -- a law went into effect that essentially says that for depositions taken in CA, even by out-of-state attorneys, CA law will apply.nbsp; Further, it is an entirely moot point as to what Arizona law says, whether the citing attorney is interpreting it correctly or not.nbsp;

The new language is in the section at the end here, (see below) in 2029.500.nbsp;nbsp; Included are the beginning paragraphs of this series of sections to give you the lead-in where it defines a foreign jurisdiction as any state other than CA.nbsp; The final paragraph is a bit convoluted, but the basic effect of the new section is that CA laws regarding deposition procedure are to apply to any discovery under this article, and that discovery would be any conducted in CA even from out-of-state jurisdictions.

nbsp;

2029.100.nbsp; This article may be cited as the Interstate and
International Depositions and Discovery Act.

2029.200.nbsp; In this article:
nbsp;nbsp; (a) Foreign jurisdiction means either of the following:
nbsp;nbsp; (1) A state other than this state.
nbsp;nbsp; (2) A foreign nation.
nbsp;nbsp; (b) Foreign subpoena means a subpoena issued under authority of
a court of record of a foreign jurisdiction.
nbsp;nbsp; (c) Person means an individual, corporation, business trus
estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association,
joint venture, public corporation, government, or governmental
subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or
commercial entity.
nbsp;nbsp; (d) State means a state of the United States, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, a federally recognized
Indian tribe, or any territory or insular possession subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States.
nbsp;nbsp; (e) Subpoena means a document, however denominated, issued under
authority of a court of record requiring a person to do any of the
following:
nbsp;nbsp; (1) Attend and give testimony at a deposition.
nbsp;nbsp; (2) Produce and permit inspection and copying of designated books,
documents, records, electronically stored information, or tangible
things in the possession, custody, or control of the person.
nbsp;nbsp; (3) Permit inspection of premises under the control of the person.

2029.500.nbsp; Titles 3 (commencing with Section 1985) and 4 (commencing
with Section 2016.010) of Part 4, and any other law or court rule of
this state governing a deposition, a production of documents or
other tangible items, or an inspection of premises, including any law
or court rule governing payment of court costs or sanctions, apply
to discovery under this article.

nbsp;

All depos in California must follow Minimum Transcript Format Standards

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:52:02 GMT

California deposition reporters be aware of the change in the law regarding the Minimum Transcript Format Standards.nbsp; This change is effective as of January 1, 2010.nbsp; (Sorry this blog announcement is only now forth coming, but it is what it is.)nbsp; All depos in California must follow Minimum Transcript Format Standards per Code of Civil Procedure 2029.500.nbsp; Be Aware or Be Fined and Cited!!

This change in CCP 2029.500 clarifies that any deposition taken in California must be taken in compliance with all California laws, which would include the Minimum Transcript Format Standards (MTFS). Previously, the CRB interpretation of current law was that the MTFS are followed unless the jurisdiction in which the case is venued has its own format.nbsp; Not any longer!

nbsp;

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/CCP/3/4/4/12/1/s2029.500

Court reporter cant find her crackers

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 18:59:48 GMT

Funny video alert! Did you see this funny Saturday Night Live spoof of the wackiest court reporter ever to work in court? She cant find her crackers and types on a manual typewriter! Apparently some reporters are offended by this sense of humor. But I cant see why. Have a sense of a humor, people! Check it out and let me know what you all think. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then!

What to do when the agency doesnt pay you

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:08:31 GMT

Hi Todd: I came across your blog last night and enjoyed reading it. I have a unique issue, however, that has not yet been addressed. I am a freelance reporter, and agreed to accept jobs from a new firm in CITY. In the last month, two consecutive checks were returned insufficient funds. After calling the owner, I was told her accounts were frozen. There is still approximately $2,500 outstanding, in addition to the bad checks, and now I have an O5 that is due for her firm. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

I hate hearing stories like this.nbsp; Unfortunately, its not an unheard of situation.nbsp; The fact that the owners accounts were frozen does not portend well for getting paid very quickly.nbsp; Because if things are that bad over there, rest assured that you are not the only one waiting for money.nbsp; Who knows what other bills are piling up.

Dont Hold the Transcript Hostage (as fun as that would be)!
To add insult to injury, and as distasteful as it might seem right now, I would advise you to still turn in the O + 5 job.nbsp; The reason for that is NOT as a favor to this firm but rather as your professional and ethical duty to NOT delay the underlying case or the parties.nbsp; I know it may seem like you are giving up your only leverage left, but that is the right thing to do as far as your duties as the deposition officer.

To quote NCRAs Advisory Opinion 39:

The Committee believes that the court reporter has an ethical obligation to produce the transcript in a timely manner and that this obligation takes precedence over any internal dispute between the reporter and agency owner.

Unfortunately, I think that your situation fits the opinion here.nbsp; Im sorry!

Still, you have lots of recourse.nbsp; Here is what I would do:

Attempt to inundate the firm with polite but persistent phone calls for your money.nbsp; You could also enlist the help of a persuasive money collector like the one I use: Cynthia Dusenbery.
If none of the above verbal communications work, write a letter to the firm stating your grievances with them and the total of the outstanding monies.nbsp; In this letter provide payment options and a firm deadline to respond.
If they do not act on your payment options, on the day immediately following the expired deadline, file a small claims lawsuit in the appropriate venue.

Best of luck!nbsp; I am sure you will get your money eventually.

nbsp;

Court reporter pay

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:57:57 GMT

How much do court reporters really earn? Here is a random sampling of some of the most recent checks weve written to reporters. While no specific reporter or case information is given, you can see what ZIP code the reporter lives in as well as an itemization of the job.

Riverside Court Reporting

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 03:09:02 GMT

Just launched a new mini-website dedicated tonbsp;Riverside court reporting.nbsp; I have felt for a long time that I should cultivate a stronger web presence for Riverside, California, but its taken me this long to gather up enough resources and time to launch the site.nbsp; Well, the wait was worth it.nbsp; We just launched about 10 minutes ago (about 11:50 p.m. on December 7, 2009).nbsp; And I can say that Im well pleased with the results and not just a little tired.

The site adequately lists all of the court reporting services that we provide in Riverside:

Court reporters, interpreters, videographers, et cetera
Real-time
Document depository
Asciis, minis (the usual goodies)
Conference rooms

We have two conference facilities there including:

3989 Lemon Street
Riverside, CA
11801 Pierce Street
Riverside, CA

There are also some articles written specifically for the site:

Oh, by the way, my beautiful wife Jennifer makes an appearance on the header banner.nbsp; Shes the blonde at the conference table.nbsp;nbsp;At the time (March 2008) she was about three months pregnantnbsp;but itsnbsp;way too early to tell by just looking,nbsp;though.nbsp; The photo was taken by our good friend Brad Washburn of http://www.bradwashburnphotography.com/.nbsp;

I hope you enjoy the new website dedicated to all things court reporting in Riverside.

-Todd

nbsp;

Court reporter saves the day when audio recording is not so audible

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 02:09:33 GMT

I found this article about a trial in Arkansas.nbsp; Ill spare you the gruesome details about a man dying after chewing some Fentanyl patches. ( Whatever those are.)nbsp;The crux of the article is that a tapednbsp;interview between the perp and police was inaudible so they tasked the court reporter to transcribe it.nbsp; The unnamed reporter deserves a badge of honor for wading through the tape, apparently, due to its poor quality.

Portions of the tape were difficult to hear and the parties moved to different parts of the courtroom, including by a speaker near the jury box.nbsp; In order to evaluate your questions, Im going to have to hear this tape as well as you did. Marczuk said he had listened to it numerous times, and volunteered to have the tape enhanced with additional technology.nbsp; However, Webb decided to rely on the court reporter to use the technology of the courts transcription equipment to transcribe the tape for him.

Read the full article here.

nbsp;

We offer court reporting services in the following Arkansas towns:

Court Reporter Bentonville Arkansas
609 SW 8th Street, Bentonville AR

Court Reporter Little Rock Arkansas
9th Commerce / MacArthur Park, Little Rock AR

Court Reporter Little Rock Arkansas
3201 Bankhead Dr., Little Rock AR

Court Reporters in Tennessee get a Board finally

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 01:41:13 GMT

Im a big fan of court reporter boards.nbsp; My home state of California has a great one as do many other states.nbsp; Tennessee just got theirs (finally) as well as a prestigious attorney on their seven-member board.nbsp;nbsp; The Memphis Daily News recently wrote an interesting article/interview with Earl W. Houston II, an attorney appointed by Governor Phil Bredesen.

Here is a snippet of the article:

Q: Many people think that with todays technology, court reporters are a thing of the past. Are court reporters used with as much frequency today as in prior years?

A: Yes. According to most publications, jobs in the court reporting sector are steadily increasing. Court reporters perform many functions, such as recording official proceedings in courtrooms, taking statements for lawyers during depositions and hearings and recording meetings, conventions and other events outside of the courtroom. Job opportunities for court reporters should increase in the future.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

The full article is located here: http://memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=46451

Nashville Court Reporters

Memphis Court Reporting

How a court reporter made history

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:28:48 GMT

Im not sure if this is true or not -- especially considering the source -nbsp; Jeffrey Toobin and Stephen Colbert.nbsp; Still, I thought this video was entertaining with regard to the comments about the court reporter in the case involving the United States Goverment actually considering corporations as people.nbsp;nbsp;

Here is the video.nbsp; Please enjoy the comedy and, again, consider the source ...

Im thankful for running water

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:32:27 GMT

There are many things to be thankful for right now.nbsp; Family, friends, health, and running water!nbsp; This past Sunday night, a pipe broke at my house.nbsp; I had to find a plumber on a Sunday evening!nbsp; Thats not an easy task.nbsp; I called several different companies, none of whom were open.nbsp; Finally, I hired one guy and he agreed to come out and fix the problem -- for $440.00.nbsp; Ouch!!

Long story short, he fixed the pipe by about 9:00 p.m. and we only went without running water for about seven hours.nbsp; When you cant wash your hands whenever you want to, you begin to appreciate littlenbsp;things like on-demand water.nbsp; This all made me think about other simple things that Im thankful for.nbsp; In no particular order:

Oxygen
Sunshine
Stars at night
The moon
The sound of wind in the trees
My wife
My kids
My full head of hair
Mexican food
Being able to type pretty fast
A great staff at work
A great church we belong to
Body pillows
Dogs
Cereal
Music and my guitar

I could go on and on...nbsp; What are some things that you take for granted?

nbsp;

Where do old steno machines go to die?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:52:46 GMT

My old steno machine, the one I used throughout my latter years in school as well as passed the CSR exam on -- THAT ONE -- is now a relic in my closet.nbsp; It weighs about 150 lbs.nbsp; The batteries are no longer available, Im told.nbsp; I hate to get rid of it (in a way), but I hate lugging around junk forever even more.

Any thoughts as to what I should do with my old Xscribenbsp;StenoRAM III+ ?

Donate it to science?
Donate it to a steno museum?
Donate it to my landfill?
Gut it and turn it into a flower pot?

Help me out, Everyone!

nbsp;

Should court reporting agencies be licensed?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:02:52 GMT

We all know that anbsp;license is required to become a certified shorthand reporter in California as well as many other states.nbsp; But should a court reporting agency also have some kind of similar requirement?nbsp;

Currently, several states already do.nbsp; Nevada, Texas, Georgia, among others.nbsp; I recently got a letter from the Nevada court reporters board explicitly outlining the illegalities of using non-registered (or un-licensed) court reporting agencies.nbsp; Of course, Im on the OK List, but if an agency is not and they advertise as being in business providing court reporters in the state of Nevada,nbsp; thats a crime!

Heres their letter:

It has come to the attention of the state of Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board that certain non-registered firms have engaged in the solicitation of contracts for court reporting through direct mail and email solicitation to Nevada attorneys.

This is to advise you that it is unlawful in the state of Nevada for any person to practice court reporting or advertise or put out any sign or card or other device which might indicate to the public that he is entitled to practice as a certified court reporter. To our knowledge, the owners of several national court reporting firms are not licensed and attempt to circumvent the laws of this jurisdiction by advertising, soliciting and contracting for work with attorneys, then independently contracting with licensed court reporters. This practice is not permitted by the laws of this jurisdiction and, in fact, may constitute a misdemeanor under NRS 656.350.

The conduct of these firms jeopardizes the licensing status of any local court reporter who is professionally associated with, or is loaning their name to the non-registered firm for the illegal practice of court reporting in Nevada. This oftentimes occurs when the certified court reporter allows their name to be used on a transcript of a proceeding under the business name of a firm whose owners are not licensed in Nevada, see NRS 656.250(7).

The purpose of this letter is to notify all duly certified court reporters in the state of Nevada that disciplinary action may be taken by the Board for violations of the provisions of Chapter 656 of the Nevada Revised Statutes. Pursuant to NRS 656.253, the Board may suspend or revoke a certificate or license if the Board determines that the certificate or license holder has committed any of the acts set forth in NRS 656.240 or 656.250.

nbsp;

Modesto Court Reporting

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 22:59:19 GMT

Im proud to announce weve found suitable conference suite space in Modesto, California.nbsp; Click here to see our Modesto court reporting suite which is conveniently located within the Modesto law library.nbsp; Why did we choose Modesto?nbsp; Good question.nbsp; There have been a multitude of inquiries for a conference space here so it makes sense to open one where the demand already exists.

As the city of Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health,nbsp; Modesto has a lot to offer.nbsp; Its a very friendly city that feels like a small town with some big city amenities.nbsp; On a cultural note, film producer George Lucas was born here and filmed his first movie America Graffitit on its street.

New Deposition Reporters Website

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 11:32:31 GMT

The Deposition Reporters Association has launched a new website.nbsp; The new site totally looks professional and kicks butt as far as functionality.nbsp; Theres a login system for members to update their own information.nbsp; Theres a shopping cart and tons of other database-driven features.nbsp; Please take a look and let the DRA know youre out there giving them your support in their fight against reporting agencies who contract and engage innbsp;gift giving.nbsp; Check it out: http://www.caldra.org.

Disclaimer: I made the new website.nbsp; :)

nbsp;

How I Work

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:16:57 GMT

I usually get up arond 6:00-ish.nbsp; If Im really motivated, make that 5:30 or 5:45 a.m.nbsp; Ill step downstairs, scan my Blackberry for any emergency emails that came in over the night.nbsp; Unless our web server is down or something technical like that has happened, theres not much to worry about at this time of the morning.nbsp; Mornings are my quiet time.nbsp; Ill typically spend about 30 minutes or more reading my Bible and/or journaling.nbsp; Ive always fought anxiety and worry.nbsp; My whole life growing up, my mom would call me a big worry wart.nbsp; I dont know where I got it.nbsp; Spending time in scripture sets the pace for my whole day.nbsp; I call it my rudder time.nbsp; Just like a rudder can steer a ship, so too my rudder time with God helps steer my day.

I will typically fire up my Toshiba laptop to login to the corporate bank account and see how the money is doing.nbsp; This is more out of habit than panic like in the old days.nbsp; I will basically balance the corporate books every single day like this.nbsp; I see what charges have gone through for conference room rentals and other charges that are coming out of the account.nbsp; I watch this like a hawk.nbsp; Whether or not you buy into the spiritual side of the Bible like I do, it contains simply great wisdom regarding the handling of money.nbsp; One of the take-way messages from Proverbs, for example, is know your sheep by name.nbsp; I interpret that to mean, know the state of your money affairs intimately; know exactly -- to the penny -- how much money you have and where its all going.nbsp;

By about 7:00 a.m. the household begins to awaken.nbsp; I have a one-year-old son and a daughter in middle school.nbsp; With my wifes help, mornings are all about diapers and bottles, lunches and last-minute homework.nbsp; Ill take a quick shower and only shave if I have to.nbsp; Unless I plan to see a client, I will dress casually in jeans and polo shirt and most likely flipflops.nbsp; Days where I go marketing or have to be in court, of course, Ill dress up in a suit.nbsp; I have noticed that when I shave, not only do I look younger but I tend to get a better response when meeting new potential clients.nbsp; Maybe I look more honest or something, I dont know.nbsp;

I dont eat breakfast most mornings.nbsp; Yeah, I know thats a bad habit.nbsp; If anything, I might have cup of coffee with some French Vanilla creamer.nbsp; Mostly though, I enjoy a nice big cup of iced water.nbsp; Theres something hugely refreshing about cold water in the morning.nbsp; Im not hungry anyway, so I kiss the kids and wifey goodbye and hit the road.

The office is about 30 minutes from my home.nbsp; I lease space close to where my employees all live as a conveniece for them.nbsp; I dont mind the drive since it gives me time to think about solutions to problems, brainstorm new ideas and have telephone conversations (if necessary).nbsp; I am probably more of an introvert than I should be but I cant help it.nbsp; Its just the way Im wired.nbsp; I do obviously communicate verbally (some would say rather well) but I prefer email or even (God forgive me) text message.nbsp; I have not taken the KoolAid on Twitter yet but who knows what the future may hold.nbsp; Anyway, back to the drive to work:nbsp; I always have a pad of paper to jot down my to-dos for the day.nbsp; Then I work from that list all during that day.nbsp; On my really good days, I can work through all the chore-type to-dos before noon.nbsp; My list may look something like:

Go through email in-box
Figure out this problem
Investigate whats going on with that issue
Order more of these or those
Have that difficult discussion with an employee/client/vendor/family member

In case you didnt know, Im not a working reporter.nbsp; I do miss the days of being on my machine but a few years back I had to make a decision about whether I wanted to be a court reporter or court reporting agency owner.nbsp; I chose the latter.nbsp; Its a much better fit for me for a lot of reasons, but I do miss steno and the excitement of being on the record.nbsp; When I arrive at the office, I like to immediately get cracking on my list of to-dos.nbsp; I dont allow myself to do any of the fun stuff until most of my toughies are handled.nbsp; This is more out of wise self-knowing than great discipline.nbsp; I know that if I get caught up in the stuff that I want to do, than the more mundane or unpleasant things will fall by the wayside.nbsp; So for instance, if I have to respond to an unhappy client -- something thats not very fun since I hate confrontation -- I will plan to do that first thing in my day rather than procrastinate until later.nbsp; I save the enjoyable things, like blogging or creating new marketing campaigns or working on other secret projects for later.nbsp; Thats another thing my mom used to say, Dinner first, then dessert.nbsp; Or something like that.nbsp; Thats probably why I got a little fat as an adult -- all that dessert, you see.nbsp; Anway, I digress...

I usually forget about lunch and work right through.nbsp; So if youre keeping track, thats a total of zero food so far. I know, I know, thats a bad habit.nbsp; I keep our fridge stocked with diet Coke, water, and Gatorade.nbsp; Actually, of late Ive become quite a Coke Zero fan.nbsp; It tastes just like Coke Classic but with tons of healthy stuff added in -- ha ha -- at least thats what I heard.

Ill work until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. most days and then head home.nbsp; On the drive home, Ill call my wife to see how her day went and whats for dinner.nbsp; My favorite thing to do is pick up Thai food and eat in since its hard to take a baby to a restaurant and have anthing resembling a peacful dinner.nbsp; Once Im at home, its family time including kids baths, homework for the tweener, and bedtime for them by 8:30.nbsp; My wife and I typically will either watch a show together or work through one of our devotionals.nbsp; We read books on communication and are trying to learn how to become better spouses for each other.nbsp; Its a work in progress (on my part).

I try not to do any work after hours if I can avoid it.nbsp; Sometimes, however, I feel the need to do some late night research or actual work from my laptop.nbsp; Bedtime is around 10:30 and I do my best to make my last thoughts right before sleep not be about work.nbsp; I may read some encouragement from the book of Psalms or some light reading from my Inc. magazine.nbsp; I tend to stay away from fiction.nbsp; Anyway, Ive found that I sleep better when I put all that out of my mind and fall asleep thinking about non-work related stuff.nbsp;

Thats my day and thats how I work.

What is Halloween Good for?

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:47:44 GMT

I visited somenbsp;law firmnbsp;clients yesterday -- just my usual hey, how are you.nbsp; The difference was that I was dressed as Count Dracula.nbsp; As much fun asnbsp;it would benbsp;tonbsp;dress like Count Dracula every day of the year (not!), you can only get away with it once a year on or around Halloween.

As the Count, I encounterednbsp;a space girl, a pregnant nun, a hulu girl, a nasty nurse passing out N1H1-taintednbsp;blood, several witches, and anbsp;Kate Gosselin.nbsp; As you may have guessed, the Kate Gosselin was the scariest.nbsp; My costume was a great conversation starter and madenbsp;my visitnbsp;stand out even more.nbsp; I got to talk to secretaries that I normally would not have had access.nbsp; Its that vendor/client distance thing, you know.nbsp; Anyway, thats what Halloween was good for (for me)nbsp;this year.

How is your marketing standing out these days?nbsp;Is it blending in with the rest of the crowd.nbsp; Or are you at least attempting something creative and just going for it?

Questions to ask yourself:

What makes me unique as a court reporter/court reporting agency?
Where can I improve in showcasing that uniqueness (even just a little)?nbsp;

Im not surenbsp;mynbsp;inner vampirenbsp;qualifies as something uniquely unique for me, but at least I know I left a mark yesterday.nbsp; Mwuaaaaaaaa!

New Las Vegas Court Reporters

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:35:41 GMT

Congratulations to the newest Nevada court reporters!nbsp; The following people passed the Nevada certification exam held on September 19, 2009.nbsp;nbsp; They are now eligible to register as a certified court reporter in the state of Nevada.

Terri Hourigan
Francine Siebenthalnbsp;
Joanne Williamsnbsp;

Note:nbsp;nbsp; Please be aware that the people listed above are not permitted to practice court reporting in the state of Nevada until they file an application to register as a court reporter and pay all applicable fees to the Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board.

Court Reporter Henderson Nevada
871 Coronado Center Drive, Henderson NV

Court Reporter Henderson Nevada
701 North Green Valley Parkway, Henderson NV

Court Reporter Henderson Nevada
871 Coronado Center Drive, Henderson NV

Court Reporter Henderson Nevada
2850 Horizon Ridge Parkway, Henderson NV

Court Reporter Las Vegas Nevada
7251 West Lake Mead Boulevard, Las Vegas NV

Court Reporter Las Vegas Nevada
3960 Howard Hughes Parkway, Las Vegas NV

Court Reporter Pahrump Nevada
1301 S Highway 160, Pahrump NV

Court Reporter Reno Nevada

Atlanta Court Reporters, Do We Have a Job For You!

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 14:27:35 GMT

Recently the Douglas Judicial Circuit sent around a job announcement and I thought Id pass it along.

Who: Douglas Judicial Circuit, Douglasville, GA
Where: 26 minutes from west downtown Atlanta.
What: Be responsible for making a verbatim record of criminal and civil proceedings and other matters.
How much money? Sorry, the flyer doesnt say.

What is the nature of this Atlantanbsp;court reporting work?

Accurately records, transcribes and certifies the record of court and jury trial proceedings for a large number of criminal and civil matters;
Prepares and produce official transcripts and related documents within the required time limitations;
Ability to work well under pressure.

What will qualifynbsp;you for this work?

Requires a Georgia certificate and four years of court reporting experience in other courts or in the freelance field of service or a combination thereof.
Five years of court reporting experience as an official court reporter;
Holds the certificate designation of a Registered Professional Reporter or a Certified Verbatim Reporter.

Sounds good, want to apply?
Interested applicants must submit a letter of interest and resume to:

The Honorable David T. Emerson
Attn: Official Court Reporter/Independent Contractor Job Opening
Douglas Judicial Circuit
Douglas County Courthouse
8700 Hospital Drive
Douglasville, GA 30134
(770) 920-7377 fax
nbsp;

Depositions in Georgia

Hooking Up With Attorneys

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 12:11:36 GMT

Its now or never to start hooking up to attorneys laptops.nbsp; Learn tips on interactive realtime; get troubleshooting tips for those unexpected hiccups when it just doesnt seem to work.nbsp; More importantly, learn about the requirements in writing for interactive realtime:nbsp; word boundary issues, prefixes and suffixes, and eliminating conflicts.nbsp; You will leave this class with a well-rounded understanding of what it takes to hone your realtiming skills and how it will benefit you in this competitive market of tech-savvy reporters and other methods of making the record, such as digital recording.

Saturday, November 7, 2009nbsp;
8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
nbsp;
Cost: $99 for reporters; $49 for teachers; $29 for students
nbsp;
Sage College - Moreno Valley Campus
12125 Day St.
Moreno Valley, CA 92557-6720

Click here to register.

You Want Me to do What With Exhibits?

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 12:08:37 GMT

Module I of DRAs breakthrough curriculum focused on the specific, unique duties of the freelance CSR.nbsp; Can we really fill two hours about exhibits and make it interesting?nbsp;nbsp; Believe it.nbsp; Even the simple task of marking and maintaining hard copy exhibits in this virtual world can become burdensome for reporters and agencies.nbsp; CSRs have a serious duty in the proper receiving, marking and handling of exhibits.nbsp; Youll be surprised at the various ethical scenarios and the unpleasant consequences that can arise out of this seemingly straightforward part of our duties.

Do yourself a favor and attend the Deposition Reporters Associations curriculum on exhibits!

Saturday, November 7, 2009
nbsp;
8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Cost: $99 for reporters; $49 for teachers; $29 for students
nbsp;
Sage College - Moreno Valley Campus
12125 Day St.
Moreno Valley, CA 92557-6720

nbsp;

The Adventures of Depo Girl - Part 2

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:31:12 GMT

Jennie arrived 15 minutes early to her interview.nbsp; She wasnt sure how it would go but she was sure that she wanted to make a good impression. Black business suit check.nbsp; Minimal makeup check. Hair in that tight business bun -- check.nbsp; She was soon welcomed into a conference room by the receptionist and Mrs. Bakernbsp;began the interview process:

Mrs. Baker: Hello, how are you?

Depo Girl: Im doing fine a little nervous, maybe.nbsp; Nice place you have here.

Mrs. Baker: Oh, thank you. Now when did you pass your exam?

Depo Girl: Just two months ago.

Mrs. Baker: Are we the first firm you have interviewed with?

Depo Girl: Yes.nbsp; I did call some others, but I only faxed resumes.

Mrs. Baker: Well, I just want to tell you a bit about our company.nbsp; Weve been around for a few years but Ive reported for ten years prior to starting this company.nbsp; So I understand both sides of the business.nbsp; We have about 20-25 clients. Some schedule depositions regularly while others call us once in a while.nbsp; Most of our clients are male attorneys, so it is very important to me that our female reporters be dressed in way that our attorneys are kept happy.

Depo Girl: How are we supposed to dress?

Mrs. Baker: I would prefer skirts that are above the knees, blouses that are not baggy and high heels.

The interview continued but Jennie lost interest in working there when she realized that what Mrs. Baker was really saying was that she wanted a girl that could look pretty for the attorneys.nbsp; Still, Jennie was cordial and continued answering questions until the interview was done.nbsp; They had her phone number if they needed her, but Jennie decided in her mind that she would not give this agency any priority whatsoever.nbsp;

Once she got home she called another small agency in San Diego by the name of Jackson Reporters.nbsp; Surprisingly, the calendar coordinator said to forget about an interview, they needed her the next day for an emergency job.nbsp; Jennie was nervous but decided to accept the job anyway.nbsp; Is Jennie truly ready to take a job?nbsp; We will see how she does...nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;
nbsp;
nbsp;- By Sammy Serrano

We Created A Quiz On Punctuation

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:56:59 GMT

Whats so important about punctuation?nbsp; As court reporters, arent we merely writing down what other people say?nbsp; While it is true that we are taking down the spoken word, it is also equally true that a large portion of taking down the spoken word includes punctuating.

Lets say you have the following run-on sentence:

And then I walked to the park and the dog bit my leg well not right away but pretty soon after I got there I saw the dog and he came running over to me but then I started to back up and he stopped and then I stopped and then from out of nowhere this other dog came over and then ...

You can see from the sentence above that proper punctuationnbsp;will be the difference between jibberish and meaningful thoughts.nbsp; If I were to come across a sentence like that (God forbid), I would use my Super Simple Rule of Punctuation which is to place a period as soon as there is a completenbsp;thought.nbsp; I do this to make my life simpler and to get the job done sooner and -- last but not least -- to produce well-punctuated sentences:

I might punctuate it like this:
And then I walked to the park.nbsp; And the dog bit my leg.nbsp; Well not right away, but pretty soon after I got there, I saw the dog.nbsp;nbsp; And he came running over to me.nbsp; But then I started to back up.nbsp; And he stopped.nbsp;nbsp; And then I stopped.nbsp; And then from out of nowhere this other dog came over.nbsp; And then ...

You see, I punctuated that sentence with periods and only a few commas.nbsp; Remember, the Super Simple Rule of Punctuation says that as soon as the complete thought is there, slam down a period.nbsp; And do this no matter what the next sentence starts with.nbsp; Youll notice that some of the sentences now start with and or but.nbsp; I do not care.nbsp; Some people do, I dont.

Anyway, I wrote all of that as an introduction to my newest quiznbsp;on punctuating.nbsp; Here is it is: Punctuation for Court Reporters.nbsp; Enjoy!

nbsp;

nbsp;

The Adventures of Depo Girl - Part 1

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:26:12 GMT

Any accomplishment is exciting, but its glorious when it takes several years to achieve. Jennie North began court reporting school in the summer of 2004 and she just now passed the CSR exam. There were many discouraging moments during her journey and many times that she wanted to throw in the towel, but what she feared most was failure. So she plugged away and accomplished what thousands of would-be reporters walk away from.

The reason Jennie took five years to pass was due to several factors. She worked full-time as a waitress, was a single mother of a five-year-old boy and did not have many people supporting her. What really helped was her own high self-esteem and desire to better herself. Without those two things -- and a little old fashioned stick-to-it-iveness -- she would have gotten nowhere.

Despite not being financially upscale, she saved her pennies and bought her software and laptop and was ready to take her first job. First things first,nbsp; however.nbsp; She needed to interview at some court reporting agencies. Jennie placed some calls to the bigger agencies near her home in San Diego and all were interested in putting her in their database, but not in interviewing her. So Jennie decided to call a little boutique agency by the name of Baker Associates.

Baker Associates had been around for only three years and just lost their premiere reporter, so they were on the lookout for some new talent. Jennie just happened to call at the right time. Myra Baker (the owner) wanted to meet and interview Jennie personally and the appoinment was set for the following Monday at 10:00 a.m. Lets hope everything goes well at the interview and Jennie will be Baker Associates newest freelance reporter.

To be continued...

By Sammy Serrano

Court Reporting And Gift Giving Practices

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 15:55:35 GMT

In the latest Deposition Reporter Newsletter there is a very interesting article on gift giving. Here are some of my thoughts on the article and how its affecting the court reporting business...

Wouldnt it be better to know that an attorney is using your court reporting firm because of the quality of the work being provided rather than because of certain gifts being given. Nowadays it seems that many law firms decide who they use not because of the professionalism of the reporter, but rather choose to focus on the freebies being received at every deposition. These freebies include lunch, movie theater tickets, Nordstrom gift cards, etc. The article titled Gift Giving- Beware hits the nail on the head in revealing the reality in the competition to obtain clients. It really isnt about quality, its all about the gifts. What would happen if all gift giving was done away with? The focus would then be on how well the calendar department worked, how the reporter transcribed and if the transcript was delivered on time. It would be then that the best court reporting agency would win.

The read the full article go to http://www.caldra.org.

Former Jilio Associates Employee Comes Aboard

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 18:32:18 GMT

Recently we hired Samuel Sammy Serrano to help us with Calendar and Production.nbsp; Sammy comes to us with over a decade of experience working in the court reporting field.nbsp; I asked him to write a little bit about his experiences and what follows is the result.nbsp; To clients and reporters, I hope you enjoy working with Sammy as much as we already do.nbsp; Here is our first-ever guest blog post, by Sammy Serrano:

Hello! It seems that once you enter the court reporting business, you get hooked. My name is Samuel Serrano and I answered an ad from the Register newspaper looking for someone to run a copier back in 1995, and it turned out to be a pioneer court reporting agency named Jilio Associates. As I began to accumulate years at the agency the whole reporting business became very stimulating to me. I never really wanted to be a court reporter, but I liked everything else from the calendaring of a deposition to the finished product. A joy came to me as I bound a transcript and shipped it to an attorney (especially when it was shipped out earlier than expected).
I tried to leave the business once or twice to try something else but always ended up coming back. The owner of Jilio then sold her company and later opened another reporting firm by the name of Ryan, Hunter and Pau in 2003. She must have noticed my attachment to reporting agencies for she decided to hire me again for her new company. It was in this new company that I grasped every aspect of the reporting business. I learned marketing, calendar, billing, accounting, production and even setting up a room for a deposition. I left this company in 2007 to focus on my spiritual career as a Pastor, but look, now I am BACK IN THE BUSINESS.
I was recently hired by Todd Olivas Associates, located in Temecula, California. I live in Orange County and my commute is a bit far. Yet Id rather work at a reporting agency that is farnbsp;than in a law firm thats around the corner. Im glad to be among the transcripts, the asciis, the reporter certs, etc. Funny but I have four other family members that are in the business as well. They are not reporters, they are all behind the scenes like me. If destiny is what has led us to this path then thank God for destiny because it truly is a good place to be!
Sincerely,
Sammy Serrano

Utah Court Reporting

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:51:02 GMT

What You Should Know About Court Reporting In Utah
The state of Utah requires court reporters to be certified. The process is fairly straightforward, but it is important to carefully follow all of the applicable steps. Court reporter licensure is administered by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, which maintains an extensive website. Provided here is brief guide to court reporter licensing in the state of Utah.

Qualifications
In order to become a certified court reporter in the state of Utah, an applicant must be at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States. He or she must show a high degree of skill in the art of court reporting and be of good moral character. Additionally, the applicant must provide evidence of a passing score on the National Court Reporters Association or National Verbatim Reporters Association testing.

Types of Court Reporter
A court reporter in the state of Utah may gain licensure as a Certified Shorthand Reporter, Certified Voice Reporter or both. In order to become a Certified Shorthand Reporter, the applicant must receive a passing score on the National Court Reporters Associations Registered Professional Reporter exam. To become a Certified Voice Reporter, the applicant must demonstrate a passing score on the National Verbatim Reporters Associations Certified Verbatim Reporter exam.

Testing
Testing is not administered or governed by the state of Utah. For information about the Registered Professional Reporter exam, applicants may visit the website of the National Court Reporters Association. Information on the Certified Verbatim Reporter exam may be found at the National Verbatim Reporters Association.

Certification Renewal
Utah has a rather unusual system of certification expiration. All court reporter certificates in the state expire simultaneously on the same day in even numbered years. Therefore, a new court reporters initial certification may be valid for only a portion of the two years. Every renewal cycle after that, however, will be for two full years.

Legal Concerns
As Utah court reporters are certified under the auspices of the states Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, court reporters are subject to all of the laws that govern occupational and professional licenses. Applicants must sign an affidavit that they have read and will abide by all relevant documentation. Copies of the relevant sections of law can be found on the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing website.

Utah Court Reporters Association
The Utah Court Reporters Association provides networking and information sharing opportunities to court reporters throughout the state. Regularly-published newsletters keep court reporters aware of changes and issues that may affect court reporting in the state. Seminars and workshops provide the opportunity to network with other members as well as earn Continuing Education credits.

The state of Utah requires all court reporters to be certified. Rather than administer separate testing, Utah accepts the results of testing administered by the relevant national boards. Utah considers a court reporter certification to be equivalent to any other professional licensure, and requires certified court reporters to adhere to those regulations that apply to any license. The Utah Court Reporters Association is a wonderful resource for court reporters across the state.

Court Reporter Logan Utah
5005 Old Main Hill, Logan UT

Court Reporter Logan Utah
1665 North Main Street, Logan UT

Court Reporter Ogden Utah
2415 Washington Boulevard, Ogden UT

Court Reporter Ogden Utah
401 Washington Blvd, Ogden UT

Court Reporter Provo Utah
550 N. University Ave., Provo UT

Court Reporter Salt Lake City Utah
299 S. Main St., Salt Lake City UT

Court Reporter Salt Lake City Utah
410 Campus Center Dr., Salt Lake City UT

Court Reporter Salt Lake City Utah
Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City UT

Court Reporter Salt Lake City Utah
2825 East Cottonwood Parkway, Salt Lake City UT

Court Reporter Salt Lake City Utah
2150 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City UT

Court Reporter St. George Utah
1731 Convention Center Dr., St. George UT

Court Reporting Monthly Volume

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:51:52 GMT

I defy any other court reporting agency to top this as far as disclosure.nbsp; Ive been wondering about what other peeks into my system I could provide exclusively for readers of this blog.nbsp; And finally it dawned on me that, perhaps, readers might be curious to see our job trends.nbsp; So Ive provided this report to show exactly that.nbsp;

What This Report Shows
Each day, new jobs come on calendar.nbsp; While not showing the exact daily count, the green bar graphs shownbsp;trends.nbsp; When compared to history, a report like this is helpful when things seem slow.nbsp;

Lifes a Beach
For instance, in August while many attorneys are on vacation, volume tends to drop off.nbsp; During Augustnbsp;its an unfortunate yetnbsp;historical fact that lawyers are at the beach instead of the office scheduling depositionsnbsp;where they belong.nbsp;nbsp;How dare they!

Anyway, hopefully you will find this data represented below interesting.nbsp;

For even more data about our deposition volume, please check out How Busy Are We.Your comments, please!

Video of Me Speaking At Graduation Ceremony

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:58:42 GMT

I spoke at South Coast Colleges Graduation ceremony August 8, 2009.nbsp; This is a little mini documentary about that event.nbsp; Pardon the shakey camera moves!nbsp; Dramamine recommended.nbsp; Also, I didnt really include the actual speech, just the stuff leading up to it and a little bit after.nbsp; Some day, maybe, perhaps, perchance, Ill post the entirety of what I said.nbsp; I said maybe.

Your comments, please!

Speaking At Court Reporting Graduation

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 13:22:13 GMT

Its that time of year -- Graduation Day -- at so many campuses and colleges.nbsp; I have the honor of speaking at South Coast College of Court Reporting School this Saturday, August 8, 2009.nbsp; This will be my second time speaking at their graduation.nbsp;

Here is a link to their blog post about me.

How Much Does Court Reporting School Cost?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:17:36 GMT

Just yesterday, I got a call from a prospective court reporting student wanting to pick my brain about the job prospects in court reporting.nbsp; This particular lady was looking to retire from her current job and wanted to attend court reporting school.nbsp; She was attracted to the idea that freelance court reporting provides one a lot of flexibility as well as a good income.nbsp; She was doing market research, which I think is a good thing.nbsp; Its typically a good idea to do as much research as humanly possible before embarking on a journey requiring lots of time and money and heart and soul.

As the Book of Luke wisely points out:

nbsp;For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?
Luke 14:28

Youve got to count the cost of going through court reporting school.nbsp; And I dont necessarily mean just the financial cost.nbsp; How much is it going to cost to build that tower? Here is a partial list of other costs you should be aware of:

A Partial List Of Court Reporting School Costs

The Financial Costnbsp;
The dollars and cents.nbsp; Tuition is not the only thing to consider.nbsp; Think about some of these other add-ons: child care, books, paper, steno machine purchase/rental, supplemental courseware, publication subscriptions, CEU credits,nbsp; association membership dues, gas for the car, Tylenol.
The Opportunity Cost
What is the possible loss of other opportunities that may arise due to a commitment to court reporting?nbsp; Will you have to cut down on things you enjoy in order to focus on school? (Hint: Yes, you will.) What if that great job offer finally comes through which now conflicts with school? What if that great vacation conflicts with your class schedule? What are you going to do?
The Emotional Cost
There is a hidden emotional surcharge that I felt during school.nbsp; Perhaps its the stress of attempting to master the steno machine.nbsp; Perhaps its the constant failure of not passing a speed in a timely fashion.nbsp; Im the guy who spent a long, long time in one particular speed.nbsp; Theres nothing inherently difficult about that particular speed 170s but that was a time of my life where I stopped focusing on school, got distracted, and stopped counting the cost.nbsp; The cost of that sort of distraction does indeed come with an emotional price tag.nbsp; When youve lost momentum, its frustrating to you as well as to your family and friends.nbsp; Inbsp; write from experience!

Is Court Reporting A Good Stepping-Stone Career?
No, its not.nbsp; When I was in court reporting school (circa 1993 1999), there was a colleague of mine who intended to become a court reporter in order that she could afford to pay her way through medical school.nbsp; Dumb idea.nbsp; In her mind the flexibility and high pay of a freelance reporter would be a perfect fit for a doctor-to-be.nbsp; Wrong!nbsp; She quit school in frustration but not until accruing some student loan debt.nbsp; On this side of things being a licensed CSR since 1999 I can surely see the folly in that plan.nbsp; Court reporting school is not something to do on the side while you work on the real deal elsewhere.nbsp; Its way too hard and demanding of an endeavor for that.nbsp; By that logic, as an example, should a person become a doctor because it will pave their way for becoming an astronaut?nbsp; Its silly and an extremely roundabout path to a goal.nbsp; If you want to become a doctor, go the direct route.nbsp; Go to medical school or watch lots of episodes of House or whatever.nbsp; Dont even think about becoming a court reporter as a stepping stone.nbsp; Becoming a court reporter is not for the faint-of-heart, nor the semi-committed.nbsp;

I hope this post does not seem overly gloom-and-doom about how hard it is.nbsp; Yes, it is challenging.nbsp; Yes, it takes time.nbsp; But I guess what Im saying is that there is a cost to doing this apart from the financial cost.nbsp; A wise person needs to consider that before jumping in.

Thoughts anyone?nbsp; Id like to hear from current court reporting students and/or prospectives.

#4 Stuff Court Reporters Like Attorneys Who Lie

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:40:43 GMT

If theres one thing every court reporter loves is a lying attorney.nbsp; I know, youre shocked, SHOCKED, about this fact.nbsp; I will spare you the prerequisite quip about lying attorney being a redundant term.nbsp; Nevertheless, when an attorney lies to a court reporter (or the agency), it really makes their day.nbsp; Check out these examples of our favorite lies and remember --nbsp;all you law firms out there --nbsp;please dont stop accruing those frequent liar miles!

The I-Never-Scheduled-This Lie
Court reporters love it when law offices call, fax or submit website requests for deposition services.nbsp; Please be at such and such office at such and such time in the matter of such and such.nbsp; Okay, no problem.nbsp; Well be there.nbsp; Thank you for the work!nbsp; Comes now the day before the job, the agency places a confirmation telephone call to their office and its I never scheduled that.nbsp;

US: What do you mean by, you never scheduled that? We have you down here clearly requesting our services.
THEM: Yeah, well, thats not my problem.
US: No, maam, its not your problem but somehow we ended up with a job request from your firm with clear and specific date/time, case name, et cetera.
THEM:nbsp; We did not request your service nor do we need it.nbsp; Thank you for your time.
US: But, but
(Phones goes dead)

Court reporting agencies love this type of he said/she said back and forth stuff.nbsp; Why if it wasnt for this wed have to be actually doing real work that brings innbsp;realnbsp;income and produces things likenbsp;real transcripts.nbsp; We would hate that!

The I-Did-Schedule-This Lie
Right around 10:15 a.m. is every court reporting agencys favorite time.nbsp; Second best is 2:15 p.m.nbsp; Why, you ask?nbsp; Because typically most jobs start at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.nbsp; Calls slightly forward of those start times invariably go like this when the I-Did-Schedule-This Lie emerges:

US: Todd Olivas Associates, may I help you?

THEM: Wheres my court reporter?

US: Which job are you referring to, could you give me some details?

THEM: Its supposed to be going on right now.nbsp; You are 15 minutes late.nbsp; I spoke to you yesterday and confirmed this.

US: (After researching in our calendar) I apologize, but I spoke with you yesterday and you had no idea about this job even being scheduled with our firm.nbsp; Dont you remember that conversation?

THEM:nbsp; That wasnt me.

US:nbsp; I spoke with you,nbsp; your name is insert name here.

THEM: Yes, that is my name.nbsp; But I confirmed this with insert name here from your office yesterday.

US:nbsp; Im sorry.nbsp; There is no insert name here who works here.nbsp;

THEM:nbsp; This is ridiculous.nbsp; What kind of Mickey Mouse operation are you running over there, anyway?nbsp;

US:nbsp; But, but

THEM:nbsp; Im going to tell my boss never to use your reporting service ever again.

US: But, but
(Phones goes dead)

Court reporting agencies love to be lied to.nbsp; Perhaps even more than that, however, is whats known as GTUTB -- Getting Thrown Under the Bus.nbsp; The above dialogue is a prime example of GTUTB.nbsp; And its really a lot of fun.nbsp; If twerent for GTUTBs, we would have to actually scope transcripts and do court reporting type things like hone realtime skills and stuff.nbsp; Who wants to do that when you can rescue a legal secretary from having dropped the ball plus scatch another notch on the old GTUTB belt?nbsp;

The I-Never-Ordered-This Lie
Immediately after a deposition is a great time to lie to a court reporter.nbsp; An attorney has the unique opportunity to lie about needing a certified copy.nbsp; And the court reporter may even memorialize this request on the record:

THE REPORTER:nbsp; Mr. Jones, would you like a copy of this transcript?

MR. JONES:nbsp; Yes, I would like a copy.

Everybody is happy; right?nbsp; Not so fast!nbsp; The I-Never-Ordered-This Lie looms on the horizon.nbsp; A couple weeks after the deposition, the transcript is readied for mailing out to the parties, including to Mr. Jones, per his on-the-record request.nbsp; A phone call like this ensues:

US: The transcript in insert case name here is ready to be shipped out.nbsp; We just need COD approval before sending.

THEM: We never ordered that transcript.

US: According to page 79, line 8, Mr. Jones told the court reporter, Yes, I would like a copy.

THEM: Oh

US: So based on that on-the-record request, we have produced the transcript and just need to send it out COD.

THEM: Let me place you on hold for a moment. hold music

US: Okay.

THEM: I just spoke with Mr. Jones, he says the court reporter mistyped what he said.nbsp; He actually said, No, I would not like a copy.

US: But, but

THEM: So is there anything else I can do for you?

US: But, but
(Phones go dead)

The above examples are just some of a court reporters favorite ways to be lied to.nbsp; Space permitting, I could elaborate about some of these other tried and true doozies:

The I-Never-Requested-The-Transcript-To-Be-Expedited Lie
The I-Settled-The-Case-Already-So-I-Cant-Pay-Your-Invoice Lie
The The-Other-Side-Is-Supposed-To-Pay-For-My-Copy Lie
The I-Was-Told-By-The-Court-Reporter-That-I-Would-Get-A-Free-Rough-Transcipt Lie
The I-Have-Never-Been-Charged-That-Much-By-A-Court-Reporting-Firm-In-25-Years-Of-Practicing-Law Lie
The I-Will-Use-Your-Services-From-Now-On-If-I-Can-Get-A-Discount Lie

Feel free to borrow from this list or be creative and come up with your own next time you have the opportunity to lie to a court reporter!
nbsp;

nbsp;

California Court Reporters Need Your Help!

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 18:26:34 GMT

Looks like Arnold is up to his usual tricks with regards to ousting official court reporters.nbsp; Why the fixation with this issue?nbsp; Oh, yeah, hes not an attorney and clearly has no idea about the value of what this profession brings to the table.nbsp;

He wants to get rid of our board.nbsp; However, the fact is that our CSR board is completely self-funded.nbsp; Our license fees cover our costs.nbsp; What a concept -- we dont spend more money than we take in.nbsp; So, yeah, lets punish the board for being one of the only government entities that operates in a fiscally prudent way.nbsp; Good idea -- NOT!

He wants to replace officials with digital recorders.nbsp; Need I refer everyone to a plethora of research that clearly shows that replacing court reporters with machines is not only less cost effective, but more burdensome to the court system?nbsp; That sort of mindset goes right along with the myth that technology makes life simpler and more efficient.nbsp; What a joke.nbsp;nbsp; Please let me know if your life is more simple because of email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, match.com, Blackberry, iPhones -- take a breath -- VCRs, DVD players, Blu-ray players, iPods -- take another breath -- programming microwave oven clocks, sprinkler timers, and multi-remote controls for all the components listed above -- all at the same time.nbsp; If you thought by the year 2009 that wed all be flying around in space capsules like the Jetsons, Im sorry to say that techno-utopia was a hoax.nbsp; Just like the possibility of saving money by replacing court reporters with ER is a hoax.nbsp; Hey, Mr. Schwarzenegger, how about we replace out-of-touch and fiscally ignorant govenors with Digital Governor Robots!nbsp; Good idea -- NOT!

California Court Reporters Need Your Help!nbsp; And in a big way!nbsp; COCRA sent an e-note to everybody last night.nbsp; And again they bring up the fact that the Governor is still nutso about replacing all CSRs in court with ER or digital recording systems.nbsp; The good news is that not all legislators are created equal thank God! We think there is growing support coming from certain legislators.nbsp; But we still need everybodys help.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

Please consider writing a letter of support to the various Senate and Assembly leaders listed here. With everyones support we can stave off this recent attack!

We Are Six!

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:27:31 GMT

According to Brian Head, Economist with the SBA Office of Advocacy, as a general rule of thumb new employer businesses have a 50/50 chance of surviving for five years or more.nbsp; So basically theres a coin toss between business failure and success?nbsp; Er, I hope not.nbsp; I like to think that staying alive as a business relies more squarely on wise decision making rather than the hand of fate.

With that being said, Todd Olivasnbsp; Associates, Inc. is now six years old!nbsp; We made it past the five-year mark and are weathering the recession with the best of them.nbsp; I mark the start of the business as July 1stnbsp; every year.nbsp; This year we had a wonderful lunch celebration at P.F. Changs.nbsp; Only Nancy in our Texas office couldnt join us.nbsp; (Nancy handles conference suite coordination and collections.)nbsp; Still, I am proud to be here at the ripe old age of six and am excited for the next six years!

Thank you to all the clients and reporters who we have met along the way!

nbsp;

Quick Update

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:57:29 GMT

Spoke at Cypress College April 23, 2009 - on a panel of court reporting experts.

Moved our site to a new webserver - all systems are GO.

Had major email issues - resolved them.

Wasnt receiving faxes - resolved them.

Spoke at Sage College June 9, 2009.nbsp; Over 120 students packed the place out!

Been working on a revamp for the Deposition Reporters Associations website.

Discovered two other court reporting agencies were using text and images from my website without permission.nbsp; The text was word-for-word and the images even had my logo in it. I sent a nice email asking them to remove.nbsp; Both of them resonded right away.nbsp; One still has the text up there.nbsp; The image has been removed.nbsp; Hummmm.... what to do next with the one with my verbatim copy still displaying?nbsp; Cease and desist letter?

New Quiz: Californias Minimum Transcript Format

Tue, 12 May 2009 15:07:11 GMT

I just posted a new quiz.nbsp; Its been an embarrassingly long time since the last new quiz was added.nbsp; Hopefully, as time permits, even more will be added soon.nbsp; This new quiz is all about Californias Minimum Transcript Format Standards (MFTS).nbsp; Heres a sample of the questions:

Unless a licensee is employed by a court AND acting in the capacity of an official AND such court has its own transcript standards, then Californias MTFS are applicable.
True or False?
The California CRB has the legal authority to discipline a California licensee for NOT following another jurisdictions format.
True or False?
The California CRB has the authority and jurisdiction to investigate complaints from any source alleging violations of laws and regulations related to the practice of certified shorthand reporting.
True or False?
What possible outcomes may follow the investigation of a complaints?
Would the California CRB discipline a licensee if a transcript format complaint was received from another jurisdictions Board or other entity?
Are Californias MTFS applicable in a U.S. District Court (federal) case?
Yes or No?
If a licensee reports and transcribes depositions within California in a case venued in a state other than California, are Californias MTFS applicable?
The Q and A symbol must precede the first character of text
True or False?
Text must begin no more than ___ spaces from the left-hand margin.
The use of a period after a Q and A is a matter of style
True or False?
Do the MTFS apply to appearance, index and certificate pages?
Yes or No?
If a particular item (like the appearance or certificate page) is not specifically addressed in the MTFS, you are free to prepare them any way you want.
Yes or No?
If any agency formats a reporters transcripts ___
If the California CRB receives a complaint regarding the MTFS, ____ will be held responsible to address the complaint.
No fewer than ____ typed text lines per page.
A full line of text shall be no fewer than ___ characters.
When timestamping is used, a full line of text shall be no fewer than ___ characters.

Take the court reporting quiz now!

Core Curriculum - Module 1

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:52:49 GMT

You dont want to miss the opportunity to learn or relearn some of the most important day-to-day functions you perform as a court reporter.nbsp; Attend the Deposition Reporters Associations Core Curriculum - Module 1 on May 9, 2009, at three convenient California locations.

Why Should You Attend?

EVER HAVE A DEPO DILEMMA?
WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU FORGOT OR WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT DEPOS OR WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW?
READBACK ON DEMAND - YES OR NO?
PLUS MUCH MORE!

When Is This Event?
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2009
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Where Is It At?
There are threenbsp;convenient locations available:

HUMPHREYS COLLEGE - STOCKTON
BRYAN COLLEGE - GOLD RIVER
MORENO VALLEY CONFERENCE CENTER - MORENO VALLEY

How Many CEU Credits Are Offered?
.4 CEUsnbsp;
nbsp;
What Is The Core Curriculum Class?
The Core Curriculum classes are given as one of four modules plannednbsp;each year. Students, teachers, new reporters and old-timers will benefit from these classes.nbsp; Plan to take all four.

How Much Does It Cost?

$99 for reporters
$49 for teachers
$29 for students

How To Register:

Deposition Reporters Association
7172 Regional Street #111
Dublin, CA 94568
888-867-2074 - Phone
925-905-2611 - Fax
www.caldra.org
cal_dra@yahoo.comnbsp;

nbsp;

How To Make $84,000 to $137,000 in Court Reporting

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:30:53 GMT

I just received a letter from the United States District Court, Central District of California.nbsp; If you want a job in the Los Angeles court reporting arena but dont want to be on the machine, and if you dont mind working in Los Angeles, and if you can stomach the traffic and smog, you cannbsp;throw your hat in the ring to earn from $84,434 to $137,265 per year as court reporting services manager.nbsp; Thats a lot of ifs, but thats also a lot of cold, hard cash.

The letter asks the question, Are there other career opportunities in court reporting?nbsp; The answer is, Of course there are.nbsp; Then it goes on to list some of the potential candidates for this job offer.

Folks Who Might Be Interested In This Job:

Court reporting instructors
Managers of court reporting or deposition firms
Court reporters who seek a less stressful job
Court reporters who seek a less physically taxing job

The United States District Court for the Central District of California needs someone who:

Is a take-charge individual
Understands the court reporting profession
Will develop and administer court reporting services for federal and magistrate judges
Can tell a good yarn (just kidding)

If you get this job, youll get to (have to) work with about 44 official and contract court reporters, 57 judicial officers,nbsp; high level managers, and several partridges in pear trees.nbsp; Did I mention the cold, hard cash --nbsp; $84,434 to $137,265 per year?

Send your letter of application and resume to

United States District Court
Central District of California
Human Resources Department
312 North Spring Street, room 535
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(Tell em Todd sent ya.)

nbsp;

Are Lots More Depos Coming Due To New California Workers Comp Changes?

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 15:31:23 GMT

Pinch me.nbsp; Could this be incredibly good news for court reporters?nbsp; Let me back up quickly: every few years the California Workers Comp Appeals Board (WCAB) makes changes to the law.nbsp; Back in 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made sweeping reforms that effectively squeezed off the flow of files down from THIS MUCH to, well, this much. Or maybe less. Thats my highly scientific verbiage, like it or not.nbsp; Like a pendulum that swung very far to the right, over night there was weeping and gnashing of teeth in the Workers Comp realm.nbsp; Anecdotally, I hear of Applicant attorneys closing up shop due to the lack of viable cases. First hand, Ive seen row after row of empty cubicles at formerly busy defense law firms.

The Court Reporters Role In All Of This
As court reporters, our job is to remain neutral.nbsp; Its not our job to say whether the 2005 changes were good, bad or indifferent.nbsp; I have no idea if the injured workers out there are better or worse off.nbsp; I have no idea about whether the employer companies and insurance companies are saving on insurance premiums (the employers)nbsp;and raking in the dough (the insurers).nbsp; (A cynic might have a field day with that, I am sure.)nbsp; From my court reporting agency perspective, the volume of WCAB work has declined to barely a trickle since the 2005 changes.nbsp; Im grateful for my few defense firms that still have work.nbsp; And Im hopeful about whats next...

The Reality About Pendulums
The inevitable reality about pendulums is that they always swing back!nbsp; And that is exactly what appears to have happened at the Appeals Board recently.nbsp; Here is the En banc decision of which I speak: http://www.dir.ca.gov/WCAB/wcab_enbanc.htm.nbsp; Actually, I was first made aware of this decision by an insurance adjuster friend of mine.nbsp; If youre not an attorney, you might find it quite tedious.nbsp; Still, he told me to take a look at the Almaraz and Guzman case.nbsp; In his opinion this case will spike the need for AMA doctor depos. Also the new language is in place that requires QMEs and AMEs to be available for depositions within 120 days.nbsp; And this is from the insurance side.

So I decided to do my own research.nbsp; I found a Workers Comp Forum thread that had some interesting quotes.nbsp; The forum thread is here: http://www.workcompforums.com/ca/pro/messageview.cfm?catid=5threadid=5260. I pulled out the following quotes made bynbsp; defense and Applicant attorneys regarding how the Almaraz and Guzman case affects, specifically, depositions:

I suspect the depos will be endless
This will be a record year for depos
When the economy takes a dump, most often claims increase
For those in the Applicant attorney bar who thought theyd have to wait for the present Governor to leave office before the pendulum could swing back in their favor as to PD ratings, your wait is over
These decisions caught the vast majority of the comp community by surprise
But, at least in the near term, we will have a Wild West scenario where the shootout will slow this system even further, cause vast further med-legal discovery/depos, and encumber us with considerable increased litigation costs (aside from obviously increased PD ratings)
Unfortunately, we will first have to deal with the onslaught of both reasonable and unreasonable arguments/tactics from an applicant attorney bar, many of whom could probably not be entirely faulted if they now feel rather emboldened with a new sense of power and who have more than a little lingering resentment about being kicked around and bullied the last several years
This decision doesnt bother me as much as the inevitable backlash does. Also, I see endless depos
If I were an Applicant Attorney, I might be tempted to depo every AME ortho who did not consider grip strength. Our income will go up, but Im not sure the worker benefits in the end
This will be a record year for depos. What was once airtight and compliant is now insufficient.
I see a lot of unpaid work by the AAs and a lot of billable hours for the DAs (depos)

Heres another quote from an attorney at Workers Comp Zone:

California workers comp has recently experienced an earthquake-type event, the Almaraz decisionnbsp; --- may be the most significant workers comp decision in several years.
From: http://workerscompzone.com/index.php?entry=entry090208-213801

And another:

these changes come just ... when you thought things couldnt get any crazier in workers compensation.
From: http://www.pdrater.com/2009/02/ogilvie-and-almaraz-en-banc/

The early verdict is in: thenbsp;Almaraz and Guzman case seems to increase the volume of doctor depositions that will need to be scheduled.nbsp; If all this is true -- and it seems like it is -- my advice to reporters in California is to bone up on your medical dictionaries and get ready for more doctor deps!

Thoughts anyone?

nbsp;

#3 Stuff Court Reporters Like - Cancelled Jobs

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:34:33 GMT

Let me be frank -- there is simply very little respite from the glitz and glamour in the life of a court reporter. Whether its the appreciation dinners hosted by big law firms or all that free time created when scopists turn in jobs early.nbsp; Still, there are those delightful occurrences known as Cancelled Jobs to fall back on when yet another media outlet wants an interview.

Heres the scenario.nbsp; You get a call.nbsp; From an agency.nbsp; Theres a job on tomorrow.nbsp; Deposition in Los Angeles or some place.nbsp;10:00 a.m.nbsp; So you get up, get dressed, brave bad traffic.nbsp; (Bad traffic -- isnt that redundant?)nbsp; You are pulling into the parking lot.nbsp; Cell phone rings.nbsp; Its the agency.nbsp; The jobs been cancelled.

Things You Can Do When Your Job Cancels:

You can get first dibs on the next available jobnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;
You can rest your fingers
You can get some extra scoping done
You can take the day off
You can hit the mall
You can work on your CEU credits
You can volunteer your time
You can read this blog

The Bummer Part About When Your Job Cancels:

You will only get a cancellation fee
You could have taken a better job that actually went forward
You cant get back the time you wasted traveling

nbsp;

#2 Stuff Court Reporters Like - Being Asked Their Opinion

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:22:34 GMT

Court reporters love to express their feelings about an attorneys case while off the record.nbsp; Just go ahead and ask something like, So what do you think about this liar?nbsp; Court reporters are experts at knowing when someone is lying through their teeth as well as when opposing counsel are incompetent hacks.nbsp; Number Two Stuff Court Reporters Like is to be asked their opinion about the merits of your case or anything concerning the deposition.

Here are some more important questions to ask your reporter off the record:

So, whaddya think?
Can you believe this guy?
Did you get all that nonsense down?
I bet youre, like, as dumbfounded as I am about this nut; right?
Have you ever seen a worse liar in your life?

Who cares that the rules of ethics governing the conduct of a court reporter explicitly state things like ... be fair and impartial toward each participant...nbsp; Never mind that the court reporter is expressly required to ... guard against not only the fact but the appearance of impropriety.nbsp; One persons improper may be another persons juicy gossip; right?nbsp;

Finally, in addition to liking being asked their opinion, court reporters will probably give a chummy attorney a page-rate reduction because of this close bond.nbsp; Scouts Honor!nbsp;You might be able to get a free rough draft in addition to a some good old fashioned opinion -- just ask away!

nbsp;

Code of Professional Ethics taken from NCRA: http://ncraonline.org/NCRA/codeofethics/

#1 Stuff Court Reporters Like - Making Copies

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:22:09 GMT

Have you ever wondered about court reporters?nbsp; Or more precisely, what court reporters like?nbsp; Well, I dont just wonder -- I know -- because I am one and work with them all day long, every day.nbsp; Day in, day out.

Court reporters like to be asked to make copies.nbsp; Go ahead, just ask one.nbsp; At your next deposition say the following: Miss, can you make copies of these exhibits for me?nbsp; They love it, I promise!

After years of school, perhaps thousands of dollars spent on student loans, steno equipment and software, not to mention years spent working as a professional in the field, there is nothing a reporter would like to do more than make copies of exhibits.

They love to unstaple documents, lay them flat on the copier glass and press the button. One at a time if possible. No staple remover is required for the really good reporters.nbsp; A good old fashioned fingernail will do!nbsp; Manicure - shmanicure.

After a deposition the luckiest of reporters get to schlep to Kinkos or some local copy shop.nbsp; Hopefully theres a line and an incompetent worker there that will jam up the machine and crease the exhibits.nbsp; Whats a curriculum vitae without a little tape on one corner?

Come on, People, am I alone in this?

Want To Become A Los Angeles Court Reporter?

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 15:03:55 GMT

Theres a vacancy to fill in the United Stated District Court - Central District of California.nbsp; In case you dont know, that means Los Angeles.nbsp; Actually, they have four positions to fill and they will remain open until you call them and/or they are completely filled.nbsp; So get on it.

nbsp;

What Does A Los Angeles Court Reporter Do?
The official title is Court Reporter Panel Member.nbsp; You will perform court reporting services for any judicial proceeding as may be required.nbsp; And although primarily located in Los Angeles, you may be required to travel into Orange County to the courthouse in Santa Ana and Riverside, California.

nbsp;

Ability to record verbatim testimony of courtroom proceedings - (duh)
Ability to read back all or any portions of the court proceedings
Ability work well under pressure
Ability to produce transcript within strict time limitations
Ability to get along and work as part of a team of reporters for the Judges of the Court

nbsp;

As a Court Reporter Panel Member, you will be hired as a per diem contract court reporter, on an as-needed basis.nbsp; And as a substitute court reporter, hired by individual staff reporters to help cover their assignments.

nbsp;

What Youre Gonna Need

The candidate must possess at least four (4) years of prime court reporting experience in the freelance field of service -- OR -- in other courts -- OR -- a combination thereof -- AND have qualified by testing for listing on the registry of professional reporters of the NCRA -- OR -- passed an equivalent qualifying examination.

nbsp;

Special brownie points for reporters who are realtime certified!

nbsp;

How To Apply

Call their job line at (213) 894-2904 or visit their website at www.cacd.uscourts.gov.nbsp;nbsp; Then send your completed application to U.S. District Court, 312 North Spring Street, Room 535, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

nbsp;

If you are in the running to get the job, be aware that they will subject you to a background investigation.nbsp; Of course.

nbsp;

Show Me The Money

Almost forgot, here is the salary info:

nbsp;

$300 - Full Day
$325 - Full Day (realtime)
$355 - Full Day (realtime certified) --gt; See, it pays to become realtime certified, literally!!
$150 - Half Day
$162 - Half Day (realtime)
$177 - Half Day (realtime certified --gt; See, it still pays!

Reporting Page Rates Too High?

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:10:10 GMT

A fellow Deposition Reporters Association board member brought upnbsp;the followingnbsp;interesting anecdotal evidence regarding the price of copier paper:

I performed this price comparison regarding the purchase of paper.nbsp; Thought you might be interested in the numbers:
In 1998, I was paying $17.90 for a box of paper (10 reams)
In 2009, I am paying $33.28 for a box of paper (10 reams)

Thats close to 100% increase over 10 years!
And then thenbsp;next logical question is this: Havenbsp;reporting page rates changed that drastically over the past 10 years?nbsp;

Not in my wildest dreams.nbsp; What are your thoughts?

Why You Should Join The Deposition Reporters Association

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:24:43 GMT

Why on earth should I join the Deposition Reporters Association (DRA)?

Unlike official reporters who may join a union to provide them with some degree of job security and who are provided additional protection as employees of the state, freelance reporters must turn to professional state organizations for this protection.nbsp; The only organization in California whose sole focus in protecting the interests and rights of freelance court reporters is the Deposition Reporters Association.

Join the DRA now!

Im on the Board of the Deposition Reporters Association

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:36:05 GMT

This past weekend I spent in Newport Beach, California attending the 13th Annual Deposition Reporters Association Convention.nbsp; The DRA is a great association if you love court reporting and care about the career in general.nbsp; Im now on the board representing District 6 -- San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Please consider joining the DRA if you are not already a member!

http://www.caldra.org

Deposition Reporters 2009 Convention

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 16:38:05 GMT

February 20 - 22, 2009 at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach
nbsp;nbsp;
The Deposition Reporters Association
nbsp;
The early bird rate has flown the coop, but dont despair -- General registration is STILL less than the lowest rates offered last year!
nbsp;
Full registration includes all seminars!
* Network Central
* Exhibit Hall
* Friday night reception
* Saturday luncheon
* Saturday and Sunday Continental Breakfasts
nbsp;
Building Your Future
nbsp;
General registration rates expire February 14, 2009
Hotel Rooms still available online or at
nbsp;1-800-441-1414
nbsp;
nbsp;
Click here to see full brochure and register on-line
HURRY!nbsp; DONT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY
nbsp;
nbsp;
Deposition Reporters Association
7172 Regional Street #111
Dublin, CA 94568
888-867-2074 phone
925-905-2611 fax
www.caldra.org
cal_dra@yahoo.comnbsp;

$25 Gift Card For Every Deposition

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:25:01 GMT

If youve clicked on this page looking for a $25 gift card for scheduling a deposition -- YOU CAN STOP LOOKING -- we do not give incentives or gifts of any size to clients for using our services.nbsp;

We trust you will appreciate our desire to offer quality court reporting services within the guidelines of our national and state associations without unethical gift-giving schemes.nbsp; It is my opinion that gift giving by court reporters or court reporting firms is tantamount to bribery.nbsp; More importantly, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) isnt very keen on it either.

Youve probably seen the flyers or the website offers from various court reporting firms: Schedule a depo with us and well send you a Nordstrom gift card.nbsp; Or perhaps the very transportational: Depositions with us are a gas -- get a $25 gas card for every depo!nbsp; Something to that effect.

Facts About Deposition Incentives:

Did you know that the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) considers it an ethics violation for any court reporternbsp; ... giving, directly or indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to attorneys, clients, witnesses, insurance companies or any other persons or entities associated with the litigation ... (http://ncraonline.org/AboutNCRA/cope)
Did you know that cash or cash-equivalents (e.g.; gift cards, Starbucks cards, gas cards, etc.) of whatever size are not allowed under any circumstance? (http://ncraonline.org/AboutNCRA/cope/Advisory/045.htm)
Did you know that a member of NCRA in violation of these gift-giving ethics should be reported immediately?nbsp; (http://ncraonline.org/AboutNCRA/cope/Complaint/)

If You Work For a Law Firm
Gift giving by court reporting firms may seem like a great way to get some goodies, however it violates the inherent neutrality of the court reporter.nbsp; This violation, while not necessarily a crime, could compromise the integrity of your case.nbsp; If opposing counsel were to get wind of this compromise, things might get sticky for you.nbsp; If you work for a law firm and are considering hiring a court reporting service, please do not utilize the services of any firm that engages in gift giving.

If You Are A Freelance Reporter
If your firm or agency is involved in gift giving, please do not take jobs for that firm.nbsp; While it may seem like they are busy and have work, they are violating ethics guidelines set forth by NCRA and are damaging our industry.nbsp; The apparent short term gain of having work is myopic when considering thatnbsp;doing jobs for a law firm who has received gifts or incentives could jeopardize you -- as the reporter -- and your license.

Whats Wrong With Law Firms Receiving Kickbacks From A Court Reporting Firm?
Perhaps its the same thing thats wrong with a doctor receiving kickbacks from a pharmaceutical company? Ornbsp;maybe its the same thing thats wrong with a politician receiving kickbacks from a special interest group? Whats wrong with all that?nbsp; By that logic, we should all carry around little treats for officers who pull us over.nbsp; Donut, Officer?

My Personal History Of Gift Giving
I know firsthand about gift giving.nbsp; During a brief spell in 2005 I gave gift cards to a client for scheduling depos with my firm.nbsp; I think I got the idea from seeing a flyer from a competitor.nbsp; My first thought was, Hey, this big competitor was doing it, it must be okay.nbsp; I called the lead secretary at a very large law firm client of mine.nbsp; This client had something like 14 offices statewide and many in other states.nbsp; I got the green light from her.nbsp; She said her secretaries would love to receive gas cards.nbsp; I made up my own flyers. I passed them around the office.nbsp; Within a few days, sure enough, the phone started ringing way more than usual from that office.nbsp; Of course, everyone wanted their gas card.nbsp; I was stoked.nbsp; Here was the greatest marketing trick ever.nbsp; Within a few weeks, I planned to do a larger rollout of this scheme.nbsp; I made the rounds for three more of their offices.nbsp; Same flyer, same spiel.nbsp; Set a depo with me, get a gas card.

Then it happened.nbsp; I remember it like it was yesterday.nbsp; Actually it was Friday, May 27, 2005. (Why do bad things always happen on Fridays?)nbsp; At about 9:30 a.m. my office got a call from the main big wig attorney for this firm.nbsp;nbsp; Mr. Big was on the phone and he was pissed.nbsp; No --nbsp;pissed is not quite the word.nbsp; Murderous might be more descriptive.nbsp; My heart stopped but I took the call.nbsp; Ive never been cussed at like that in my life.nbsp; I thought he had made a mistake.nbsp; I cant remember verbatim what he said but it was something along these lines:

You F-#$%!@#-ing B-#$%@-ard!
You better not come around my firm the rest of your life!
How could you F-#$%!@-ing jeopardize my business ethics with your gift-giving scheme?
Are you really that stupid that you cant seen a conflict of interest if I allowed this type of thing?

In my defense, I told him, I had gotten the approval of that lead secretary.nbsp; Remember her?nbsp; I didnt know it was wrong, et cetera, yada yada yada.nbsp; He said she was in trouble too.nbsp; Ouch!

I got off the phone completely crushed.nbsp; Stunned.nbsp; I cried and prayed.nbsp; The loss of this client represented 1/3 of all my business at that point.nbsp;

Tip No. 1 - Never put yourself in the position where in one phone call 1/3 of your business can be taken away. Diversify the risk more.nbsp;

Tip No. 2nbsp; - Dont give out gift cards as incentives to schedule depos.nbsp; Its unethical.nbsp; Period.

In the months that followed My Personal Black Friday, I was able to eventually get back in that firms good graces.nbsp; Mr. Big actually apologized about a year later that he had blown up at me.nbsp; I apologized about a million times and said I had learned my lesson.nbsp; Still, things were never the same between that firm and me.nbsp; I did put into effect an initiative to remove all my eggs from any one basket.nbsp; Now days, no single entity represents any more than a few percent of the totality of my business.

And I never give outnbsp;gift cards!

nbsp;

Courtesy Is Cost Effective

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:08:36 GMT

Ive never understood people who are rude.nbsp; You know the type.nbsp; The person who thinks that yelling at a waiter will magically make the food taste better.nbsp; Or the person at the airport yelling at an airline staffer for a plane delay -- as if the volume of their discontent will somehow land the 747 on time.nbsp; In our office we occasionally get a phone call from people are quite plainly rude.nbsp; A rude attorney?nbsp; Im shocked I tell you.nbsp; Shocked!nbsp; Ah, such is the business of court reporting.

Still, I had the opportunity this week -- yes, the Opportunity -- to test out a theory Ive toyed with for awhile.nbsp; The theory goes something like this:nbsp; courtesy is the best approach when dealing with any problem.nbsp; It costs nothing but yields large ROI.nbsp; My theory got put to the test this week as I got pulled over by a police officer.nbsp; I had just left a client in Anaheim and I was heading up Rose Drive through Yorba Linda, California.nbsp; I crossed some railroad tracks and allegedly -- according to the officer -- allegedly went too far forward across the lane line, ending up waiting out the red light directly under the crossing guard rails, my front wheels straying too far into the intersection.nbsp; Allegedly, I tell you.nbsp; Allegedly!

Todds No. 1 Rule When Being Stopped By The Police
Remember all those episodes of Cops.nbsp; Cue the song: Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do?nbsp; Mynbsp; No. 1 Rule When Being Stopped By The Police is to do exactly THE OPPOSITE of what everybody on Cops does.nbsp; If they usually run from the police.nbsp; You do not run.nbsp; If they usually talk back at the police, you do not talk back.nbsp; If they usually throw their baggies of narcotics out the window, you do not even have baggies of anything anywhere near you.nbsp; Ever.nbsp; You get the picture.

So I -- in following my rule -- performed the following things during my little episode with the good Yorba Linda officer:

Roll down both windows of my vehicle
Place my hands at 10:00 and 2:00 and keep them there
Wait for the officer to speak before saying anything
He asked if I knew what I had done wrong, I admitted that I did.nbsp; Life Rule:nbsp; never lie.
He asked to see my drivers license, I told him yes and that my license was in my wallet in my back pocket, and would it be okay if I reached around to retrieve it.nbsp; He said yes.
He asked to see my insurance and registration.nbsp; I told him yes and that that info was in my glove compartment, and would it be okay if I reached over to retrieve it.nbsp; He said yes.

The officer then retreated to his car to do whatever they do over there.nbsp; I assume they pull up my vehicle and my name on the computer and see if Im wanted for anything.nbsp; Im not so he was back within a minute or less.nbsp;

He then proceeds to tell me something very interesting -- and herein lies the whole reason for this blog post.nbsp; He says, Todd, because of your courtesy with your hands, and your telling me about all the actions that you were going to take inside your vehicle -- as an officer, I really appreciate that -- Ive written you up for the lightest violation possible.nbsp; What would have been a $369 violation will only be about $100 bucks.

I was happy at the courtesy discount.nbsp; But I was more happy about the fact that my theory -- that it always pays to be courteous -- proved correct.nbsp; And Ill be staying clear of railroad crossings for a while too.

nbsp;

So You Need CEU Credits?

Fri, 9 Jan 2009 13:11:32 GMT

We all need CEU credits; right?nbsp; First you have to check your NCRA transcript to find out how many you already have accrued.nbsp; Next, you need to take some courses and/or attend events to get those credits up there!

How To View Your CEU Credits
Go to http://www.ncraonline.org/.nbsp; On the front page, under Member Services, there is a link called Check your CEUs.nbsp; If you are not logged in to the NCRA website, then it will prompt you to provide your User Name and Password.nbsp; (If youre not a NCRA member, sign up here!)

Once logged in, youll arrive at the CEU Transcripts page. A helpful description of Cycle vs. Full Transcripts is provided: The Cycle Transcript displays only the credits earned in your current cycle. The Full Transcript displays the tests youve taken in the last three years.

Partial List of My CEUs

5/17/2008nbsp; DRA051708-Core Curriculum Module 1nbsp; 0.4 CEU
7/25/2008nbsp; ANA05-Premier Session-From Better to Best-Taking It to the Next Levelnbsp; 0.15 CEU
10/4/2008nbsp; DRA2008D-CSRs Guide to the Best Tech Gadgetsnbsp; 0.15 CEU
10/4/2008nbsp; DRA2008C-Word for Windowsnbsp; 0.15 CEU
10/4/2008nbsp; DRA2008E-Serrano vs Coast Court Rptrs.nbsp; 0.15 CEU
10/4/2008nbsp; DRA2008B-Windows for Reportersnbsp; 0.15 CEU

I was calling the Nevada Court Reporters Board yesterday to find out what they accept as far as CEUs.nbsp; Remember, to be a registered firm in Nevada, you have to acquire 15 credits every two years.nbsp; If you do the math on my CEUs above, the total is only 1.15 credits.nbsp; You can imagine my anxiety then considering I thought I was a long, long way off from the 15 required by Nevada.nbsp; So I placed a call to them and thankfully, they consider each hour as a credit.nbsp; In other words for my 1.15 NCRA CEU credits, Nevada gives me 11.5 hours worth!nbsp; Im not that far off after all.nbsp; (Just move the decimal point to the right one digit to calculate yours!)

Other Ways To Earn CEU Credits
While speaking with the Nevada Board, I picked her brain for other methods to earn credits.nbsp; Lots of options:

Stenograph offers education courses.nbsp; I picked their Windows Vista for Busy People at $139.95 for 1.0 CEUs
You can take a CPR course through a community college
Clara Casey offers Nevada Law Credits for $40.00 for 4 hours.nbsp; Her number is 702-277-8910.nbsp; (I ordered it yesterday)
You can take a foreign language class

Hope that helps you get some credits if you need them!

nbsp;

Off To A Great Start in 2009

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 18:14:48 GMT

Happy New Year Everybody!

Almost all of my staff is back from vacation.nbsp; The final straggler comes in late tonight and swears shell be in the office tomorrow.nbsp; Sure hope so!nbsp; Weve missed you Sherry.

How was everybodys New Year?nbsp; I spent mine quietly watching the New York ball being dropped.nbsp; Inbsp;celebratednbsp;at the stroke of midnight with some apple cider and soundly fell asleep.nbsp; This past holiday was one of the most relaxing of my life.nbsp; Rarely, am I able to actually enjoy time off.nbsp; My mind typically focuses on work even on weekends.nbsp; Still, something about this recent one was surprisingly restful and quiet.nbsp; Thank God.

Im looking forward to a busy 2009!

Wishing everyone a prosperous New Year!

-Todd

nbsp;

Last Day of 2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:59:15 GMT

Last day of the year! And thanks to everybody for coming to my site and reading this blog this year.nbsp;

nbsp;

Top 10 Pages On My Website for 2008

nbsp;

Deadline Calculator

Main Court Reporting Page

Schedule a Deposition

Conference Suite Locator

Add Myself To Todds Database

nbsp;

Top 10 Blog Posts for 2008

nbsp;

How Busy Are We?

48 Funny Excuses For Being Late

How Long Does Court Reporting School Take?

Cerritos Court Reporting School

CNN Writes Article About How Much Court Reporters Earn

Court Reporting Firm Collections - How To Get Paid

How To Become a Court Reporter In Texas

Steno Shirts Available Once Again

Paralegal vs. Legal Assistant?

Are You Cut Out To Benbsp;A Freelance Court Reporter?

nbsp;

Topnbsp;5 Changes In My Business

Moved to Temecula, California (bigger space and cheaper!)
Bought a lightning fast copy machine Savin 2575
Hired two new office staffers -- welcome aboardnbsp;Paulene Deb!
Implemented tons of new software to speed up operations.nbsp; Example: good riddance QuickBooks!
Renegotiated rates with UPS Regus/HQ Global

nbsp;

Othernbsp;Highlights For 2008

Baby Ryan Todd Olivas was born 9/19/08 - A New Associated Is On The Way
Passed the Nevada Firm Exam

nbsp;

Have a Happy New Years!!!

nbsp;

-Todd

Calendar Software Improvements

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:15:53 GMT

Recently, we made some good changes to our Calendar system known affectionately around here as the Super Ajax Calendar.nbsp; Per a conversation yesterday I had with a client about their transcript turn-around time, Ive implemented several global changes within the system.nbsp; This is the advantage, as I see it, to having 100% custom calendar software.nbsp; I can hear a great suggestion for an improvement directlynbsp; from the horses mouth -- a client, I mean -- and have the flexibility and ability to implement those changes swiftly.

Calendar Improvements
1.nbsp; The Client Preferences area of any account now spells out explicitly their needs and wishes.nbsp; These preferences can be anything from the turn-around policy, billing requirements, production notes, or other.nbsp; Now all Calendar staff will be reminded of the clients preferences each and every time one of their jobs comes on calendar.nbsp;

2.nbsp; The day before each job we send out an email to each reporter giving them the 411.nbsp; This email now contains any pertinent client preferences specifically about turn-around policy or other items.nbsp; The email going to the reporter looks something like this:

DEPOSITION DATE / TIME:
12/18/2008 2:30p.m.
DEPONENT / CASE CAPTION:
John Doe
Doe vs. Doe
YOU NEED TO GO TO:
Dr. John Doe, M.D.
100 Main Street #301
Santa Barbara CA 90210
OUR CLIENT IS:
John Doe Associates
2119 Elm Ave
Orange, CA 92569
Tel: 714-555-1212 Fax: 714-555-1212
*** SPECIAL CLIENT REQUESTS ***
This firm is adamant about getting their transcripts back in 2 weeks.nbsp; So please get the transcript turned in to us ASAP on Day 10.nbsp; Thank you!
JOB DUE DATE:
Unless expedited, this job is due in 10 days on 12/28/2008.nbsp; If it is expedited, please call our office ASAP: (951) 296-0114.
WHERE TO TURN IN THE JOB:
Email ASCII to lt;a href=mailto:production@toddolivas.comgt; production@toddolivas.comlt;/agt;.
Send all Exhibits, Certs Invoices to:
41690 Enterprise Circle North
Suite 200CC
Temecula, California 92590
(951) 296-0114 - Main Line
(951) 848-0789 - Fax
DOWNLOAD THE NOTICE:
link information provided

All these kinds of additions to our system make it fun and exciting to be a small business.nbsp; I know its a small change, but they add up to hopefully being a good court reporting service that our customers will come back to year after year.

nbsp;

Court Reporters Board of California

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 14:48:48 GMT

A few weeks ago I got invited by David E. Brown, the Asst. Executive Officer of the Court Reporters Board of California to fly to Sacramento to assist the CRB in an exam workshop.nbsp; I have had the opportunity a number of times (many of which Ive blogged about) to assist the Board.nbsp; Its always a great experience to be able to do this sort of thing.nbsp; I love being able to give back to the court reporting profession.nbsp; I love taking road trips.nbsp; (Actually they fly me to Sacramento.nbsp; So its more of an air trip!)

What Will I Be Doing?
The purpose of the workshop is to review and modify tasks and knowledge statements developed from interviews conducted with SMEs.nbsp; In addition, participants will write new task and knowledge statements and perform a linkage of the task and knowledge statements.nbsp;nbsp; The occupational analysis serves as the blueprint for all CSR tests.nbsp; It isnbsp; updated every 5-7 years as required by federal law.nbsp; The development of this exam document and defining the knowledges and skills is one of the most critical components to our process.nbsp;

Where Will I Be Eating?
Chops Restaurant, of course!

Quick Updates

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:23:57 GMT

Its been a while since Ive really blog blogged.nbsp; Sure, Ive managed to squeak out the occasional post here and there but typically what used to be a several-time-per-week habit has out of necessity taken a back seat to tons of things going on. So I thought today Ive at least jot down some quick updates...

Weve moved into a beautiful new office in Temecula, California.nbsp; This is our Calendar Production office -- for Jobs, Exhibits, Certs Invoices.nbsp; The address is 41690 Enterprise Circle North, Suite 200CC, Temecula, CA 92590.
Weve hired a new Production Assistant, Paulene Letts.nbsp; Welcome aboard Paulene!
We survived the fires of Yorba Linda! Our hats off to the brave firefighters of Southern California!
I have big news (which I cant unfurl just yet) regarding the Deposition Reporters Association of California (http://www.caldra.org/).
I was asked by David Brown the Executive Officer for the California Court Reporters Board to come to Sacramento in December.nbsp;nbsp;I accepted.nbsp;The purpose is to review and modify the Boards Occupational Analysisnbsp;document: ttp://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/formspubs/occupational-analysis.pdf
We stopped using Microsoft Office in our office and have successfully migrated to using Open Office which is a free product and works wonderfully.
We are successfully using Microsofts FolderShare product to transfer files back and forth between offices.nbsp;
We developed our own custom accounting software and have weaned off of Intuits QuickBooks.nbsp; It wasnt easy but our new waynbsp;does payroll as well as accounts receivables. Pheew, Im glad thats done with!
We negotiated a price discount from two key vendors: UPS Regus/HQ Global.
We upgraded all the office computers to Windows Vista and have had no trouble with it whatsoever.nbsp; (There were some minor glitches early on with sharing printers, but now we are Vista experts!)
We installed a way for reporters to enter their information for work directly into our database.nbsp; Court reporter work.nbsp; Many, many reporters from around the country have already signed up.

How Busy Are We?

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:44:05 GMT

Unprecedented disclosure alert!nbsp; Ever wanted to know how many jobs are going forward or getting cancelled?nbsp; Take a peek...

Court Reporting In Virginia

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:10:10 GMT

The state of Virginia does not require court reporters to become certified. However, only those who choose voluntary certification are authorized to use the term Certified Court Reporter in that state. The Virginia Court Reporters Association is highly active, both in administering the certification program and in encouraging court reporters to become certified. The VCRA also maintains an active website, providing a one-stop resource for court reporters across the state. Provided here is a guide to the voluntary certification program, as well as additional information about the VCRAs services.

Eligibility Requirements
Those who wish to become certified court reporters in Virginia must be members in good standing of the Virginia Court Reporters Association. The applicant must also be a notary public in the state of Virginia. Although completion of a course in court reporting is not required, if such a course has been taken, a certificate of completion should accompany the application.

The Exam
Unless applying under the provision of reciprocity, all applicants must successfully complete an examination. The exam is administered twice a year, in May and November, by the National Court Reporters Association. The VCRA does not administer its own internal testing. Details of the NCRAs testing program can be found online.

Certification by Reciprocity
If an applicant currently holds certification as a court reporter in another state, a certification by reciprocity may be provided by the VCRA. However, the other states testing standards must be equal to or higher than those of the VCRA in order for reciprocity to apply. Applicants who currently hold certification are encouraged to enclose a copy of their certificate with their applications.

Continuing Education
All certified court reporters in Virginia are expected to accumulate at least 2.0 Continuing Education Units within each three-year certification cycle. The VCRA provides ample opportunities to earn CEUs through participation in its seminars and workshops. Classes taken at a local community college may also qualify. Members are invited to submit outside workshops and classes for consideration for CEU credits as well.

Other Functions of the VCRA
Beyond certification and CEUs, the VCRA serves as a one-stop clearinghouse for news and information that affects court reporters in the state of Virginia. It provides numerous opportunities for networking and mentoring exchanges as well. The VCRA is member-driven, and all court reporters in the state are actively encouraged to take on volunteer positions within the VCRA structure.

Court reporters in the state of Virginia need not be certified. However, the VCRA feels strongly that voluntary certification unites members and creates a higher standard of competency and accountability for all court reporters. The VCRA has put forth a Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics which all members must follow, and is actively working to improve the image of court reporters in the minds of the public. Although membership is strictly optional, joining the VCRA and becoming certified will provide numerous benefits to any court reporter in the state.

How To Reduce Your UPS Bills

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:32:43 GMT

As a busy court reporting company, sending transcripts to our clients is a daily and costly task.nbsp; These days with the economy slowing down, its important to watch every penny like a hawk.nbsp; Now is an excellent time to pick up the phone and call every single vendor on your payee list to renegotiate terms.nbsp; (I dont mean independent court reporters, though!)nbsp; Heres a quick way to cut at least 10% to 20% off your UPS bills.nbsp;

nbsp;

Earlier this week I called UPS -- and after winding my way through their automated phone prompts -- a highly annoying process -- I reached a delightful UPS representative andnbsp;the followingnbsp;conversation ensued:

nbsp;

Todd Olivas: Id like to find out if Im getting the best UPS shipping rates possible.nbsp; Is there any way you can double check to make sure that my volume doesnt qualify me for a discount?nbsp;

nbsp;

UPSnbsp;Representative: Sure thing!nbsp; Let me put you in contact with your Incentive Specialist, John.nbsp; Ill have him give you a call before 5:00 p.m. today.

nbsp;

Todd Olivas:nbsp; Wow, I didnt even know such a position existed -- Incentive Specialist -- much less that I havenbsp;one assigned to me personally.

nbsp;

UPSnbsp;Representative: Yes, sir.nbsp; Is there anything else I can help you with?

nbsp;

Todd Olivas: An Incentive Specialist specializing in incentives, I guess; right?

nbsp;

UPSnbsp;Representative: Yes, sir.nbsp; Is there anything else I can help you with?

nbsp;

Todd Olivas: Would I have ever been told about John, my Incentive Specialist, if I had not proactively called you today?

nbsp;

UPS Representative: I am not sure, sir.nbsp; Is there anything else I can help you with?

nbsp;

Todd Olivas:nbsp; No, thanks.nbsp; Ill be awaiting Johns call.

nbsp;

UPS Representative:nbsp; Thank you, sir.

nbsp;

Later that day John the Incentive Specialist did, indeed, call me.nbsp; I happened to not be able to take his call so we didnt actually speak until the following day.nbsp; Sure enough, due to something artfully known as Gross Weekly Revenue Band, I qualified for a 12% reduction on all UPS Ground packages to commercial addresses.nbsp; That savings made my heart flip up and down in glee!nbsp; Thank you, John.nbsp;

nbsp;

But John wasnt done with me yet.nbsp; On Next Day Air packages (you know, fornbsp;expedites), I qualified for anbsp;24% discount.nbsp; Yes! Yes! And more yes!

nbsp;

John emailed me a Carrier Agreement which was basically a one-page document outlining that my discounts were based on the aforementioned Gross Weekly Revenue Band and that if my Gross Weekly Revenue Band were to rise or fall, the discounts would rise or fall accordingly.nbsp; No problemo.nbsp; Doubting my Gross Weekly Revenue Bandnbsp; will be falling any time soon, I signed on the dotted line and sent it back to John.nbsp; All of this happened within 36 hours of my first having called the delightful UPS Representative and my new discount UPS rates will take effect next week.

nbsp;

Lessons Learned:nbsp;

It nevernbsp;hurts to ask!
Theres an Incentive Specialist somewhere specifically assigned to you.nbsp; All you have to do is find him/her.
Terms like Gross Weekly Revenue Band are used by big companies like UPSnbsp;to sound smart.
It nevernbsp;EVER hurts to ask!

nbsp;

Court Reporting in Georgia

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:53:13 GMT

The state of Georgia requires all court reporters to be certified. The certification process is not difficult, but must be followed exactly. Additionally certified court reporters in Georgia are required to obtain continuing education credits each year. Provided here is a brief guide to the process of obtaining and maintaining court reporter certification in the state of Georgia.

Training
Georgia does not require potential court reporters to attend any sort of court reporter training program prior to certification. However, many potential court reporters feel that a training program is the best way to gain the skills and knowledge required for the examination. Information about court reporter schools can be found at the National Court Reporter Association website.

The Judicial Council of Georgia, which administers the certification exam for court reporters, has developed an optional seminar for those who plan to take the exam. Known as Tips for the Test, the seminar offers practice exams as well as a wealth of information about the test and how to prepare.

After a new court reporter passes the certification exam, he or she must attend the Judicial Council of Georgias Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) program within 12 months. Failure to attend this program will result in the certification being suspended.

The Exam
The certification exam is administered on a regular basis by the Judicial Council of Georgia. Information about upcoming exams can be found on the Judicial Councils website. The exam is divided into two parts: written knowledge and skills. The written knowledge test must be passed before the dictation portion will be administered. Both parts must be passed before a certificate may be issued.

If the written portion of the exam is passed but the dictation portion failed, the passing score may be retained. The dictation portion is divided into three sections, all of which must be passed. However, if two of the three sections are passed, the passing scores may be retained through one more testing session. If the third section is failed again, however, then the entire section must be retaken.

The Judicial Councils website provides a detailed guide to possible errors in transcription. Reading through this guide will provide the prospective court reporter with an awareness of common mistakes and knowledge of which elements should be monitored closely.

Georgia Shorthand Reporters Association
The Georgia Shorthand Reporters Association is a valuable resource for court reporters in the state of Georgia. The organization provides numerous opportunities for members to attend workshops that provide continuing education credits. It also provides networking opportunities, legislative representation and other important benefits. The Associations website provides a wealth of information for both members and non-members.

Becoming a court reporter in Georgia is not inherently difficult. However, there is a step by step process that must be followed. It is important that any prospective Georgia court reporter read through the Judicial Council requirements and follow them closely. Once an applicant becomes a fully certified court reporter, both the Judicial Council and the Georgia Shorthand Reporters Association will provide valuable ongoing resources and support.

Deposition Reporters Association Fall Seminar

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 11:43:11 GMT

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the DRAs (Deposition Reporters Association) Fall Seminar and earn some ceu credits.nbsp; As of this writing, there is still time for you to sign up to attend the second session which will be held in Walnut Creek, CA:nbsp;

nbsp;

SATURDAY -nbsp;OCTOBER 11, 2008

2355 North Main Street
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
1-925-934-2000
Click here to register now!nbsp;

nbsp;

During my session I was lucky enough to sit next to Lois Ludwig of Ludwig Klein Reporters.nbsp; This was the fist time I was able tonbsp;get acquainted with nbsp;her and she wasnbsp;so helpful and friendly.nbsp; You can read about my first having seen Lois in action atnbsp;a DRAnbsp;seminar earlier this year: The DRAs Core Curriculum Class Module I.

nbsp;

There was a lot of information presented at this seminar.nbsp; Many nuggets and things to add to your tool belt:

nbsp;

A Quick Recap of the Agenda

nbsp;

WINDOWS FOR REPORTERS

This segmentnbsp;taught how tonbsp;optimize the mostnbsp; commonly used operating system.
nbsp;
WORD FOR WINDOWSnbsp;
Word is a powerful tool that too many reporters dismiss as unnecessary or ignore because they dont know how to use it, but after this seminar, many were wondering whynbsp;they waited so long!
nbsp;
A CSRS GUIDE TO THE BEST TECH GADGETS
This segment demonstratednbsp;all about the best backup systems for reporters, the ideal laptop configuration for optimum audio recording, virus protection, internet security, wireless cards and more.
nbsp;
SERRANO VS. COAST COURT REPORTERS:nbsp; STATUS OF APPEAL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOUnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;
DRA lobbyist Ed Howardnbsp;gave usnbsp;the complete background of this possibly precedent-setting case and the enormous ramifications it could have in store for all California reporters.nbsp;nbsp;

nbsp;

Some Of My Thoughts And Take-Aways From The Seminar

Windows Vista, while much maligned in the media, is really not that bad or that different than Windows XP
The DRA puts on a great seminar.nbsp; The hotel and food and organization were all in place and it was much appreciated by the 200+ (my estimate) in attendance
You can buy a 4GIG flash drive for your Windows Vista laptop and use it in Ready Boost mode to boost your RAM
I thought of a good idea to put my TOA logo on a keyboard shortcuts card as a give-away for clients.nbsp; Its useful and good marketing!
Lobbyist Ed Howard was a powerful speaker and Im certainly glad hes on our side of this Serrano v. Coast Court Reporters issue
DRA is very generous with their drink tickets.nbsp; I was give two of them ($7.00 value each!) but had to pass since Ive got a two-week old at home with a stressed mommy
There is a cool new Realtime-viewing software called Bridge which is a FREE alternative to LiveNote.
I was not the only guy in the room.nbsp; I counted at least five or six others!nbsp; Now I know how it feels to be Smurfette, however.nbsp; :)
There is a cool site called www.FolderShare.com which allows two computers to share folders.nbsp; I havent tried it but it sounds interesting.
Want a way to discover and share briefs?nbsp; Check out www.briefpedia.com
Cant quite figure out what the teenagers are saying?nbsp; Check out www.OnlineSlangDictionary.com

nbsp;

New Quiz - California Deposition Stuff

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:22:03 GMT

Hey, California court reporters, we just posted a new quiz about California depositions.nbsp; Check it out on our court reporting quiz page.nbsp; Here is a sample of some of the questions:

How long should a court reporter in California keep his/her notes?
Is it the law that deposition reporters charge the same amount to all parties in a case?
If the attorneys request that a transcript be made confidential, what do I do?
In California can reporters produce an original transcript with the RealLegal electronic signature?
Can a deposition reporter refuse to give a rough draft (ASCII) to an attorney?
Does the court reporter at a Texas deposition need to be certified in California for the transcript to be admissible in California court?
Does the court reporter need to be in the presence of the witness testifying?
California reporters are required to use 56 characters per line, but do you begin counting at the text or at the line numbering?
Should I offer a mini transcript or ASCII to all the attorneys in a deposition?
If an attorney wishes to receive an electronic transcript in lieu of a hard copy, is that okay?nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

A New Associate Is On The Way

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:53:55 GMT

Its about 6:45 a.m. right now as I type this.nbsp; Shortly, my wife and I are heading to Kaiser hospital where she will be induced into labor.nbsp; Hopefully, with enough Pitocin piped into her body, the contractions will start and as they said in Beijing, Let the games begin!

As soon as little Ryan Todd Olivas (aka Future Court Reportingnbsp;Speed Champion) is born, Ill post a pic and be back to worknbsp;blogging away about all things court reporting.nbsp; Until then...

God Bless,

Todd

nbsp;

Sleeping With A Stolen Stenograph Machine

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:49:14 GMT

I began in the court reporting field in 1991.nbsp; I worked in the mail room of a court reporting agency.nbsp; It would take me six years to become licensed as a CSR in California and 12 years to own my own agency.nbsp; I guess you could say that I have had a long-term passion for this stuff.

I personally count my experiences in school as some of my most prized personal memories like these:

The birth of my daughter
The day my dog Charlie learned NOT to pee on the rug
My last tax refundnbsp;

During those days (back in court reporting school), I ate and drank steno. (Steno, for those new to this, is the colloquial word for stenography which is the language that court reporters use to type on those funny little machines.) At night I dreamt of my steno outlines: P-A-T and S-A-L like they were my two buddies.nbsp; Not in a funny way.nbsp; And as Ive gone around in the past few years to various court reporting colleges, I do speak a lot about passion for this industry.nbsp; Yes, being a court reporter pays well.nbsp; Yes, its a distinguished career right up there with any astronaut, doctor, or pop star.nbsp; Okay, maybe not a pop star.nbsp; (Maybe Bono qualifies.)nbsp;

Still, to get through the program and to succeed in this field one must have passion. Thats why the following news clipping caught my eye.nbsp; This is from The Times Leader (Wilkes Barre, PA) (August 15, 2008)

Two men accused of trespassing into a residence were arrested Wednesday, August 13, 2008 after police say they found the pair sleeping in a bed with a stolen stenograph machine between them.
Jerome Allen Windley, 24, and Joshua Louis Caldwell, 19, face charges of criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, according to a criminal complaint. They did not have current addresses. Both of the males were found sleeping under the bed covers of an upstairs room at 134 Main St., police said. Story continuedgt;

My thoughts about this little sleep over:

Fine for trespassing: $500
Fine for possession of stolen property: $500
Fine for sleeping with a stolen stenograph machine: priceless!

Track Down Your Attorney In Flight

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 13:14:36 GMT

Legal Secretaries, got an attorney flying out of town for a deposition?nbsp; Need to track their whereabouts?nbsp; Want to know weather conditions and/or flight delays?nbsp; Well, now you can with FlightAware.com.nbsp;

nbsp;

This is a free website that I discovered recently while watching the news.nbsp; You can simply go to www.flightaware.com and input the flight number and get all the realtime stats imaginable about that flight.nbsp; Dont know the flight number?nbsp; No problem.nbsp; Simply input the departure and arrival airports and track the flight like that.

nbsp;

This sounds like a commercial, but it isnt.nbsp; I can foresee a myriad of uses for this site:

Legal support staff can track their traveling attorneys
Court reporting agencies can anticipate delays of their inbound clients
Family members can track daddys or mommys flight

nbsp;

Deposition Taking From An Attorneys Perspective

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:55:05 GMT

Recently I sat down with one of Orange Countys best personal injury attorneys, Stephen D. Counts.nbsp; Mr. Counts specializes in personal injury particularly as related tonbsp;motor vehiclenbsp;accidents.nbsp; It is in this capacity that he has conductednbsp;or been a part of billions of depositions.nbsp; Thats billions with a B.nbsp; Okay, I exaggerate.nbsp; Still, he is highly experienced and -- as it turns out -- generous with his time regarding the deposition aspect of his profession.nbsp; Hes got great insights from the other side of the desk that I hope my court reporting readers will benefit from.nbsp; Enjoy!nbsp;

Stephen D. Counts, Esq.
Personal Injury Lawyer
stephen@orangecountyinjury.com

nbsp;

Todd Olivas: As an attorney, do you do depositions?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;nbsp;Probably one or more a week.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;How many have you done, approximately, in your career?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;nbsp; Its almost impossible for me to estimate how many Ive done during my career as an attorney, but if you extrapolate that out, I probably have done -- I probably do thirty, forty a year.nbsp; And that includes ones that are taken by me as well as ones that I participate in that were noticed by another party.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;And you specialized in personal injuries, so all of yours have been -- well, most of yours have been people who have been hurt; correct?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;Virtually all of my clients are consumers who have been injured as a result of a wrongdoing of somebody else.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;So you spend a lot of time in the deposition arena and you might have some opinions about the process, or feedback from a third partys perspective -- has the volume of depositions gone up or down in the last few years for you?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;nbsp;For me personally, I probably have done more depositions in the past year than I did two or three years ago.nbsp; And I think the reason for that is just the type of cases that Im handling require much more in-depth discovery.nbsp; Multiple eyewitnesses, multiple expert witnesses, multiple parties even -- I may represent two or three people involved in a claim.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;And do you anticipate that trend decreasing in the future at all?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;nbsp; Its difficult to know for sure, but my estimate would be that they will continue to gradually increase with the level of complexity of the cases as well as the quality of cases and -- for better, for worse -- the significant nature of the injuries involved.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;How long do your depositions usually go?nbsp; Is there an average and a range?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;Well, there is definitely a range.nbsp; Its a very wide range.nbsp; And a lot of it depends on whether its an expert deposition, whether its a party deposition -- a third party deposition for my practice. I dont believe Ive ever taken a deposition that was less than an hour, and Ive taken depositions that last for more than a day and going through multiple lawyers.nbsp; So anywhere from one to 10 to 12 hours.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;Usually, we like to send the same court reporter.nbsp; If its going to be a multi-day situation, we usually like to send the same court reporter who worked on Volume I for Volume II.nbsp; Is that a preference of yours, too, or you dont care?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;I think thats always best.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;Do you have any deposition horror stories to share, from your perspective?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;I have a few deposition horror stories, but I wont regale you with all of them at this time.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;Not the one about the rat.nbsp;

Stephen Counts:nbsp;Yeah.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;The other ones.

Stephen Counts:nbsp;There have been irate attorneys. And as a side note, I think irate attorneys are something that court reporters will probably have to learn to deal with if they intend to remain in the industry.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Any tips on how a court reporter should deal with a situation thats very intense?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;The last thing that two or more attorneys need when things are getting heated up is the court reporter trying to put themselves in the middle of it.nbsp; Now, the court reporter might be very helpful in revolving their differences in any other context.nbsp; But in the context of a deposition, its my personal opinion that the court reporters should actually report what is happening, plain and simple --nbsp; to be a proverbial fly on the wall.nbsp; But a fly on the wall with a transcription device.nbsp;

It is the highest purpose of any court reporter to accurately transcribe what is happening, because ultimately if there is a dispute, that dispute very well may end up in court as a motion to compel or protective order or something along those lines.nbsp; And in that case, accurate transcription is the most important thing that the two attorneys or three attorneys -- or however many were involved -- can rely on.nbsp; A fundamental piece of advice would be: dont try to insert yourself into the situation as a mediator.nbsp; On the other hand, if the attorneys are talking at each other in such a way that no clear record can be made, that might be worth noting, Please dont talk over each other.nbsp; Or, nbsp;Dont interrupt each other.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;What are some of your pet peeves, if any, about court reporters or experiences that youve had with court reporters in the past?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;I have very few pet peeves with court reporters.nbsp; There have been a couple that might be having a bad day, and maybe that bad day rubs off on their attitude towards me or the other attorneys involved in the deposition, and it just becomes -- the focus of the situation becomes their attitude rather than the substance of the deposition.nbsp; Now, that has happened very rarely, and so I can point that out really as the only pet peeve.nbsp; Again, everyones going to have a bad day from time to time, but as a court reporter, its my personal -- as, admittedly, a non-CSR -- that the highest purpose of a court reporter would be to report what goes on in the room and not to get involved in sort of negative vibes or give attorneys negative attitude.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Now, I request that my court reporters dont do this, but do you dislike being asked to spell proper names out?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;What I would prefer is that the court reporter keeps a tally of the names that need proper spelling, and then at the end of the deposition -- once everyones off the record -- go back and ask for clarification on how to spell those names.nbsp; During the deposition, its a little bit bothersome, especially if it interrupts somebodys narrative.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;nbsp;Do you ask court reporters to read back very often?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;I personally dont ask them to read back that often, but it seems that I really cant get away with taking a deposition without asking at least once, and sometimes two or three times.nbsp; And thats particularly true if we take a break thats more than a couple of minutes.nbsp; Its always helpful to come back after a break and then try to remember what it was that you were talking about.nbsp; So reading back generally is a normal part of the job.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;I always try and get that last part. The tail end of a session right before the break, I always make sure that I have clearly down what the last few QAs were.nbsp; So when the parties proceed, you have it ready to go.nbsp; Because Ive found that when they go back on the record, youre going to want to ask the court reporter to please read the last few QAs.nbsp; And its great just to prepare a little in advance.

Stephen Counts:nbsp;So in other words, if theres any lack of clarity when the break is taken to clear up that--

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Yeah, and get all your ps and qs ready to go, ready to read back.

Stephen Counts: Yeah, thats a good idea.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;How useful of a tool for you is a deposition transcript in winning your case?

Stephen Counts:nbsp;In many cases, it is absolutely key.nbsp; Because the testimony provided in a deposition is under penalty of perjury, its sworn testimony.nbsp; And to the extent that an individuals testimony at the time of trial or arbitration contradicts the deposition testimony, it becomes an extremely effective tool for pointing out the inconsistencies in testimony.nbsp; Particularly if its an expert witness or a party witness where a liability is disputed.nbsp; Any inconsistencies in their testimony, which are material in nature, can really call into question their credibility.nbsp; And thats key to any witness.nbsp; Every witness needs to be a credible witness and if a witness is not a credible witness, then whatever point it is that theyre trying to advocate on behalf of becomes a much less credible claim.nbsp; So the short answer is depositions are absolutely key in winning cases.

Todd Olivas: Thats good news, as a lot of readers of my blog will appreciate that answer.nbsp; Thank you for your time.

Stephen Counts: Youre welcome.

nbsp;

Court Reporters Calorie Calculator - How Many Will You Burn?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There are some amazing things going on right now. The Olympics! The gold medals! The 12,000 calories per day consumed by Michael Phelps!

nbsp;

What???

nbsp;

Twelve thousand calories, thats what.nbsp; Come to think of it, Michael Phelps and I have a lot in common.nbsp; I eat 12,000 calories all the time.nbsp; Only Inbsp;spread it outnbsp;Monday through Saturday.

nbsp;

Here Isnbsp;A Typical Days Food For Swimming Sensation Michael Phelps

3 fried-egg sandwiches with tons of fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise
2 cups of coffee
1 five-egg omelets
1 bowl of grits
3 slices of French toast coated with powdered sugar
3 chocolate-chip pancakes
1 pound of pasta
2 large ham cheese sandwiches with mayo
1000 calories worth of energy drinks
Another pound of pasta
1 large pizza
Another 1000 calories of energy drinks

There is onlynbsp;one reasonnbsp;Phelps is able to consume so much food and not explode.nbsp; He swims for about five hours.

Court Reporters Deserve Gold Medals

Ive often likened the skill of the court reporter to an Olympic athlete.nbsp; Surely anyone having completed court reporting school and successfullynbsp;completingnbsp;theory and the rigors of state examinations would agree thatnbsp;becoming a CSRnbsp;is an Olympian-type challenge.nbsp; Still, have younbsp;ever wondered how many caloriesnbsp;the typical courtnbsp;or deposition reporter burns in a day?nbsp; So have I!nbsp; Weve created The Court Reporters Calorie Calculator below.nbsp; How many calories will you burn at your deposition today?nbsp; All of the stats are assuming a 150 pound person.nbsp; No offense to anyone above or below that arbitrary number.nbsp; Enjoy the calculator.nbsp; Im off to try burn off somenbsp;of my ownnbsp;calories!

nbsp;

About The Court Reporters Calorie Calculator

Assumes 150 pound person
Driving to your deposition venue consumes 136 calories per hour
Writing on your steno machine consumes 102 calories per hour
Walking briskly to and from the deposition, carrying objects less than 25 pounds consumes 306 calories per hour
Having a conversation (not yelling!) consumes 68 calories per hour

nbsp;Court Reporters Calorie Calculator

The Steno Guy - An Interview With Larry Gordon, Steno Repair Guru

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:48:07 GMT

Recently I conducted a telephone interview with a veteran of the steno repair business, Larry Gordonnbsp; about his new venture, The StenoGuy.nbsp; Together with his wife, Melissa, Larry Gordon --nbsp;aka The StenoGuynbsp;-- just opened up his own shop after working on Steno machines for other companies since 1979.nbsp; Larry talks about the steno machine repair world and traded some amazing horror stories.nbsp; Whether its the time he accidentally bought a machine stolen from a museum or the one being used as a cat box, youve got to read it to believe it

How To Reach The StenoGuy:
http://www.stenoguy.com
larry@stenoguy.com
(714) 734-8734
Servicing Steno machines since 1979
Business Hours:
Mon - Fri 8:00am to 6:00pm
Sat - 9:00am to 12:00pm

Todd Olivas:nbsp;What is your background in the court reporting repair business?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, in general, I started in 1979.nbsp; I was working for a small company over here in Orange named Hands Office Equipment.nbsp; There was a guy there that -- when I started, I was just doing typewriters and calculators, you know, assorted machines like that.nbsp; There was a guy there that was repairing the loaners and rentals and things that they had and -- because they went through a lot of stenograph machines.nbsp; And he quit on them.nbsp; So the boss came back one day and said, Well, Larry, you do it.nbsp; So that was my introduction into the stenograph business, and me and the book sat there for maybe six months trying to figure things out, because I had no training.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;What kind of machines were there back then?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, it was just the manual machines.nbsp; Thats all we were selling and renting at the time, so thats really all I saw.nbsp; And then it was a few years before the Steno Electric even came out.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;So youve seen it all -- the whole morph from manual to electronic and computer-based?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, yeah.nbsp; And everything is a little computer now.nbsp; Everything.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Does that make it more difficult than the old days?nbsp; I imagine that your technology skills are up there.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, yes and no.nbsp; I mean, the more complicated things become, the easier your job becomes but the more dependent you become on the machine, too.nbsp; In the old days everybody was transcribing their own notes, or they had a scopists doing it, or -- you know, something along that line.nbsp; Nowadays the computer takes care of a lot of that work.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;These machines have their own onboard diagnostics?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, not so much diagnostics.nbsp; You still have to hook it up to the computer and make sure that everything is performing the way that its supposed to be.nbsp; But to say that Im an expert on software or anything is a far cry from reality.nbsp; I know enough to work on the machines, how they should sound, how they should feel -- and thats really the mechanical portion of it -- and then I hook it up to the computer and I let the computer tell me if everything else is working.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Oh, I see.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;And its really no more complicated than that.nbsp; You hook up your machine and it tells you if everything is working fine.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;I actually liked your motto from your marketing e-mail. It says If youve written on it, Ive probably worked on it.nbsp; So you must have seen everything from A to Z.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, yeah.nbsp; Theres some machines way back when that I really dont want to see ever again.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Which ones are those?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, back in the early days when they first started computerizing the machines, everything was being transcribed to a little cassette.nbsp; And those machines are just a monster to try to work on.nbsp; And some of those early machines -- even with the early machines with disc drives -- they must have had two miles of wiring in them.nbsp; And to try to isolate down or try to figure out where a problem is in something like that is -- oh, my gosh -- its just a nightmare.nbsp; Just a nightmare.nbsp; Im glad those old machines have gone by the wayside.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Ill bet.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;I mean, they not only weighed about fifteen pounds each, so lugging them around wasnt an easy task for anyone, but boy did they -- when they had a problem, they really had a problem.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Lets say somebody did have a writer like that still today.nbsp; And if they were to come to you with some archaic machinery, how do you actually get parts for those kind of machines now days?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;We cant.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Its impossible?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;We really cant.nbsp; There are some parts that are available still, but for the most part some of those real old machines -- the cassette drive machines, no. I wont even handle those at all.nbsp; Theres a couple of guys I can refer people to that have more experience.nbsp; And theyre more familiar.nbsp; And they have more parts for those old machines.nbsp; And luckily those machines are more museum-quality than user-quality now.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;So that might be a candidate for either the museum and/or that person is a good candidate to buy a new machine.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, sure.nbsp; Some of them are -- a number of years ago, I was working at The StenoDoctor and a guy brought in an old, old mechanical machine, circa 1910.nbsp; And he brought that in and he says, You know, I was clearing out my grandmothers garage and I found this and do you guys want it?nbsp; And so I think we paid him like fifty bucks for it, something like that, and my comment at the time to Ed was, You know, this is in beautiful shape.nbsp; This is honestly museum quality. I mean, it really is.nbsp; Come to find out he had stolen it from a museum.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Are you serious?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;He really had.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Oh, my -- did he get arrested, or were there any --

Larry Gordon:nbsp;No, we didnt -- we had no idea who he was, or anything like that.nbsp; Didnt get his picture or his fingerprints or anything like that, but there was an ad in one of the -- heck, it must have been Cal-grams (phonetic) or something like that, a notice in there that said that this machine had been stolen, and we got to checking into it, and yep, it was the same machine.nbsp; So, well, we had to turn it.nbsp; We couldnt keep something like that.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;But you got a good story out of it, still.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, we got a good story out of it.nbsp; I was cleaning out my grandmothers garage -- yeah, all right.nbsp; It was just -- it was in perfect shape.nbsp; It was just beautiful.nbsp; I would -- honestly, I would have loved to keep it.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Yeah, Ill bet.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;When you find something thats stolen like that, youve got to return it to the right parties, because theyre missing it more than you ever want it, you know?

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Absolutely.nbsp; So when did you decide to open up shop on your own?nbsp; I know you were with The Steno Doctor.nbsp; You worked on my machines there, but when did you decide to go out on your own?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, basically the reason that I went out on my own was economic reasons. Like they say, theres been a slowdown in the industry and we werent as busy at The Steno Doctor as everybody would have liked to have seen it, and they were slow. They just didnt have enough work for people to do, and I had been toying with the idea for some time, quite honestly.nbsp; If nothing else, just -- I can stick around the house a little bit more, I can get things done and I can kind of slow down a little bit on toward retirement.nbsp; And so that was really the essence of it all.nbsp; We just put our minds together and said, This isnt working here, lets make it work here.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;I assume Ed over there knows about your new venture?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Honestly, I havent even talked to him a lot.nbsp; I would assume that they know about it.nbsp; Its -- this is a pretty close-knit community, court reporting is, and it would shock me to no end to find out they had no idea that I was opening my own place.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Well, thats one of the great things about living in America, is that you can do that.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, not only that, but Im -- I dont want to take their business away from them.nbsp; I certainly dont want to do that at all.nbsp; I just want enough here to keep me busy, keep me happy.nbsp; I mean, if I wanted their business, Id try to buy that from them.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Sounds reasonable.nbsp; So, just really quickly, what is your opinion of the other competitors -- maybe not necessarily The Steno Doctor -- but others that are out there that I know of who advertise in the NCRA Journal and such.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, over the years Ive met quite a number of the competitors.nbsp; And I think, without a doubt, theyre some of the most professional people that Ive ever met.nbsp; Theres not a one out there that doesnt try to do a good, quality job for the customer.nbsp; Theres probably a few that I would say well, maybe you dont want to -- but for the most part, overall, I would say if you were taking your machine to this person, and they are doing a good job for you, I wouldnt change.nbsp; I mean, Ive got a relative that -- its kind of my stepmothers niece, one of those kind of things -- she is a court reporter and she actually takes her machine to a competitor of mine.nbsp; And weve talked about it in the past, and Ive said, well, gosh.nbsp; And its Ken Goodwin up there at LA Stenotype.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Okay.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;And I tell her, well look, if Kens doing a good job for you -- I wouldnt switch.nbsp; Honestly.nbsp; Kens one of the good guys.nbsp; Even wears a white hat.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Thats funny.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;And so, I cant persuade her to -- I wouldnt even think to persuade her to leave him and come down to visit me, you know?

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Thats very gracious of you.nbsp; Thats very humble, too.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, if youve got somebody thats doing a good job for you, why should you change?

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Yeah, I agree.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Whats the point?nbsp; Now, on the other hand, if for some -- and you cant do a great job for everybody out there.nbsp; Theres going to be a letdown somewhere, sometime.nbsp; And if you find yourself in that position, where the guy you have servicing your machine is not doing what you want him to, or upholding what -- or its just not feeling right for you, theres a number of people out there that can take care of that problem for you.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Sure.nbsp; Theres a new one called The Steno Guy that Ive heard about.nbsp; I hear hes pretty good.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;What they hear is all good.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Theyve got a lot of experience, just opened up shop.nbsp; So what would you say are -- what are some tips that you have for reporters or students to properly maintain their writers on their own, even before having to hire a professional like yourself?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, the normal servicing, theres nothing you can do about that.nbsp; When your machine doesnt feel right, its noisy, its clunky -- you have no recourse but to take it to somebody like myself.nbsp; However, having said that, there are general lubrication things that you can do on most of the older machines to keep it running right, keep it sounding better, and to maintain it a little bit better.nbsp; Some of the newer writers, the paperless writers, theyve pretty much taken all of that away from you.nbsp; Theres not a lot that you can do to that machine, other than adjust the key contacts and make sure that all of your electronic notes are coming out right.nbsp; Those are things you can take care of yourself.nbsp; But to try to get in there and lubricate anything... Its pretty much impossible anymore.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Okay.nbsp; And when somebody would send you their main writer, do you have loaners or rentals in the meantime?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, somebody sending it in, no.nbsp; I dont know of too many people out there besides Stenograph who actually send loaners out across the country anymore.nbsp; I would imagine theres a few here and there, but for the most part, that business has pretty much been curtailed.nbsp; Too much can happen at a long distance.nbsp; You send your machine off to Salt Lake City, or something like that, and you dont get it back -- well, youre out $4000 for a loaned machine.nbsp; Not only that, but then how do you get it back?

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Yeah, I hear you.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;So sending it out, no, I wouldnt be able to help there.nbsp; I have a loaner or two here, but thats just for people bringing it in across the counter.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Your rates -- you have a pretty competitive rate structure, from $160 to $200 for annual cleanings.nbsp; Is that right around market standard, or is it lower than that?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Its pretty even with some.nbsp; Its lower than a lot of them.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Okay.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Let your fingers do the walking, you know?nbsp; When in doubt, call them -- I mean, a phone call is not going to cost you much to find out what somebody else is going to charge you for what I can do here.nbsp; I dont have a storefront like a lot of people, I dont have huge overhead like a lot of people.nbsp; So if I can save myself some money, Im certainly going to save court reporters some money, too.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Well, that makes sense.nbsp; And I honestly dont think that the average court reporter cares if you have a storefront, as long as you can get their machine in working order without any problems, and they can get back to what they do best. Then thats what important.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, the most important thing is to keep your machine working right and get it back to use so that you can go out and earn that dollar.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Earn that page rate.nbsp; Exactly.nbsp; So during the course of your career, whats the writer in the worst condition youve ever seen?nbsp; You have any horror stories, or anything you care to share?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Well, the one I probably like to tell the most -- not the one with the mouse in it, but -- I remember one where a woman brought it in and her cat had been using it for its toilet.nbsp; And that was not a pleasant ordeal to go through.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;And did the writer still write?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;It was a little rusty as you can imagine, and there was a -- how shall we put it -- a faint aura of ammonia emanating from the inside.nbsp; Yeah, it was pretty awful to work on.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Youve got to be a forensic expert.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;So I dont recommend you put -- all the time we find cat hair in these machines.nbsp; For some reason, cats are just attracted to these.nbsp; I dont know why.nbsp; But I dont recommend letting them use it for their cat box.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;No, I wouldnt suggest that either.nbsp; So were you able to fix that machine, or was that thing pretty much junk?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, no.nbsp; Once you get it cleaned out and you get it well lubricated and everything, make whatever adjustments are necessary -- yeah, as far as I would know, that machine is probably still being used somewhere.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Great.nbsp; And do you sell new writers, or do you just specifically handle maintenance and repairs?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Oh, its maintenance only.nbsp; I mean, for the most part, any of the manufacturers dont want us out there selling their product.nbsp; Now, I dont know why that is -- you would think that they would want more people out there pushing and promoting their product, but they want to handle all the sales themselves.nbsp; Stenograph, if you were to call them, theyre going to tell you that theyve got reps that will come to you and show you how to -- and thats probably what it comes to, is that they want to make sure that the machine is best represented by somebody who really knows it totally inside and out.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Got it.nbsp; So they just want to control that supply chain, I guess.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;Thats probably the bottom line.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;Well, Larry, I really appreciate it.nbsp; I think thats all that I had for this interview.nbsp; Did you want to add any final words about what youre doing in your new venture?

Larry Gordon:nbsp;If youre dissatisfied with whoever youre doing service with, give me a try.nbsp; If I cant satisfy you, well -- I dont know.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;They probably cant be satisfied.

Larry Gordon:nbsp;I mean, Id appreciate any opportunity to see if I can do a better job than somebody you may be dissatisfied with.

Todd Olivas:nbsp;That sounds great.nbsp; Thank you for your time.

nbsp;

Plaintiff Magazine Likes Our Tool

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:10:54 GMT

The reviews are pouring in now.nbsp;

(Well, maybe not pouring but they are at least trickling.)

nbsp;

Recently, Plaintiff Magazine wrote a helpful article about the importance for attorneys and legal secretaries to keep tight deadlines.nbsp; The articles is very subtle.nbsp; It is entitled: Missed deadlines will kill you.nbsp; Its all about how to use technology to stay on track for your cases.nbsp; The foreboding warning goes like this: A mere push of a button can keep you from being the target of a malpractice claim.

nbsp;

The article reviews several programs like my freenbsp;Deadline Calculator that can aid lawyers in correctly calculating deadlines for when tasks must be completed.nbsp; Using technology tools will not only increase productivity and thus make them more competitive, but they just may lower the risk of a nasty legal malpractice suit.

The article goes on to say my Deadline Calculator is an extremely simple and useful program that can benefit many people.nbsp; Well, thank you Plaintiff Magazine!

Read the whole article here.

nbsp;

PDF-it: The Future of Digital Transcript Delivery

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 15:54:08 GMT

What is the future of digital transcript delivery?nbsp; And what is all this talk about digital signaturesnbsp;anyway?nbsp; At the NCRA convention last week, I met Morgan Babin the founder of Reporting Solutions Inc. the publisher of a new product called PDF-it.nbsp; I got the opportunity to interview Morgan about PDF-it and discuss digitally signing your transcripts and the future of legal support software.

nbsp;

You can contact Morgan Babin at:

Reporting Solutions, Inc.
4545 Post Oak Place, Suite 350
Houston, TX 77027
(281) 410.6922
http://www.pdf-it.com

nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.nbsp; I know that youre probably pretty busy launching the software, but I met you at the convention and it seemed to be a very nice product, that could really -- you know, that a lot of reporters could benefit from.nbsp; So what is your background in the court reporting field?nbsp; Just to kind of recap.

MORGAN BABIN: I worked for a court reporting agency position for five years, and during my tenure I worked in various departments, including production and billing, accounting, as well as research and development.nbsp; I have a passion for technology, and would initiate any special projects wherenbsp;things can be done faster, better, simpler.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Great.nbsp; So that kind of has dovetailed into this product.nbsp;So what got you to start Reporting Solutions, Inc. in the first place?

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Well, I launched Reporting Solutions in January, 2007.nbsp; And the main reason was I wanted to provide reporters and reporting firms alternatives.nbsp; I felt like there was not enough choices in the industry.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Some of the major players have sort of cornered the market for a long time now.

MORGAN BABIN: Correct.nbsp; And there was nothing wrong, per se,nbsp;with that.nbsp; Having a natural monopoly is fine as long as it is not taken advantage of.nbsp; From various people I was hearing that it felt it had gotten to a point where that was starting to happen.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah.nbsp; So that was pretty muchnbsp;the impetus behind your first product, PDF-it; correct?

MORGAN BABIN: Absolutely.nbsp; The first seeds of PDF-it were planted in April of 2006 with the passing of electronic signature policy by the CRCB of Texas.nbsp; The signature policy prohibited the use of powers of attorney and fax signatures.nbsp; This meant after years of simply emailing ASCII files, reporters were now required to either physically sign and deliver originals, or digitally sign.nbsp; And at the time only one product offered digital signatures.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;So basically your product comes along and has that sort of built in, right?

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Absolutely.nbsp; Theres no additional charge for the digital signature option.nbsp; Other than the reporter getting their digital ID for $20 from a company like VeriSign or GeoTrust.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Oh, I see.nbsp; And what other states are there that you know of that require digital signatures?nbsp;

MORGAN BABIN: Well, Texas is the only one I know that has a very specific rule on it.nbsp; Now, there are other court reporting associations that have opinions, so Im sure other states will quickly follow as they see that the industry has more alternatives and choices to comply with the ruling.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;So just for the readers of this blog who might not understand what a digital signature really even is, could you give them the -- you know, the 411 of that?

MORGAN BABIN: Sure.nbsp; A digital signature basically is comprised of two pieces.nbsp; Its a digital file that represents your identity, and those files use cryptography and all kinds of crazy technology, but its really not important to understand all of the details.nbsp; Just the fact that it works.nbsp; And then theres also the electronic signature portion of it, which is the image of your signature.nbsp; These two files are put together and actually applied to the documents when you are digitally signing.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;So take me through steps of a person first getting going with a digital signature.nbsp; Would they literally scan in their signature, and now its part of an encrypted file?

MORGAN BABIN: No, theres the digital signature itself which is called a digital ID.nbsp; That file is purchased through a company like VeriSign or GeoTrust, where the third party accesses particular information from the person to verify their identity.nbsp; The level of security is very minimal; they essentially ask for your e-mail, they ask for your credit card to buy the digital ID.nbsp; So those two pieces of information become your identity.nbsp; They assume that if you use this persons credit card and you have access to that e-mail account, you must be that particular person.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;I see.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;And then you have the electronic portion of it, which is the scanned-in image of your signature.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Oh, I see.nbsp; Okay.nbsp; And your product handles all of that seamlessly?

MORGAN BABIN: Correct.nbsp; Reporters upload a certificate or digital ID, upload a scanned image of their signature, and both of those files are then applied to the document on a page and line number in which they designate when theyre going through the PDF-it Creation Wizard.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;All right.nbsp; So for most people -- people who are familiar, lets say, with the E-Transcript product by RealLegal, your product is a competing product to that and its web-based; correct?

MORGAN BABIN: Absolutely.nbsp; And thats actually one of the biggest advantages of PDF-it.nbsp; Our software is web-based, which means you can access it 24 hours a day from any internet-connected computer.nbsp; This means desktop-related support issues have been eliminated, and updates and upgrades to the program are deployed much more efficiently.nbsp; Our clients are not burdened with the responsibility of maintaining software or installing updates.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Oh, I see.nbsp; So whenever theres a new release, you know, or whenever you guys tweak some area of the product, then its sort of a seamless integration.nbsp; The people using your product wont even know, itll just automatically be there next time they log in?

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Thats exactly right.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Great.nbsp; So is it hard for people to learn to use PDF-it?

MORGAN BABIN: Not at all.nbsp; We always conduct a short webinar for new clients.nbsp; We walk them through account set-up, and a short training session in which they can invite up to 15 people, including their staff or their reporters. In the webinar we basically familiarize them with PDF-itnbsp;and all the options and set up their formatting, so that they can get the look and feel that they have become accustomed to for years and years.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;And thats included in the price, that training webinar?

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Thats right.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;And speaking of, how much does PDF-itnbsp;cost, and how didnbsp;you kind of figure out what the price points were going to be when you launched it?

MORGAN BABIN: Well, we based our pricing on the market. At the time, the competition, was $85 a month.nbsp; They had an extra feature which was a turn-in piece that we did not initially offer but will be rolling out in our upcoming PDF-itnbsp;product, It will allow the reporter to enter in all the ordering information at the end of the transcript creation wizard.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Okay.

MORGAN BABIN: But we understood our Firm Edition didnt have all of the features that competitors were offering, so we decided that we would not be able to charge the same prices.nbsp; We heard feedback from various reporters that they felt like they were paying too much considering they may only be doing a fewnbsp;transcript conversions a month.nbsp; That was the driver for offering two different pricing structures, and for two different parties.nbsp; In addition to our Firm Edition, we launched a Reporter Edition.nbsp; Our Reporter Edition is offered at $300 for a year subscription, and our Firm Edition is $750 a year, both with unlimited use.nbsp; Both editions also have an option of per use pricing at $6.99 per file.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Oh, okay.nbsp; So thats great.nbsp; So for the occasional user then, they can opt innbsp;on an as-needed basis, or the pay-as-you-go model, basically.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Correct.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Okay.nbsp; When you compare PDF-itnbsp; to E-Trans, what would you say are some of the differentiating points, if any?nbsp; Because I know that when I met you at the convention that you said -- basically, that that wheel has sort of been invented and people are expecting a certain functionality level, and so your product needed to at least be at that level.

MORGAN BABIN: Right, absolutely.nbsp; And that did take a lot of time.nbsp; And obviously since the competitions products were build on their own client feedback over a 10 year plus period we knew we had to at least match all those features.nbsp; But the one thing that we, of course, had going for us is that many agenciesnbsp;have been scanning in their exhibits in PDF -- and this is when the light-bulb went off.nbsp; We realized that there was going to be a huge advantage to having a transcript and exhibits in the same file format.nbsp; Not only do you see that the legal industry is quickly adopting PDF as the standard, the exhibits can be added into what we create nbsp;-- a PDF portfolio. The exhibits and the transcripts can be viewed simultaneously with one viewer.nbsp; So the PDF format has lots of advantages over a proprietary viewer in the fact that its firewall friendly and typically doesnt require the user to download an additional viewer.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah.nbsp; Because wouldnt you say that most attorneys probably already have Adobe Reader on their machines already?

MORGAN BABIN: Yes, exactly.nbsp; And when they forward these on to experts, such as doctors, theyre more familiar with Adobe PDF files.nbsp; If for some reason they do have to install the latest Adobe viewer to take advantage of the PDF Portfolio that we create, its more likely to get approved through their IT department.nbsp; They are familiar with Adobe opposed to a proprietary viewer from an unfamiliar company.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah, and I can even foresee -- like, if Im Todd Olivas and Associates Court Reporting Firm sending out my transcript to my law firm client, and then Im asking them to go to this third-party website, RealLegal -- whos RealLegal, and why am I downloading their software -- you know, there just could be some confusion there.

MORGAN BABIN: Right.nbsp; And in this day and age, with so many viruses and Trojans and all that, you dont really know exactly what youre installing.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Right.

MORGAN BABIN: So there is some concern there, especially if youre not aware of who the company is.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah, which is

MORGAN BABIN: A big difference.nbsp;nbsp;A differentiating point between competitors products and the PDF-itnbsp;product, is the condensed and word index.nbsp; It actually has to be generated using our competitors application.nbsp; So theres extra clicks involved.nbsp; pdf-it automatically generates a full-sized, condensed, word index and AMICUS file based on the customers formatting request.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Got it.

MORGAN BABIN: And all of that is wrapped into a neatly organized PDF Portfolio.nbsp; And beyond that, some agencies are actually taking it to the next level.nbsp; Theyre either just scanning exhibits with their high-speed scanners and adding them into the PDF Portfolio.nbsp; Sometimes theyre even OCRing, making them word-searchable, so that now paralegals can search across the entire portfolio all in one search Being a PDF portfolio means that only one file needs to be burned to a CD or uploaded to a repository.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Thats an interesting point.nbsp; How would somebody accomplish that OCR search without your product?nbsp; I mean, how are they doing it now?nbsp; Not as -- I mean, is it even possible?nbsp; Or do they have to go document by document and search for the text in each exhibit?

MORGAN BABIN: Typically, exhibits are not OCR.nbsp; Essentially, theyre snapshots, pictures, made by the high-speed scanners, and theyre not word-searchable.nbsp; Some of the larger firms will use third-party OCR software, or even middleware thats attached to their high-speed scanner that will OCR the document.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Right.

MORGAN BABIN: That makes them word searchable.nbsp; And thats where the power of having a PDF Portfolio will make sense, because now these searches can be conducted across the entire transcript and all the exhibits without having to do multiple searches.nbsp; Or having to jump around within different viewers that dont communicate with each other.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah.nbsp; So basically, in a nutshell, youve created a product that is easy for reporters and agencies to use without updates and things like that -- they just go to the website and log in; and the end-product is actually more powerful than what people are used to now, because of the portfolio aspect of it.nbsp; Its all-encompassed.

MORGAN BABIN: Right.nbsp; And we also understand that being web-based is very crucial, too, because its all about location and time.nbsp; Reporters have their transcripts, the office has the exhibits, so its a centralized point of meeting.nbsp; You dont know when the firm is going to introduce the exhibits.nbsp; It might be the day after the transcript is done, the reporter drops them off and those exhibits can be scanned.nbsp; And so all of that can be married up somewhere on the web, it doesnt matter what time or location where these various people may be but the components will all come together.nbsp; We actually do have an exhibit piece coming out.nbsp; It might be toward the tail end of this summer, but its going to be all about marrying up every part of the transcript, the reporter with the transcript, the office with the exhibits, and then ultimately video from the videographer.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Well, that sounds pretty exciting.nbsp; And you mentioned a future product, the exhibit piece.nbsp; What other products are coming down the pike?

MORGAN BABIN: We also have a big change in the way that the signature is going to be processed.nbsp; Because we understand there are a lot of firms that want the ability to create the PDF-it files, yet the reporters want to remain in the loop, we are essentially going in both directions -- it does not matter if the reporter creates the files, which currently is the way it works.nbsp; The reporters create the files and a copy of the files automatically goes to the agency in which the work was performed for.nbsp; And its also going to work the opposite direction, meaning if the agency creates the transcript, the reporter will automatically get a notification and a copy of the file within their document history.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Got it.nbsp; Well, thats great.nbsp; I think Ive learned a lot, and I think the readers of my blog will appreciate the information too, and Ill put a nice link and everything and all your contact information in there as well.nbsp; Just in final -- what do you see as the future of transcript support software, lets say in the next few years?

MORGAN BABIN: Well, I see Adobe continuing to push the envelope.nbsp; Theyre going to offer more features specific to the legal industry, including video integration and synchronization.nbsp; So the Adobe Reader is going to become much more powerful and the Adobe Acrobat application is going to eventually become so powerful, it will possibly become part of the trial presentation software that you see various vendors offering.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Wow.

MORGAN BABIN: So its going to be highly competitive in that particular field.nbsp; Its the battle of the viewers, and Ive got my money on Adobe.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah, I think youve probably backed the right horse, or hitched your wagon to the right train, so to speak.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Correct, thats how we feel.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;So thats great.nbsp; All right.nbsp; Morgan, I really appreciate it.nbsp; I know youre busy, but I think that this will be cool.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Did you want me to make any final comments on the feature and comparison documents?

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Oh, yeah.nbsp; Go ahead, shoot.

MORGAN BABIN: Okay.nbsp; There were only a couple of sections that I kind of ticked off and highlighted or made some notes on.nbsp; One column was called Editable Content, and I just wanted to make this comment clear.nbsp; Nothing, including E-Transcript, is 100% tamper-proof.nbsp; And this is when the importance of digital signatures comes in. nbsp;If for some reason someone were to alter a digitally signed PDF document, the signature would become invalid.nbsp; And the unscrupulous person would need to have access to the reporters digital signature file and know the reporters private key or password in order to forge their signature.nbsp; There was also a comment made about how the reporter had the ability to change the date and time on their clock on their computer, and attach the signature with an invalid date and time.nbsp; That is not possible with our service because the date and time of the digital signature is applied by the clock time of our server.nbsp; And users do not have access to that clock.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Good point.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;So its more likely to be accurate when its done through us than it would be, per se, by a reporter directly using software on their desktop.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;And once again the benefits of a web-based model shine through.

MORGAN BABIN: Exactly.nbsp; We have plans to take it to the next level.nbsp; We are going to integrate a third-party time server with our digital signature.nbsp; Its no different than getting a third-party digital ID and certificate from a company like VeriSign or GeoTrust.nbsp; The time server service will be provided again, by a third party, so that its not our company vouching for the persons identity or the time the digital signature was applied.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Well, that could be important.nbsp; Good.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Now, there were two actual columns that talked about formatting lockdown and transfer of manageability -- management compatibility.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Yeah.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp; Many of the transcript file management and trial presentation software vendors have already adopted PDF transcript file import options.nbsp; We also generate the AMICUS file so that in case our clients clients are using an older software version or one that doesnt have a PDF import, theyll be able to import in the AMICUS file

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Now, just for clarification, some people use the term ASCII instead of AMICUS, but theyre synonymous, correct?

MORGAN BABIN: Not exactly.nbsp; The AMICUS file structure is actually more strict. -- ASCII is a generic term, and can have extra information like headers and footers and time stamping.nbsp; And all of that extra information can interfere or may have to be manually removed by the paralegal. AMICUS files have been stripped of all of that extra information, including line spacing. Theres are no headers, no footers, no time-stamping -- its just raw text with page and line numbers.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Thanks for the clarification then.nbsp; I appreciate that.

MORGAN BABIN:nbsp;Sure.nbsp; And thats pretty much it.nbsp; Thanks for your time, Todd.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp;Youre very welcome.nbsp; Give me about a week or so to get this thing up there and Ill send you a link to it, and maybe you can link from your website over and so forth, but it willnbsp;hopefullynbsp; bring you some eyeballs and some users.

MORGAN BABIN: Yeah, that wouldnbsp;be great.nbsp; I mean, its like a groundswell.nbsp; People are starting to recognize the format, the technology Its really pretty encouraging, because the clients are getting more educated.nbsp; Its not as hard of a sale as it was a year ago, when we first introduced pdf-it. I had to sit there and go through about thirty minutes explaining, why PDF?nbsp; The industrys quickly understanding where PDF is going.nbsp; Clients understand and request the format now.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; I think that youve got a winner, and I appreciate it very much.

nbsp;

Rules About Holding Notes vs. Transcribing Them In New York

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:55:04 GMT

Recently the question came up: In New York, what are the rules regarding freelance reporters notes retention?

First of all, there is no mandatory licensure required to be a freelance court reporter in New York.nbsp; So it makes sense that there is no law governing the holding of notes versus having to transcibe them.nbsp; In fact, the New York Court Reporters Associations website has this about note retention:

What are the note retention regulations for freelancers in New York State?
The national standard, according to the NCRAs Code of Professional Ethics, when a state rule does not exist, states the following:

Preserve the shorthand notes in accordance with statute or court order, or otherwise for a period of no less than five (5) years through storage of the original paper notes or an electronic copy of either the shorthand notes or the English transcript of the notes on computer disks or optical or laser disk systems.

So from that wording, my understanding is that there is no specific New York rule in existence about notes so we defer to the NCRAs guide of holding them for five years.

Anybody got any feedback?

Court Reporting Firm Collections - How To Get Paid

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:27:23 GMT

While I was at the NCRA convention last week, I discovered a great new collection manager service that specializes in court reporting firms.nbsp; Collections used to be a sore spot for us at Todd Olivas Associates.nbsp; Back in the day, we would send off Past Due notices and the turn-around time for payment was hovering right aroundnbsp;90 days or more in some cases.nbsp; About two years ago we pulled together a tighter system headed by the ever-courteous but persuasive Nancy Steinhilber.nbsp; Nancy has been able to get most payments down to under 30 days.nbsp; As a growing business, cash flow is king.

If you are an independent court reporternbsp;or small firm like us who hasnt yet solidified how youre going to collect from your clients, let me introduce to you Your Corporate Collector, Inc.

Your Corporate Collector, Inc. is an outsourced collection manager service for your past-due invoices.nbsp; I met the owner, Cynthia Dusenbery who was absolutely wonderful in person.nbsp; And while I havent personally tried her service, if first impressions mean anything, then shes the lady to go with.

Fast Facts About Your Corporate Collector, Inc.

They call in your company name as if they were your own collection manager on staff.
All payments are directed to your office.
You only get invoiced from them once you notify them of receipt of payment.
They collect amicably and strive for harmonious but persuasive dealings with your clients.
They charge 10% which I think is pretty darn reasonable.
NCRA Associate Member since 4/07.
Owner Cynthia Dusenbery has written several articles in the JCR Magazine.

I obviously have no affiliation with Your Corporate Collector, Inc. other than I believe Cynthia to be honest and quite a good deal for any reporters or agencies out there struggling getting paid.nbsp; Id say its worth a shot to check her out:

Your Corporate Collector, Inc.

6348 N. Milwaukee
#136
Chicago, IL 60646
(847) 588-2273
Owner: Cynthia Dusenbery

Court Reporters, Handcuff Your Laptops To Your Wrist

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:50:37 GMT

Do you know what the second most common crime in the United States is?nbsp; The first is identity theft.nbsp; But the FBI estimates that laptop theft is No. 2 with over 2,000,000 notebooks reported stolen each year.nbsp; As all court reporters are aware, losing your laptop would be tantamount to death.nbsp; Youd have to replace the hardware and the software (and your CAT key, of course) but what aboutnbsp;lost jobs?nbsp; Can you possibly imagine how horrible it would be if you lost your dictionary, all the jobs and worksheets?

The Solution
Handcuff your laptop to your wrist.

A More Realistic Solution
Get LoJack for Laptops.nbsp; Thisnbsp;is a theft protection service that tracks, locates and recovers stolen laptop and desktop computers.nbsp; Its only about $39.99 and according to their website, they recover about 60 stolen laptops each week.nbsp;

nbsp;

Court Reporting in New Mexico

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:00:59 GMT

As a native New Mexican, I am proud to post something about becoming a court reporter in New Mexico.nbsp; Yes, its true.nbsp; I was born in Albuquerque waaay back in 1971.nbsp; I havent lived there since I was five, but have spent many, many summersnbsp; with gran folks.nbsp; And as a court reporting agency, Ive made sure were covered for any attorneys ever needing a court reporter in New Mexico.

The state of New Mexico requires all court reporters to be certified. The process is not difficult or complicated, but must be followed carefully. Provided here is a guide to the process of certification as a court reporter in the state of New Mexico.

Provisional Certification
Although it is not necessary to go through a provisional certification procedure, this process can be quite helpful to new graduates who are not yet ready to become fully certified court reporters. In order to qualify for a provisional certification, the applicant must hold a high school diploma. He or she must also have successfully completed a court reporter course of study. Within the previous year, the applicant must have passed two QA takes at 225 wpm. Normally these takes are administered by the students school. A letter from the instructor stating that the takes were successfully passed and the date that they were administered will suffice.

Upon receiving provisional certification, the court reporter will be authorized for employment under the mentorship of a fully certified court reporter. He or she is not eligible to freelance, and all work produced under a provisional certification must be initialed by the mentor.

The provisional licensee is expected to continue his or her training with the chosen mentor. The mentor must submit an outline of a full training program that will be completed by the provisional licensee. The licensee is also expected to continue speed building at an average of 4 hours per week, which must be logged and submitted each month. The licensee must also attend each RPR exam that is administered during the provisional period, and submit the results to the CCR Board Administrator. All sections of the RPR must be passed during the provisional license period, although they need not all be passed at once.

Full Certification
In order to become fully certified as a court reporter in New Mexico, the applicant must hold a high school diploma. He or she must also be of good moral character. Finally, the applicant must not be delinquent in child support payments.

An applicant for court reporter certification in New Mexico must pass the National Court Reporter Associations RPR examination. If he or she is not in the provisional licensing program, then all three sections of the exam must be passed at the same time.

An applicant may apply for a waiver of the exam requirements if he or she currently holds a certification from the NCRAs RPR examination and has been employed full-time as a court reporter for the previous three years.

Becoming a court reporter in New Mexico is not inherently difficult. However, many new graduates feel that the provisional licensing program provides valuable additional training and knowledge. Which route is selected, the New Mexico Court Reporters Board provides a wealth of information and assistance. The New Mexico Court Reporters Association is another helpful resource, particularly for those who have already completed the certification process.

Court Reporters Replaced By Robots?

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:42:12 GMT

So where is speech recognition at these days?nbsp; How far away is the day when we (court reporters) are replaced by software or robots or HAL?nbsp; Turns out thats the subject ofnbsp;a new report by Datamonitor:

nbsp;

Court Reporters Can Breathe Easy
What the Datamonitor report discovered is that the healthcare sector is where all the speech technology is growing, not the legal field.nbsp; The report indicates thatnbsp;PC-based speech software is not widespread though the technology does have a home in the healthcare industry.nbsp; Doctors are adapting speech recognition to transcribe medical reports rather than have humans transcribe tapes.nbsp; While the use of technology in this way is growing, in the legal transcription arena, court reporters livelihoods are not in danger.

nbsp;

Medical Transcription Is Iffy

Due to tighter and tighter budgets coupled with the need to obtain accurate and private patient records, speech recognition providers are finding a target market with doctors.nbsp; They have something called EHR (Electronic Health Records) now which are updated via digital dictation.nbsp; Doctors speak into digital recorders and the information is transcribed via speech recognition.nbsp; The market size for this industry is huge.nbsp; Its likely going to double within the next five years.

nbsp;

Still, as a court reporter and legal services provider, Im not worried about the technological changes afoot.nbsp; More information here.

Crime Fighting Court Reporter

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 11:59:29 GMT

Sometimes Creepy Things Happen Right In Front Of Younbsp;
This past weekend I noticed a bag of pigeons being dragged through the middle of the street by a dog.nbsp; What?nbsp; Um, yes.nbsp; I sawnbsp;a bagnbsp;containing three pigeonsnbsp;a yellow, meshnbsp;bag in the mouth of a dog in the middle of the street.nbsp; There was no sign of where the bag had come from.nbsp; There were no neighbors nearby.nbsp; There was no Candid Camera crew.nbsp; It seemed to just appear from some strange Bag o Pigeon Continuum.nbsp; At the risk of being redundant: Sometimes creepy things happen right in front of you.

Im not exactly up-to-speed onnbsp;allnbsp;pigeon law, but I had a vague sense that this was not legal.nbsp; Something about cruelty to animals or something?nbsp;

When You Are Faced With Something Extraordinary, What Do You Do?

Younbsp;do nothing
Younbsp;try to help
Younbsp;wait for someone else to figure out what to donbsp;then cheer them on
You curl into the fetal position

Here Is What I Didnbsp;
After the dog scurried away, leaving the bag alone, I approached and investigatednbsp;its full contents.nbsp; There were three pigeons in total,nbsp;though only two were alive.nbsp; I took the bag to my front yardnbsp;and wentnbsp;into the garage to get a knife.nbsp; I cut the bag and freed the two live pigeons.nbsp; The first one scrambled out and immediately took to the air in a marvelous gesture as if to say, Im free!nbsp; The second had to be coaxed out.nbsp; He apparently had a broken leg or jetlag or something.nbsp; He stumbled out and hobbled into the air like a damaged WWII fighter plane as if to say,nbsp;Its going to take more than being taken hostage in a mesh bag and eaten alive by a dog to ruin my day.

I then gave the remaining deceased pigeon a proper burial in my side trash can. RIP.

And This Pertains To Court Reporting How Exactly?
So what does any of that story have to do with court reporting?nbsp; Ivenbsp;included a videonbsp;about a court reporter whonbsp;encountered an extremely dangerous situation in his courtroom.nbsp; A criminal facing two life sentences for drug dealing lunged for the criminal prosecutor.nbsp; From the looks of it, the prosecutor is lucky to have survived.nbsp; She was lucky to have had a trained court reporter nearby to save her life, is what I mean.nbsp; The court reporter, Ron Tolkin of Brooklyn NY, said, I think if he had the opportunity he would have cut her throat.nbsp; I was trying to get him away from her.nbsp; I was truly worried that he was going to choke her to death.

Ron Tolkin aka Crime Fighting Court Reporter should be applauded for his valiant efforts in saving the prosecutor.nbsp; On a rooftop somewhere in my neighborhood Id like to thinknbsp;there are a couple of pigeons who wouldnbsp;agree.

An interesting video about a courtroom fight from the court reporters perspective.nbsp;

The Billionaire Court Reporter

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:39:29 GMT

Recently I visited Las Vegas, Nevada where I stayed atnbsp; The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.nbsp; The Venetian is the largest hotel in the world with over 7,000 suites.nbsp; My wife and I are big gamblers too.nbsp; We each play with five bucks.nbsp; She doubled her money, netting a whopping $10.00 and then cashed out.nbsp; I lost every penny.nbsp; Ouch.nbsp; My money was gone and I had to find something to fill the time.nbsp; It was while reading the Venetians brochure that I got fascinated with the man behind the scenes, the creator and major stakeholder of the Venetian, Sheldon Adelson, akanbsp;The Man Who Stole My Five Bucks!

nbsp;

Some facts about Sheldon Adelson:

Age: 74
Forbes lists Sheldon Adelson as the 12th richest man on the planet
Net Worth: $26.0 bil
Married, 5 children
Former court reporter

Sheldon Adelson Used To Be A Court Reporter
Thats right!nbsp; I discoverednbsp;this little tidbit, ...Adelson later dropped out of City College in New York City to become a court reporter.nbsp; I couldnt believe my eyes!nbsp; This man had originally been a court reporter.nbsp; The same guy who created a veritable replica of Venice, Italy in the middle of the desert, who created the Comdex computer tradeshows and hosts the Blue Man Group night after night, used to be a court reporter!nbsp; Wow!

nbsp;

Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images

Sheldon Adelson went to school to become a court reporter in his late teens.nbsp; He then joined the Army wherenbsp; his assignment was to report appeals board hearings.nbsp; He recalls one particular hearing for which he took down the testimony of some scientists whose clearances had been revoked during the McCarthy era, ...every one of the scientists had the same story.nbsp; They went to soirees, and the conversation consisted of why they were here on earth. And I said to myself, These guys are . . . the greatest scientists in history, and theyre asking themselves, Why are they here on earth? . . . This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. There have been countless billions of people that have lived since the Neanderthal man, and not one person has ever found out why theyre here on earth, with any degree of certainty dont they know that?

nbsp;

The Secret Inner Conversation Of A Court Reporter

Ah, which court reporter cant relate to that?nbsp; Youre writing away and the witness is describing some fact on this or that and there is this inner dialogue going on within you.nbsp; What are they talking about?nbsp;I cant believe that.nbsp;nbsp;I need a bagel.nbsp; Not too many people can believe it, but a court reporter can be doing their job flawlessly -- getting every single word -- and be elsewhere in their imagination completely lost in thought.nbsp; The witness maybe going on about minute details of their testimony, and the court reporter may be thinking about their dry cleaning.

nbsp;

I digress.nbsp; Back to the Worlds Richest (Former) Court Reporter, Sheldon Adelson
He spent several years working as a court reporter.nbsp; Back in his day, they called it a teletype operator.nbsp; Adelson says, Being a court reporter ... that sort of self-made me, I mean self-educated me. And then I spent two years in the United States Army and I worked as a court reporter in the Judge Advocate General department, which was the legal department of the Army. And then I went on from business to business. If I added up all the businesses that I have been in over the 59 years of doing business it comes to more than fifty.

nbsp;

While there are many, many ways of measuring success -- wealth being only one -- most of us are probably not interested in becoming gambling hotel barons.nbsp; Still,nbsp;it is rather inspiring that one of our own has reached such incredible heights.nbsp; And if I ever meet Sheldon Adelson, Court Reporting Billionaire, Ill ask him one simple question, Can I get my five bucks back?nbsp;

nbsp;

My sources: www.cnn.com, www.newyorker.com

Are You Cut Out To Be A Freelance Court Reporter?

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:50:08 GMT

We just launched a brand new quiz today entitled, How Successful Will I Be as a Freelance Court Reporter?nbsp; This quiz is designed to be a fun way to gauge in which percentile of successful freelance court reporters you will rank.nbsp; By no means is this a thoroughly researched, documented, peer-reviewed scientific approach tonbsp;measure hownbsp;good of a reporter you will become (or already are).nbsp; Still, we think its a fun little quiz that hopefully students and newbie reporters around the country will enjoy.

Here is my scorenbsp;

How successful in court reporting will you be?

What This Quiz Tries To Measure
The quiz attempts to classify the quiz taker based on certain parameters for success:

What is your level of flexibility?
What is your control freakiness?
How much business savvy do you have?
What is your entrepreneurialnbsp; ambition?
How passionate about court reporting are you?
How frugal are you?
How greedy are you?
How much professional integrity do you possess?
How honest are you?
What about your mettle?
Whats your work ethic?nbsp;
How lazy are you?

Sample Questions

How far am I willing to travel?
How eager to delegate to a scopist am I?
How flexible and agreeable with calendar personnel am I going to be?
I am savvy in soliciting copy orders...
How many of my own clients will I have?
Will I continue with certifications or stay stagnant?
Right out of school do I need the latest greatest in steno equipment or will the Toyota of steno machines do?
Will I be too busy to volunteer time speaking to students or giving back in some way?
If an agencys client wants to call me directly, do I accept the offer?
If I am late for a job, do I call the agency and be honest or tell a white lie that there was a lot of traffic?
Will I push myself to do real-time or shy away from it?
Will I want to do harder material like doctors and experts or just stick with the easy stuff?
If the economy has a down turn and work is slow, will I forge forth or look for a second career?
If I have an expedite will I work all night to get it done quickly or procrastinate until the last minute?nbsp;

Take the quiz now!

A Court Reporters Inbox

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:23:58 GMT

Occasionally I like tonbsp;show the blogosphere what feedback Im getting from this blog and website.nbsp; Here is a partial sampling of emails I have received:

Hi, Im a reporter in San Francisco, ####. Just wanted to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed your blog!
-KC in San Francisco, CA
I DESPERATELY NEED MORE OF YOUR CLEVER COURT REPORTER SHIRTS. I ORDERED AND RECEIVED ONE BUT I NEED ANOTHER ONE AND IF YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN PERSONALIZE THEN MORE, CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE I CAN ADD MAYBE A FIRST NAME FOR THE COURT REPORTERS IN MY AGENCY? PLEASE HELP!!!
-PB in Chicago, IL
Thanks for the great website and the deadline calculator! I bookmarked your page and will keep you in mind for our needs in the future. Thanks again for the great calculator tool on your website! EXCELLENT marketing. May I send the link to other attorney offices to use it?
-Law Offices in Woodland Hills, CA
I got your t-shirt the other day!nbsp; Thanks so much. I love it!!
How much would 20 more cost?nbsp; I would like to put in my order on Fri.nbsp; Thanks, Todd.
-LB in Ontario, Canada
Todd!nbsp; I remember you from school.nbsp; You were just finishing up when I started and you were my 120s teacher for a while.nbsp; I enjoyed your class. :-)
-TK in Oregon
Hi Todd, I received an AA degree in Court Reporting in 1986, however, ended up being a stay at home mom for the last 15 years! I am currently attendingnbsp;##### College and have successfully completed Theory 1 and 2 for Realtime-that was new to me. Now I need to brush up on my speed. I find your site very interesting and fun. Any information or tips from you would be so appreciated. Its so exciting for me to be entering the work force again, especially as a Court Reporter--the best job in the world!
-BL somewhere in California
Todd- Im a prospective court reporting student, and Id like to thank you for all the valuable information on your blog that has helped me decide to pursue this profession.
-DB somewhere in California

Court Reporting Quizzes - 2 New Ones

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:51:32 GMT

We have recently posted 2 new court reporting quizzes in our Quiz Central area.nbsp; Enjoy!

Continuing Credits For Nevada Court Reporters (14 questions)
Did you know that in order keep your license in Nevada that you are required to get continuing education credits? Take this quiz to test your knowledge and dont let your license lapse! Test your knowledge on the following questions:

How many credits do I need to earn?
Can I carry over credits?
NAC 656.210(1) Each court reporter shall, every _____ years complete at least ______ hours of continuing education relating to the practice of court reporting
How many hours equals 1 credit?
NAC 656.210(2) Credit for continuing education ______ be carried forward for any year.
How do I submit my continuing education credits?
Any Report of Compliance form received during the period of May 16th through June 30th is subject to a ________ late fee
What happens if I do not submit my continuing education credits by June 30th?
How do I reinstate my certificate after I have been suspended for noncompliance?
What course of study is approved by the Nevada Board?
What does CCR stand for?
Is having a CCR status really that important in Nevada?
A court reporter can attend any program or seminar approved by NCRA and get credit.
If a program that offers credit is outside of the approved NVCCRB list, what then?

37 Most Commonly Misspelled Words (34 questions)
What words do you commonly misspell? Take this quiz to test your spelling prowess. Many folks spell a word in a way other than the (one) accepted standard -- thus the words on this list make the distinction between standard spellings on one hand versus anything else. Also, we have not included incorrect possessives (its versus its) or two-word phrases (all right, alright, et cetera).

What a Gas

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:34:48 GMT

In the United States wenbsp;consume roughly 400 million gallons of gas every single day. This enormous demand fornbsp;fuelnbsp;soars gas prices. In many states,nbsp;gas prices cannbsp;differ between 20 to 34 cents per gallon or more.nbsp; As freelance deposition reporters, we need to shop around to find the best deals on gas possible.nbsp; Ive found and have used a free website called GasBuddy that provides a quick and easy way to located the cheapest gas stations in your area.

I hope all you hard working (and fuel-cost weary) reporters will find this helpful.

http://www.gasbuddy.com

nbsp;

Slow Blogger Alert

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:54:16 GMT

Hello Everybody,

I know Ive been posting very lightly these days.nbsp;nbsp;Save for one post about working in the LA courts,nbsp;Ive completely taken June off (so far).nbsp; I did spend the morning yesterday at Bryan College of Court Reporting at their Career Day Bonanza.nbsp; It was a lot of fun and I will be blogging about that very soon.nbsp; (Just as soon as I get some photos back).

Look for more posts and quizzes and articles this month.nbsp; This is the quiet before the storm!

-Todd

Want To Be An Official Court Reporter in Los Angeles?

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 11:14:59 GMT

Ever wanted to know what it takes to get hired by the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles as an official court reporter?nbsp; I just received their latestnbsp;flyer outlining the qualifications required to secure this job.nbsp; You may submit an interest card online at www.lasuperiorcourt.org prior to the job bulletin posting tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2008.nbsp; In other words, the job is not yet officially posted, but until then, head over to their website to put your name on the list.

Here is some information you might find interesting about this position:

There is NO machine test
You will NOT be asked to read your notes back
There is an English/Proofreading test
Current annual salary = $76,049.40
Everybody gets a raise effective July 1, 2008 - $78,330.60
After five years of employment, your salary will be $89,485.08
If you are Realtime certified, add another 5.5% to your base
If you are a CRR, add another 2.75% to your base
They have a generous benefits package that includes paid vacation and sick time, health care benefits, 13 paid holidays, paid training, and retirement

Again, the tentative date for job bulletin posting online is June 6, 2008.nbsp; Visit their website.

The court reporter employment test is tentatively scheduled for July 19, 2008.nbsp; For more information regarding this career opportunity, call Rose Hernandez or Blanca Aguilar at 213-974-5403.

Good luck!

2008 Message From Todd: Its My 5th Year Anniversary

Fri, 30 May 2008 12:57:12 GMT

Ive been thinking about mynbsp;five-year anniversary as a business. Ive always considered June 1st of every year to be my anniversary.nbsp; And in fact on this date every year Ive written several articles about it on my website.nbsp;

2005 message from Todd

2006 message from Todd

(I think I must havenbsp;neglected to write innbsp;2004 and 2007nbsp;about this topic, though last yearnbsp;I did write a year-end blog post: To Recap: A Miracle Year)

nbsp;

2008 Message From Todd

nbsp;

As I was looking back I was thinkingnbsp;aboutnbsp;thenbsp; first job I evernbsp;took - as a court reporting agency --nbsp;which occurred late May of 2003. And I can remember how I actually got that job. I walked in to the offices ofnbsp;a pretty well-known WCAB law firmnbsp;in Santa Ana, California in May of 2003.nbsp;Anbsp;secretary there named Fawne Wallace scheduled a job with me that very first day for later in the month. It turned out to be a non-appearance.nbsp; Still, I felt very good about it because I was now in business. I actually had a client. Previous to that I had a DBA and business cards.nbsp; You cant really say youre an agency owner until you have clients, turns out.

nbsp;

In the intervening years, I have realized how blessed I was to secure that initial client and a slew of others.nbsp; Things have changed though.nbsp; Gone are the days when you can merely walk in off the street to a law firm and expect to get anywhere.nbsp; Competition is fierce and there are these annoying things called Vendor Panelsnbsp; that secretaries have to follow.nbsp;

nbsp;

After five yearsnbsp;things havenbsp;gone very well, though. Half a decade hasnbsp;elapsednbsp;in the operation of this business. And I can say that it has only gotten sweeter over time. Ive learned a whole lot about myself during this process. nbsp;I believe that weve created a very nice business model. nbsp;I believe that we have treated court reporters fairly and represented our profession ethically.nbsp;nbsp;I hope to be at it for another five years (at least)!

nbsp;

Things Ive Learned About Running a Court Reporting Agency (a partial list)

Do not offer give gift card incentives
Do not use a reporter with an expired license
Get a credit line from the bank (if necessary) in order to pay vendors (court reporters, interpreters videographers) before youve been paid as is the custom and practice of the industry at large.nbsp; (Just yesterday, in fact, I got CODd $6007.75 from an out-of-state agency that performed a job for me.nbsp; I completely understood their position and was happy to do it.)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;
Get the best accounts receivable system in place that you can possibly come up with.nbsp;nbsp;(Be on top of this like white on rice)
Get your invoices out as quickly as you can after the completion of the job
Be prepared to occasionally go to small claims court
Have as much software and/or technology at your disposal as possible
Be aware of the nuances of the NCRA codes of ethical conduct.nbsp; (They will help you flesh out the black and white from the shades of gray)
Be aware of things going on within the industry
Go to seminars
Go to schools
Read and write about this profession as much as you can

Have As Much Technology On Your Side As You Can

nbsp;

I investigated some of thenbsp;off-the-shelf solutionsnbsp;available out there.nbsp; Some ofnbsp;itnbsp;is very good, however at the time thatnbsp;I started the business,nbsp;Inbsp;was broke. I startednbsp;this company on a shoestring budget and have built it up from there, boot strapping it all the way.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I called itnbsp;GM Funding --nbsp;grocery money funding -- in the early days.nbsp;nbsp;Thus, Inbsp;didnt have a lot of money to purchasenbsp;any technology resources.nbsp;I have had to utilize in-house and outsourced development for pieces of the technology like online calendering and websites and repositories.nbsp; Essentially, what we have now from a technology standpoint is completelynbsp;our own custom solution. And I think weve actually benefited from that because from what I hear about some of the software thats availablenbsp;out there...nbsp;its not as flexible as it could be.

nbsp;

We upload depositionnbsp;notices to the systemnbsp;so that the courtnbsp;reporter can have those e-mailed to them. We upload e-transcripts, condensed transcripts, exhibitsnbsp;and video files to our website and provide passwords fornbsp;attorneys to log in.nbsp; Basicallynbsp;we have stopped providing CD ROMsnbsp;unless there is a special request.nbsp;nbsp;Now we provide passwordsnbsp;to our website.nbsp; Were saving moneynbsp;and time as well as saving trees (so to speak). We also have implemented an online calendar so that our staff can all be informednbsp;about the same thing at the same time. And this is all stuff that we developed in-house.

nbsp;

My five-year message in a nutshell: get as much technology as you can!

nbsp;

Cheers to another five years!

Court Reporters Control Robot With Their Minds

Thu, 29 May 2008 14:28:52 GMT

Court reporters with sensors implanted in their brains have learned to control a robot arm with their thoughts, using it to feed themselves with Diet Coke and crackers as well as mark exhibits, make dictionary entries, and, of course, take down testimony at over 200+ words per minute.

University of Modena School of Medicine scientists behind the experiment say it will lead to the creation of brain-controlled prosthetic limbs for amputees or patients with degenerative disorders or even deposition reporters capable of (finally) taking down more than one person speaking at a time.

We are beginning to understand how the brain works using brain-machine interface technology, lead researcher Agnes Swiss wrote in the Robotic Science journal.

The more we understand about the brain, the better well be able to treat a wide range of brain disorders, everything from Parkinsons disease and paralysis to, eventually Alzheimers disease and perhaps mental illness.

In the experiment, a pair of deposition reporters were fitted with electrodes the width of a human hair that transmitted signals from areas of the brain linked to movements.

The signals directed the arms to grasp Diet Coke and crackers and place it into their mouths in one natural-looking motion, the article said.

With their real arms still typing on the steno keyboard, the court reporters learned how to control the robotic arms in a matter of days, negotiating obstacles and tilting their heads and moving their eyes without affecting the robotic limbs.nbsp; One especially nice feature of this new skill is for the robotic arm to feed the court reporter during long deposition sessions.nbsp; While everyone else in the room gets to use their hands to take sips of coffee or whatever, said court reporter Georgina Huff, I have to keep writing.nbsp; My new robotic arm came to the rescue!nbsp; I can now take down testimony and feed myself snacks at the same time.nbsp; Its a real life saver.

A court reporternbsp;controlsnbsp;a robotic arm.

Cypress Court Reporting Classes

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:59:30 GMT

Cypress Court Reporting will be offering a court reporting theory class this summer, CTRP 40/41.nbsp; Please pass the information along to interested students or contact Carolee Freer.

nbsp;

Thyenbsp;are also offering Beginning and Advanced Training classes in Eclipse software on Wednesday afternoons.nbsp; CTRP 65 and 84.nbsp;

nbsp;

As well asnbsp;offering the traditional speedbuilding classes in the morning, along with Qualifiers two days a week.nbsp; At one p.m. on Tuesdays,nbsp;they are offering Basic Realtime, CTRP 92.nbsp; In the evening they will be offering Basic Vocabulary, CTRP 67.

nbsp;

You can register by going directly to the Cypress College website.nbsp; Classes start June 2.

nbsp;

Any questions?nbsp; Contact:nbsp;

Carolee Freer
714 484 7211

Legal Secretaries International Inc Publishes My Article

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:33:18 GMT

I wrote a few months back that my article Marketing Forward would be published in the May edition of the Legal Secretaries International Inc. Newsletter.nbsp; Well, its a done deal!nbsp; Click here to read their legal secretary newsletter.

Teresa Brown, PLS, aka President, Legal Secretaries of Galveston County aka Vice President, Legal Secretaries International Inc. found my article awhile ago and kindly requested permission to republish it.nbsp; I was more than happy to oblige.nbsp; I think this is the 3rd or 4th time that Marketing Forward has been picked up and brought back to life.nbsp; Its amazing that youll write something and then it sort of takes on a life of its own.nbsp; I wonder how many people have read that article by now?nbsp; Who knows?

Im hoping that it will lead to more articles being commissioned of me.nbsp; Any one?nbsp; Bueller? Bueller?

A Review of the DRAs Core Curriculum Class Module I

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:09:46 GMT

I had the opportunity to attend the DRAs Core Curriculum Class Module I of IV this Saturday, May 17, 2008.nbsp; The flyer was intriguing:

Ever have a depo dilemma?
Want to know what you forgot or what you never knew about depos or what you think you know?
Read back on demand -- yes or no???

Getting There
The Module was given at two locations -- Bryans College of Court Reporting in Los Angeles and Downey Adult Schoolnbsp; - Court Reporting Department.nbsp; I visited Downey before andnbsp;you can read all about my speech that I gave there last year here:nbsp; Downey Court Reporting experience. So even though Downey is closer to my house, I figured that since the Module was being held on a Saturday, that Idnbsp;tempt fate and brave the Los Angeles Freeway system.nbsp; It was a good choice.nbsp; I got from my home to downtown LA in record time and I easily found Bryans College.nbsp; They are at 3580 Wilshire Blvd -- which is a big high rise building wherein they take up the entire 4th floor.nbsp; Its a very, very nice facility and really makes our profession shine.nbsp; Certainly no offense to any other court reporting program that Ive visited throughout California, but this has got tonbsp; be the most executive looking one of them all.

nbsp;

The One Minor Glitch

I think the only snafu during this entire Module was that the parking structure was not open for Saturday guests.nbsp; Maybe the parking lot attendant sleeps in on Saturdays?nbsp; Who knows. nbsp;We all had to park on the street -- thank God I had quarters! -- and hoof it to the front entrance.nbsp; We took a mid-session break to move our cars and even got validated parking stamps.nbsp; To their credit, the organizers used the parking situation as a real-world example of, See, you just never know what youre going to encounter in this line of work.nbsp; Still, for me, it wasnt that big of a deal.nbsp;

nbsp;

The Presenters Were Great

The presenters were two ladies: nbsp;Lois Ludwig and (I apologize, I didnt get her first name) Mrs.nbsp;Klein.nbsp; They are the principals of Ludwig Klein Reporters and can be reached here.nbsp; After about two minutes I quickly learned that they are tremendously knowledgeable about deposition taking in California.nbsp; Mrs. Ludwig stated she had more than 30 years experience.nbsp; Shes probably forgotten more about court reporting than most people even know.nbsp;

nbsp;

I Came Away With The Good Stuff

I came away with tons and tons of notes:nbsp;things I knewnbsp;but needed a refresher; things I didnt know and am glad I learned.nbsp; Heres a sample (in no particular order):

Get a disclaimer notice signed by an attorney requesting a rough (They even provided a sample disclaimer.nbsp; Great!!!)
There are two types of Federal certs:nbsp; One is when the transcript review is requested and the other when its not.nbsp; And they need to be used correctly.nbsp; (Again, the samples were much appreciated!)
List of things to bring with you on a depo.nbsp; All the usual suspects were on the list, but Mrs. Ludwig says she brings her own chair.nbsp; Yes, her own chair!nbsp; The rule is bring whatever is going to make you feel most comfortable to get your job done.nbsp; (Even your own chair!)
Police officers dont need to provide their address but all other witnesses do.nbsp; (Send it to the police station.)
When using Backup Audio Media (BAM), dont record off-the-record stuff.nbsp; Your Audio Synch can be subpoenaed.nbsp; Never play back the audio in front of counsel.
CCP 2025.470 the attorneys must say the words, suspend deposition so they can then file a protective order.
When an attorney asks for a portion of the transcript to be made confidential, ask them to clarify when the confidential portion starts and ends.nbsp; If this is unclear, best practice is make the entire transcript confidential.
These days attorneys right out of law school seem to know less and less about deposition taking.nbsp; Thus, its our job to know more and more to edu-macate them.
If an attorney wants to use the same stip as before, then check for previous volumes.nbsp; If nothing is found in there, go by code.
If during an interpreted depo, the witness mixes in some English.nbsp; You must put something like: (In English) blah blah blah...nbsp; The distinction must be made when it was through the interpreter versus their speaking English.nbsp; In such a case, you can also add the following line in your reporter cert: reported to the best of my ability or something similar.
During a telephonic depo, dont ask the witness to raise his/her right hand unless theyre in the same room as you.nbsp; Duh.
Dont describe anything that you observe.nbsp; The attorneys coaching their witness with gestures or rolling his eyes or whatever.nbsp; Close your eyes to it and just write.
During a telephonic depo, dont assume you know who is talking.nbsp; Always get a speaker to identify.
During a telephonic depo, ask the questioning attorney to pick up the handset rather than using the speaker phone.nbsp; Quality will be mo betta.
If a CSR leaves the depo without custody of the exhibits, they should not be marked as exhibits but as attachments.nbsp; (Assuming that the reporter received the documents after-the-fact.)
You should also blurb something along these lines in such a case: (Not provided to court reporter.)
If you arrive at a deposition and no one else is showing up, never leave without calling your agency first.nbsp; Also, ask to speak with the attorney before leaving.
Get copy orders on the record.nbsp; lt;lt;_YES YES YES!
Keep your blurbs short:nbsp; (Recess.) (Ending time: 5:00 p.m.)nbsp; (Telephonic interruption.) (Record reach back as follows.)
Never make blurbs like this: (Attorney and witness confer outside of depo room.)nbsp; Why?nbsp; Because how do you know if they conferred or not.nbsp; Turn down your inner author and just stick to facts.
Dont interpret nods of the head.nbsp; Some cultures apply different meanings to shakes and nods.nbsp; What are you, some kind of body language expert?
Dont use sic.nbsp; Use quotes instead.nbsp; Just like you would for a foreign language word.
Make your rough drafts completely unlike a transcript.nbsp; No cover, no footers, no cert, no nothing.nbsp; Just testimony.
Dont read back without everyones agreement.
No going off the record without everyones agreement.
No personal comments or opinions are to be given by the reporter.nbsp; Even (or especially) if the attorney attempts to be friendly and solicit that opinion.nbsp; Remember all that neutral third party stuff??nbsp; Yeah, its kinda important.

Two Thumbs Up

In conclusion, this Module I given by the DRA was of tremendous benefit.nbsp; Everyone should go.nbsp; Id highly recommend attending the next one that they give.nbsp; I know I will.nbsp; Check out their website for more info.

nbsp;

Court Reporting In New York: What You Should Know

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:56:32 GMT

Court reporting regulations in New York are very different from those in many other states. In New York, a certification exam is not necessary, although there is an optional test. However, various categories of reporting have their own unique requirements. Provided here is a guide to the regulations that are involved in court reporting in New York.

Freelance Reporting
To become a freelance court reporter in New York State, it is necessary to pass a course in court reporting at a speed of 225 wpm. Court reporters must be notary publics in order to swear in witnesses, but it is often possible to complete this requirement after being hired.

nbsp;Hearing/Verbatim Reporting
To become a hearing/verbatim reporter, an applicant must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. He or she must have completed a course in reporting or have two years experience in verbatim reporting.

Court Reporter (Lower Level Courts)
A court reporter must have a high school diploma or the equivalent and three years recent verbatim reporting experience or a course in court reporting and two years verbatim reporting experience.

Senior Court Reporter (High Courts and Extremely Busy Lower Courts)
A senior court reporter must have one year experience as a court reporter; four years recent verbatim reporting experience; or a course in general verbatim reporting and three years full-time verbatim reporting experience.

Federal Official Court Reporter
This is the only court reporter position in the New York system that requires a certification test, in the form of either the CSR or the RPR. The position also requires listing on the Registry of Professional Reporters or the National Court Reporters Association. In addition, four years of CAT court reporting experience is required. Realtime certification is preferred but not required.

Voluntary Testing
Although certification is required only for the Federal Official Court Reporter position, many court reporters choose to become certified. Certification can be obtained by taking the Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) examination. The exam consists of two parts: written knowledge and transcription skills.

Court reporters may also take any or all of a wide variety of exams that are administered by the National Court Reporters Association. None of these tests are required for employment in New York, but may make applicants more competitive within the field.

Prerequisites to Certification
In order to take the CSR certification exam, potential applicants must be at least 21 years of age. They must be United States citizens or permanent residents and of good moral character. They must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent. They must also demonstrate either completion of a court reporting course or three years of full-time work experience in the field of court reporting.

The National Court Reporters Association sets its own standards and prerequisites for its exams. More information can be found on the Associations website.

Becoming a court reporter in New York can be complicated due to the differing requirements for each position. Many court reporters complete a course of study in court reporting and then begin a career in freelance reporting. As they gain experience, they then move their way up through the ranks.

My Speech To Cerritos Community College

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:56:37 GMT

Last Thursday, I got the privilege of speaking to the court reporting students at Cerritos Community College.nbsp; This is my second visit to this class.nbsp; You can read all about my first appearance there when I gave my How To Get Out Of Court Reporting School With Your Sanity Intact speech back in December of 2007.

This time I spoke about The Simple Way To Become A Court Reporter!nbsp; (A Two-Step Plan).nbsp; And judging from the speaker evaluations that Inbsp;got back, this new speech is a winner.nbsp; Most people put that they strongly agree (versus strongly disagree) for most of the check boxes like:

Todd provided content that was useful
Todd has relevant knowledge and expertise
I would like to see Todd speak again in the future
Todd had excellent hygiene *
Todd should stop presenting and stick to his day job *

The * bullet points above were snuck in there just to keep people on their toes.nbsp; You can always tell if people are just ticking off the nice responses rather than actually reading the content of the question.nbsp; And, er, yes... I did get good marks for hygiene!nbsp;

As I write on my evaluation sheets, By completing my Speaker Evaluation Form you are not only helping me out with your thoughtful critiques but saving the courtnbsp;reporting world from boring speeches!nbsp; :)nbsp; So thanks Cerritos court reporting students!

I got some very nice comments from the students.nbsp; Including these highlights:

Thank you, Todd.nbsp; Very informative motivational.nbsp; I like the fact that you handed out worksheets which provide us with something to take home with us.
This one was practically perfect!nbsp; Thank you for your real life experiences that you shared.nbsp; Really awesome!!!
Todd is super fun!nbsp; Thank you.nbsp; You are such an inspiration!!
It was awesome and engaging.nbsp; He couldnt have done it any better!
I wish youd been doing this when I had begun my student career.

Wow!nbsp; Those comments are some of the best Ive ever gotten.nbsp; Still, in an effort to press forward and get better at what I do, its the less than stellar comments that I tend to focus on.nbsp; Itsnbsp; constructive critiques like the followingnbsp;from whichnbsp;I really learn:

(You should speak about) more experiences from the field
Next time you come, come a little bit more relaxed.nbsp; ie... clothes.
Maybe a little slower speaking
(You should prepare) a lengthier presentation

The Problem With Conflicting Advice
The problem with conflicting advice is that -- it conflicts.nbsp;nbsp;Was I good or did I seem uptight? (Secretly, maybe both!)nbsp; Should I loose the tie or nix the tie?nbsp; Maybe just the jacket.nbsp; If I speak slower then my presentation would be lengthier.nbsp; Though more boring.nbsp; Should I focus more on the student experience or experiences from the field?nbsp; What to do, what to do?

A Gift For Diana
At the beginning of the meeting, they invited one of their theory students, Diana Michel, to sing a song.nbsp; After the beautiful rendition of a -- Patsy Cline song, I think -- the court reporting club presented her with some much needed school supplies.nbsp; Diana is blind but she has made great progress in the program.nbsp; Due to some hardship qualifying for student loans, the other students and staff pulled together donations including a 200 SRT steno machine as well as student software from Stenograph.

Every time I come to Cerritos, they consistently impress me with their school spirit and warmth.nbsp; This time was no exception as there was not a dry eye in the house during Dianas song and then the presentation of her machine and software.

What a great school!nbsp; I cant wait to go back -- looks like Ive been invited to speak to the night crew next!nbsp; Until then, keep up the hard work and excellent motivation!!

nbsp;

10 Commandments of Working Hard And Working Smart In Court Reporting School

Tue, 6 May 2008 13:34:35 GMT

Im putting the final touches on my 2nd speech to the court reporting students at Cerritos Community College.nbsp;

You can read my first visit to Cerritos Court Reporting here.

The jist of what Im speaking about is that there is a verynbsp;simple way to becomenbsp;a court reporter.nbsp;nbsp;Its not easy but it is simple!nbsp; I specifically drive home the points that there is no easy way.nbsp; But through hard work and working smart, the path is simple.nbsp;nbsp; Its so easy to get bogged down in life and let progress falter.nbsp;nbsp;I think the reason its important to finish court reporting school is so that court reporting school doesnt finish you.

But how do you know if youre working hard and smart or not?nbsp; How do you measure that in practical, real terms? Ive created my 10 Commandments of Working Hard Working Smart in Court Reporting School.

Commandment No. 1 - Thou shalt attend school everyday.
Commandment No. 2 - Thou shalt type every test.
Commandment No. 3 - Thou shalt read your notes.
Commandment No. 4 - Thou shalt analyze your errors and fix them.
Commandment No. 5 - Thou shalt review one lesson of theory daily.
Commandment No. 6 - Thou shalt practice at home even on weekends.
Commandment No. 7 - Thou shalt be accountable to another person to keep you on track.
Commandment No. 8 - Thou shalt mentor someone in a lower speed.
Commandment No. 9 - Thou shalt remove any and all unnecessary distractions from your life.
Commandment No. 10 - Thou shalt keep a positive attitude and avoid any and all negativity.

If you are not doing any one of these 10 Commandments - Ill just be honest - youre in trouble.

This Court Reporting School Or That One?

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:01:01 GMT

Dear Todd- Im a prospective court reporting student, and Id like to thank you for all the valuable information on your blog that has helped me decide to pursue this profession. Basically I am now down to deciding between two schools here in thenbsp;XYZ area, College Anbsp;and College B. As far as I can tell, there seem to be two main differences
1. College A is 20k - 50k depending on how long it takes one to complete, and Collegenbsp;B is basically free plus the cost of supplies and location.
2. College A is in a nice suburb andnbsp; College B is in a not very nice part ofnbsp;the citynbsp;Both schools seem to have knowledgeable and professional instructors, and both seem to have a good reputation.
Do you have any opinions of either school? Thanks very much for any input you may have.
- Future CSR
nbsp;

Dear Future CSR:

nbsp;

Thanks for writing to me!nbsp; And I appreciate your compliments on my blog -- its very encouraging when I receive emails like yours letting me know people are actually paying attention!nbsp; Thanks again.

nbsp;

Regarding your question:nbsp; Ive personally onlynbsp;visitednbsp;College B.nbsp; So I have no way of comparing them versus College A.nbsp; I would say youre being wise to consider carefully which one is the best fit for you.nbsp; Youve already brought up the monetary difference, which appears to be substantial.nbsp; And you mention the neighborhood factor, which I think is less important.nbsp; But also you might consider the following:

nbsp;

Which program has the highest number of CSR candidates historically?
Which program has the highest pass rate of first timer CSR candidates?
Request a list of CSR graduates as references.

All of that being said, I do believe that if you possess the drive and conviction to focus on schoolnbsp;and do exactly what theynbsp;tell you to do, andnbsp;limit the distractions in your life,nbsp;then you will succeed and become a licensed CSR at either school.

nbsp;

Thanks for your question and feel free to contact me any time!

nbsp;

-Todd

Mailbag Monday - Comments And Critiques From Around The Country

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:33:04 GMT

Every now and again I like to open my Inbox and post comments and questions sent to me personally by students, reporters and scopists from around the country.nbsp; Mailbag Monday is what I will be calling todays post.nbsp; Here are some interesting samples recently, though out of privacy, Ive chosen to replace proper names of schoolsnbsp;with the ### sign:

Hi Todd, I received an AA degree in Court Reporting in 1986, however, ended up being a stay at home mom for the last 15 years! I am currently attending ### College mad have successfully completed Theory 1 and 2 for Realtime-that was new to me. Now I need to brush up on my speed. I find your site very interesting and fun. Any information or tips from you would be so appreciated. Its so exciting for me to be entering the work force again, especially as a Court Reporter--the best job in the world! - B.L.
Could you please tell me which shorthand machine most of your reporters use? My court is in the process of researching them, and Ive been appointed to do the research. Im trying to get a feel for which machines reporters like the best. Thank you for your help. - M.H.
I currently hold a Texas and Calif. license. I am thinking about moving to Florida. Is it true that I am not required to take a state exam to obtain a license to work in Florida? Thank you! - S.M.
Hi, Todd. My name is ###. I am a former ### College student. You came to speak at out school and you did such a great job. I am interested in working for your agency in the near future. I just took the state exam in March. Results should arrive around April 26th. I would like information as to what it is you look for when you hire a court reporter. I appreciate it. Thank you. - V.V.
Hi! I would love to order one of those cool steno T-shirts!!! - M.P.
I just want to thank you for this service you offer regarding the deadline calculator. I work in the Legal Department of a privately held company and in addition to legal deadlines we have numerous deadlines to monitor. You have made my life so much easier and I wanted to thank you for that. Being the type of entity that we are, we do not have occasion to use court reporters, but I would not hesitate to share your information with my friends in the law firm arena. Thank you again. Your icon now appears on my desktop. -C.E.
Todd, Thank you so much for speaking at the ### Legal Secretaries meeting last week. I absolutely love your date calculator on your web site. I shared it with the other secretaries in my office. We use Mac computers here, so we cant get programs that help us calculate dates. I have been doing it manually. Thank you, thank you!nbsp; - R.B.
I am a court reporting student and would like to know if I can have information regarding the Western New York area in regards to needing certifications to begin work as a new graduate. I am originally from ###, NY and will be relocating to Western New York upon graduation.
- K.V.
Todd, Im a court reporter from Rhode Island and Im flying out next week to take the CSR (Cant take the cold!) Stumbled upon your site (lucky me) in searching for Cal. rules, regs, etc. Took each quiz and they were very helpful, as laws and procedures are different here. Any advice or additional sites youd recommend for out-of-staters to prepare for the test? Also, a friend of mine who took CSR years ago said they set up a room for dictation to practice after the written tests for the skills portion, but I dont see that in the info. Should I bring my own practices tapes to do in my room or do they still have the practices on Friday afternoon for Saturdays test? Thank your for taking time out of your busy day to read this email. p.s. Is there plenty of work in Cal for freelancers? Im looking at the San Diego area. Thanks again.
-D.D.
I have been reading with fascination how quickly your firm has grown in such a short period of time. I have been a court reporter for approximately 11 years and I have not accomplished half of the things that you have. Of course, I prefer to just report as opposed to owning the firm. But I have incredible respect for someone with your ambition and talent. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with your firm. If you increase your business in Florida, particularly the Tampa and south Tampa areas, I will take on all the work that you are willing to give. Thank you. - F.S.J.
Hi Todd! I got a chance to take a look at your blog and especially the entry about the speech you gave last Wednesday. I really enjoyed how you broke down your experience of it. In my opinion it truly was a winner. Thanks for the mention in the blog as well - it was really nice of you. I must say that it was truly a pleasure to have met you and I wish you great luck - I am sure we will see each other again - perhaps the ### Conference? Take Care. -D.B.
I read your article about Marketing Forward written for LSI. I am Vice President of Legal Secretaries International Inc. Our corporate offices are in Houston. I would like to use your article in our Affiliate newsletter, but modified to fit our organization. The marketing forward applies to whatever organization your with. - T.B.
And then this one -- a very big ouch! -- from New York...

This article is very poorly punctuated, and I am shocked that whoever wrote this article for print doesnt know that the period goes inside the closed quotes and the comma goes inside the closed quotes. I would not be pleased to have my name associated with this article, if I were you, Todd, as it definitely seems as though you are the one who created the text. Or maybe you just dont know proper punctuation yourself. - A.S.

She was exactly right, however.nbsp; And the error was found and corrected promptly. But still the truth hurts sometimes! :)

How To Become A Court Reporter In Texas

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:34:36 GMT

Becoming a court reporter in Texas involves a series of very specific steps. A potential court reporter must thoroughly learn the profession of court reporting, pass a series of tests and exams, and then maintain continuing education requirements. The process can, at first, seem daunting, so here we will explain the procedure step by step.

Education
In order to qualify as a court reporter in Texas, the student must have a thorough grounding in the profession. There is no specific educational requirement, but most students choose to attend an accredited court reporting program, the length of which will vary according to the exact focus that the student chooses. In order to qualify for the exam, the prospective court reporter must pass two proficiency tests that are administered by an instructor at a school of court reporting. Most schools are willing to administer these tests to non-students, offering an option to those who may have trained in other states or are self-taught.

The Texas Court Reporting Exam
After passing the required school-administered proficiency tests, a prospective court reporter may sit at the exam. Exams are administered on a regular basis by the Court Reporters Certification Board, which is also the governing body responsible for licensing and disciplining court reporters in the state of Texas. The exam covers both knowledge and skills in court reporting and both parts must be passed in order to be granted a court reporter license.

Exam Day
The CRCB maintains a website and related PDF files detailing all of the important information regarding exam day at Exam Registration. Some of the salient points to keep in mind are as follows:

The student is required to provide all relevant equipment and materials. The Board does not provide paper, diskettes, etc.
Electronic equipment is not permitted, although an electronic dictionary may be used during the oral exam. No internet access will be permitted during the testing session. No other reference materials may be used, and no dictionaries are permitted during the written exam.
Students may use a personal computer in lieu of a laptop if they register to do so in advance. However, the student must be able to fully delete test materials from the computer before leaving the testing room. Failure to do so will result in cheating penalties.

Reciprocal Certification for Those Certified in Other States
Texas law allows those who are currently licensed in states with substantively similar requirements to avoid the skills exam in Texas. The court reporter must provide a completed Application for Eligibility of Certification by Endorsement. Those who qualify for certification by endorsement need pass only the written knowledge exam to become certified in Texas. More information, including a list of states that have been deemed Eligible or Ineligible for Certification by Endorsement, can be found on the CRCB website.

Criminal Convictions
A past criminal conviction does not necessarily bar an applicant from becoming a Certified Court Reporter in Texas. Such convictions will be reviewed and weighted on a case by case basis. However, failure to report a criminal background will be a bar to becoming certified, so it is important to be honest.

Texas Court Reporting Sites That We Serve:

California Court Reporters Association CCRA Goes To Battle Against Electronic Reporting

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:07:10 GMT

Reprinted fromnbsp;a CCRA email:

On April 9, representatives from CCRAs DR Task Force, CCRA Presidentnbsp; Lesia Mervin and CCRA past president Tom Pringle, testified before the Senate Budget Subcommittee meeting in regards to the Legislative Analyst Offices (LAOs) budget proposal for DR in California courtrooms.

Prior to the meeting, our team had set in motion a strategic plan that included meeting with these subcommittee members in their local offices.nbsp; Included in the information distributed to the committee was a report commissioned by CCRA providing an independent analysis of digital reporting in the California courts, prepared by Chris Crawford of Justice Served.

The Crawford Report pointed out many of the fallacies that DR is more efficient and cost effective, including the loss of thenbsp; $26 million civil user-fee revenue the courts charge for the use of a court reporter in civil hearings; loss of $11 million in civil court reporter filing fees; accuracy and integrity of the record; and the myth that reviewing DR files, in lieu of the written word, would be more efficient.

A representative from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), including Executive Director William Vickery, made representations at the meeting outlining the AOCs desire to maintain reporters in all felony trial matters, stating, in part:nbsp;

..realtime reporting has improved significantly and has been a major asset to the justice system, I would urge felony trial matters be excluded from the discussion.

Mr. Vickery further indicated that no cost savings could be achieved by replacing reporters with DR in civil courts due to the civil court reporter user fee and filing fee charged to the litigants that pay the costs for reporters in civil courts; however, it was his opinion:

...cost savings could be achieved by replacing reporters in juvenileand family law matters.

The next area where the AOC believes they can achieve cost savings is ownership of the record.

If the state owns the transcript, then you have to pay the reporter to prepare it on state time, but there probably is some savings there.nbsp; I think thats a different policy issue than the policy decision to eliminate court reporting in total from the court system.

The budget committee voted to hold open the item for further discussion pending further information.nbsp;

The next hearing will be held April 23rd with the Assembly Budget Subcommittee, where the same process will occur again.nbsp;

CCRA will once again be on hand to offer testimony to rebut the LAOs report and recommendation.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

In the meantime, CCRAs task force will be working diligently to gather the information necessary to rebut the assertion that a cost savings could be achieved by taking ownership of the record away from the reporters, and the assertion that family law and juvenile reporters are not a necessary function of the court system.nbsp;

CCRA will be meeting with staff from each of the Assembly subcommittee members before the hearing to educate them about the Crawford report and the information weve gathered.

Watch the ER page of CCRAs Web site often to stay updated on the progress of this issue.nbsp;

A big thank you goes to all of you who have participated at the grassroots level by meeting with their legislators in their local offices, and thanks also to those that have been so generous in your donations to the Special Fund!nbsp; Keep those donations coming!nbsp; To donate, click here.

To view the full video of the proceedings click here.
LAO testimony starts at 59:00
Vickery testimony starts at 1:02
CCRA Testimony starts at 2:06

To view the entire transcript, click here.

CNN Writes Article About How Much Court Reporters Earn

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 10:10:33 GMT

The article is entitled, Five Surprising Salaries.nbsp; You can read it here. In the article the CNN.com writer explores how much people likenbsp;elementary school principals makes, how much paramedics and astronomers make, et cetera.nbsp; And then they get to us.nbsp; The court reporters.nbsp; Here is a snippet of the article:

What they do: Court reporters transcribe court proceedings, meetings, speeches and other events where verbatim documentation is necessary. Any time someone says Strike that from the record, court reporters are the ones writing that record.
Surprising salary: $59,970*. You might not have thought typing could earn you so much money, but once you realize court reporters cant miss a word -- often in fast-talking situations -- it makes more sense.

Whats surprising to me is not that CNN.com wouldnbsp;consider our profession news worthy.nbsp; Whats surprising to me is that they are surprised at the earning potential of a court reporter.nbsp; Why shouldnt we earn $59,970 and even way, waaaaay more?nbsp; Who else is capable of functioning as the Officer of the Court during deposition proceedings, virtually the right arm of the Supreme Court?nbsp; Who else can take down dictation at blinding speeds of 200 wmp ornbsp;225 and 250 in spurts?nbsp; And then be asked to read it back with 97.5% accuracy to a room full of expectant attorneys?nbsp; (Certainly not a tape recorder!)

I guess Ill forive the write for this sentence, You might not have thought typing could earn so much money.nbsp; Would that it were.nbsp; If only all we had to do was to sit mildly by in the side lines -- just typing away.nbsp; Yeah right!nbsp; Were in the game.nbsp; Weve got to keep abreast of whats going on, whos saying what, whats happening next.nbsp; To an outsider, sure, it looks like were day dreaming and flapping our fingers across the keyboard.nbsp; But thats the beauty of a training court reporter, he/she is trained to make it look easy.nbsp; And lest you think the court reporter wields no power other than to passively take down testimony, just wait until she takes her hand off the keyboard to say, Hey, you want a clear record?nbsp; Then speak one at a time.nbsp; The record-making stops and starts with us.

Typing?nbsp; Sheeesh.

New Quiz: The 10 Commandments of Court Reporter Ethics

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 14:19:32 GMT

We just finalized our 10th quiz for Quiz Central.nbsp; Quite approrpriately, the quiz is take from NCRAs Code of Professional Ethics.nbsp; Weve entitled this quiz, The 10 Commandments of Professional Ethics.

What Kinds of Things Does a Court Reporter Need to Know About Ethics?
Take the quiz to test your knowledge about the following situations...

It is a license-revoking offense to disobey the Code of Professional Ethics --
The Code of Professional Ethics adopted by the NCRA is important for which three relationships --
If an unforeseen situation arises that is not addressed by the Code of Professional Ethics, the reporter should --
A reporter must be fair and impartial toward which participants --
A reporter must never provide comparable services to the parties in a proceeding --
If the reporter detects that there may be a conflict of interest --nbsp;
A conflict of interest may include even merely the appearance of a conflict of interest --
The reporter must guard against not only the fact but the appearance of being in a bad mood --
If there is not only the fact but the appearance of impropriety --nbsp;
The reporter must preserve the confidentiality and ensure the security of --nbsp;
It is a violation of the Code of Professional Ethics if a reporter lies about his/her qualifications either in advertising or public statements --nbsp;
An official reporter must never perform freelance reporting activities --nbsp;
If an official reporter takes a freelance deposition, which function takes precedence --nbsp;
The reporter has the lawful right to determine fees independently --
The freelance reporter has a right to offer gifts or incentives to any client in any amount --nbsp;
A reporter can only give a gift or incentive if the item does not exceed which amount total per each recipient --nbsp;
Complete the following sentence: The reporter must maintain the ________ of the reporting profession --
The NCRA Constitution Bylaws are _________ for all Member reporters --

Take the quiz now!

My Results On The Nevada Firm Owners Examination

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 18:56:33 GMT

Last week I took the Nevada Firm Owners Examination.nbsp; I had a great time visiting The Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board as well as the wonderful city of Las Vegas, Nevada.nbsp;

Here is the letter that I got in todays mail:

Dear Mr. Olivas:nbsp;
The Nevada Certified Court Reporters (Board) is the regulatory agency, duly empowered to license, supervise and regulate the conduct and practice of court reporting in the state of Nevada.nbsp; The authority for the Board is the Nevada Revised Statutes 656 and the Nevada Administrative Code 656.nbsp;
We are pleased to inform you that you passed our firm owners examination held on April 2, 2008.nbsp; Your score: PASS (21 Errors).nbsp; Congratulations!nbsp;
Sincerely,
Debbie Uehara, Executive Secretary.

Yaaaaaaa!nbsp; I passed! What a relief, though Id still like find out which exact errors I made.

ProCAT Software Vendor Interview

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 19:29:41 GMT

What follows is my March 24, 2008 interview with Deby Owens, National Promo Manager of ProCAT.nbsp; ProCAT is a court reporting software company based in Calabasas, California.nbsp; I wanted to get this interview in a continuing effort to provide CAT vendor information to readers of my blog

nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Okay, I think were going.nbsp; So, Deby, would you please just sort of tell me who you are and what you do for ProCAT.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Yeah, my name is Deby Owens, and I am the National Sales Manager for ProCAT.nbsp; I was actually in court reporting school, graduated court reporting at Court Reporting Institute of Dallas many years ago, and ended up going to work for ProCAT.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh, I see.nbsp; Did you actually finish school or did you decide it wasnt for you?

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Yeah, I did. I graduated and had a scoping business during the time that I was going through school, putting out about 2300 pages a month for a while.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Wow.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; And thats kind of how I ended up on the technology side of this business.nbsp;nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; So how did it come about that you went to work for ProCAT?nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Actually, I was getting burned out on putting out so many pages a month and wanted to break it up.nbsp; And so there was a little index card on the board one day at the school.nbsp; And the area rep for Dallas was looking for someone to do some marketing a few hours a week.nbsp; And so I thought, well, thatll be interesting.nbsp; And I grew from the bottom up.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Thats great.nbsp; What got ProCAT, your company, into the court reporting software business?

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; The president of the company is Bob Bakva, and its called Advanced Translation Technology, Inc.nbsp; Thats the parent of ProCAT.nbsp; He -- back in 1982, or actually, this was a little before that -- 1982 was actually when he started the company. He had -- the part of California he was living in at that time, there was a court reporting school across from where he was living.nbsp; He said he saw Perry Mason which got him to thinking about it.

Anyway, he started investigating it, looking into how it was done, how the transcripts were produced, and stopped by one day to look at the program to see exactly what it consisted of, and saw how outdated things were being done back then.nbsp; Back then, they were still using computers that took up half of a room, if not the whole room. And so ultimately thats what led him here.nbsp;nbsp; He has a degree in computer science.nbsp; And he wrote the very first version of the software to go on personal computers.nbsp; In fact, ProCAT was the first DOS program that came out for court reporting.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; What language -- what computer language did he write it in, the first version?nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Oh, dont ask me that one.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; It doesnt matter.nbsp; I am just a sort of a wannabe tech geek too.nbsp; So, I was curious.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Yeah, I dont really know back then.nbsp; I know all I have ever heard him talk about, I think, is C+ or --nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Yeah, yeah.nbsp; That makes sense.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp;nbsp; I dont know what it is or where to -- off the top of my head.nbsp; Ill leave that part up to people that really know a lot about it.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Thats okay.nbsp; This is a sales information call, mostly, a sales interview.nbsp; How many iterations of the software have there been since that first version?nbsp; Like, you know, how many different versions have there been, updates and such?nbsp;nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Gosh, well, it all started out with ProCAT.nbsp; And then there were several versions after that that have come over the years, Elite, Winner, etc.nbsp;nbsp; WE have continued to grow the software over the years.nbsp; Winner was the first Windows introduction.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh.

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; But with the first version, we left the DOS editor because back then it wasnt quite what it needed to be yet for a Windows editor.nbsp; And its a major undertaking.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Ill bet.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; And it went to a full 32-bit program in Windows.nbsp; And he just kept growing it from there. A lot ofnbsp; -- I mean other than the stuff that the industry dictates, the majority of our growth has come through our clients and what they want to see in the software.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Got it.nbsp; So you guys have really listened to the audience -- or your client base -- customer base -- and added features as needed all along the way.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; We do.nbsp; Its an open door.nbsp; All the clients know they can email features that they come across, things that they would like to have work differently, short cut keys, things like that. And it helps a lot.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; And on your website, Ive noticed you guys have an on-line forum, I believe, for people to chat about issues and ideas.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; We do.nbsp; We developed our own because some of the forums tend to get way too political and gets the focus away from actual court reporting.nbsp; Our clients were asking for their own area to go to.nbsp; And so we just developed our own user forum through ProCAT. Its amazing to go in and look because they really help each other, share short cuts that they come up with, customized macros that someone comes up with, and so on. They use it very efficiently.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Just, like, sort of a community support system for people who are all using ProCAT.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Uh-huh.nbsp; Theyre all using ProCAT.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Thats great.nbsp; So what changes have you seen in the court reporting software business, lets say, since you started?nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Well, theres lots because so much has changed.nbsp; I have been working for ProCAT 16 years, so I have seen a lot of stuff.nbsp;nbsp; I would say that the changes that have impacted the reporters ability to be a good reporter the most is conflict resolution, definitely, because so many of the reporters who have been reporting for any length of time have conflicts.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; They didnt learn the conflict free theories we have now.nbsp; Some didnt learn long vowels.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Thats right.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; The artificial intelligence that has come into the system such as the number processing and all those things -- huge time savers.nbsp; Those are typically areas that reporters struggle in.nbsp; Also the ease of use, the increased short cut keys that allow you to efficiently move through the system, instead of pop up screens everywhere, and different keyboards that you go in and out of like some systems.nbsp;

nbsp;One thing we have for translation which really helps in editing is suggest translation.nbsp; Basically what that is, the system reads phonetically.nbsp; So when it comes to an untranslate, it sounds it out phonetically and thennbsp; pulls up a list of suggested words.nbsp; The reporter simply chooses the dictionary it goes to, and then it inserts the word instead of having to type it, which saves wear and tear on the hands and time.nbsp;nbsp; The automatic suffixing and prefixing -- I was talking about that because I remember back when, you know, it didnt double consonants or drop the e and add the -ing and you had to global everything in the world in different dictionaries. So thats been a real benefit, a realtime advancement.nbsp; Actually, I would say beneficial whether they do it for a hookup or just realtime for themselves.nbsp; It helps the reporter because they see their problem areas when they are writing realtime.nbsp; It helps them to consciously or unconsciously clean up their writing.

The dictionary, I think, has had a lot of improvement, allowing the reporters to easily go through their dictionary and edit sections, remove things, because everyone changes their writing over the years.nbsp; And used to, you know, you always had to remember where you were and then try to go back and find it. And we have really broken ours down so they can pull up any portion of the dictionary that they want to work on.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS: Oh, thats great.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; They can have multiple deletions or can copy them from one place to another.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; So you can actually go in and edit directly on the dictionary itself and clean up something.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS: Yes.nbsp; One thing that we have that, I think, as far as I know, is exclusive to ProCAT is eScript.nbsp; And its our own version, similar to what E-Transcript is, the difference being that it just uses an HTML format which you can email it to a client.nbsp; All they have to have is Internet Explorer, because when they double click on it, it opens it up in Explorer.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh, thats great. So there is no need to download anything special.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; You dont need to buy a separate program.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; And they can print it like the condensed format.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Uh-huh.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh, great.nbsp; That is awesome.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Oh, I am sorry.nbsp; No, it does not print the condensed format on that.nbsp; Basically, ours is for utilizing the search function.nbsp; A lot of paralegals use it when preparing for trail and searching through the transcript.nbsp; The judges -- if there has to be a ruling, they can copy and paste out of it.nbsp; While the system has condensed, eScript does not have that ability.nbsp;nbsp; But on eScript itself, you can search, and even hear audio if you want, but just not condensed.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh, I see.nbsp; I got you.

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Those are the major things that I have seen that I think are the most important.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Well, youre right, that was a lot.nbsp; What would you say are your recommended tips for people when choosing CAT software?nbsp; Talk to the student who is just graduating school and ready to take their license or get their license and then pick a software, say, ProCAT software -- what would you say to them?

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; I think whether its a student or a working reporter thats looking for new software, the biggest thing -- and I have always told people this because I learned myself starting out -- dont choose something just because your friend has it, or someone you work has it or, you know, its what you learned at school when you were a student.nbsp; Look at the products that are out there and make a decision on what you like.nbsp; Because what I have seen is many times people buy something because someone else has it.nbsp; And they say, Oh, its great. And they think they can help them if they have problems so they just go ahead and get it.nbsp;nbsp; In theory thats great, but in reality that is not what happens.nbsp; The features that one person thinks is the ooh and ah in a system may not be your ooh and ah.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Good point.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS: And basically there is no reason today in this market for anyone to be required to be on a certain software anymore.nbsp; And so my advice would be to take a good look at everything. Make the salesperson let you put your hands on the keyboard and do some editing, because all the fancy features in the world wont matter if you cant be efficient in your editing process.nbsp;nbsp; Because that is where you are going to save your time.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Exactly.nbsp; So what would you say are the differentiating points between ProCAT and the other vendors?nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; I think that some of our strong points are number one, ease of use.nbsp; I think that our programmers have done a little more work to take the difficulty out of setting things up that a lot of the systems require in order for the advanced features to work.nbsp; An example would be number processing.nbsp; With our number processing, you have no numbers in your dictionary at all, and the system just is designed to format all the numbers properly. Auto-indexing -- you click one button and it generates it and then inserts it.nbsp; Batch printing is something that came from a client that everyone just loves, and thats where you can print a transcript, a concordance, and a condensed, all with one click.nbsp; And it generates all three of them.nbsp;nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh, thats a time saver.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; It is, because you dont have to sit and wait for one to print after another.nbsp; Another would be the billing software that is included.nbsp; Which -- even if you work for a firm that is doing your billing, it is a good way to keep up with what you have billed out.nbsp; When you need to do quarterly tax payments, you can pull up what you billed out during a certain period.nbsp; Or if you leave a firm you know whats still owing when you walk out the door.nbsp; eScript -- which we have already talked about.nbsp;nbsp; AudioScript is an advanced form of eScript, meaning that each line is hyperlinked to the audio.nbsp; If you have done audio recording on that job, when you click on a hyperlink it will start playing the audio for that line.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Wow, thats cool.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; And then we also have vScript.nbsp; If you have a videographer there, you can blend all three together.nbsp; That -- and then I guess the last thing -- the ability to customize the program to meet your needs.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Whats the level of customization? What do you mean, like, setting up different keyboard shortcuts and the like?nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Yeah, because everyone has specific things that they run up against.nbsp; And so they have a lot of ability in reassigning keys and stuff like that.nbsp; But to a go a step further, we have something called keyboard commands that are, like -- the easiest thing is for me to give you an example.nbsp; If the attorney says, State your name for the record, and he then pauses, the first thing youre going to do is hit your answer bank.nbsp; And then he says, and spell it.nbsp; Now typically this is something you are going to clean up during editing, but we have a keyboard command that when I hit this stroke on my machine, it takes that answer out, hooks it back up, and joins it to the rest of the question with one stroke.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Oh, I see.nbsp; Thats a huge time saver.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Lots of little things like that that you can take care of during your writing, instead of having to do it in the editing.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Great.nbsp; So, sort of looking toward the future then, what do you think the future of court reporting looks like in, say, five years?nbsp; Though thats probably hard to say even just for next year.

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; It is, even from our side.nbsp; I see continued advancement of the intelligence features that allow further ease and quickness, and being able to put out transcripts faster, things that do more things for you.nbsp; Ultimately features allowing anyone to become a realtime reporter, even if their skills arent quite at that level, through the artificial intelligence.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Wow.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Thats probably where the biggest growth will be.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Thatll be amazing.nbsp; And Deby, finally, what one thing would you like court reporters and students to take away from reading this interview with you?nbsp; One last parting idea?

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; I would go back to -- I think the biggest thing they can take away is when they are looking to purchase their writer and their software, do it based upon their own investigation and determination of what fits their needs.nbsp; And I say that because coming from this side of the field, I have seen a new reporter go to work for a firm and they wanted them to purchase a certain software.nbsp; Then three, six months later, the work is slowing down, they arent getting get any jobs, and theyre out looking for another firm to work for. And I hate it.nbsp; Because then theyre on a software that they did not necessarily want to begin with.nbsp; And theyre not happy with it.nbsp; And you cant switch just because you go to the next firm.nbsp; What if they want you be on brand Z software?nbsp; You cant spend four thousand dollars every time you change firms.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Exactly.

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; And also, that the writer and the software is just one part of the whole equation.nbsp; The other part that they need to do is find out the companys policies.nbsp; If you are not on support or current on the software, will they still help you if you call them?nbsp; And how are their updates, are the just fixes, or updates?nbsp; And basically just to do your homework and choose whats right for you.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Very good.nbsp; Excellent last point.nbsp;nbsp; I think thats all I have. I really appreciate your taking the time, I really do.nbsp;nbsp;

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Well, thank you very much.nbsp; If you need anything else just call.nbsp;

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; You know, I will send you a link when this thing is posted so you can see it in writing.nbsp;

DEBY OWENS: Okay, that would be awesome.

TODD OLIVAS: All right, Deby.nbsp; Thank you so much. Have a great day.

DEBY OWENS: Thank you.

TODD OLIVAS:nbsp; Bye.

DEBY OWENS:nbsp; Bye.

If you are interested in learning more about ProCAT or its software, you can contact them on their website at http://www.procat.com or 5146 Douglas Fir Road, Suite 100, Calabasas, CA 91302, (800) 769-6841, sales@procat.com.

A Recap Of The Nevada Court Reporting Firm Examination

Thu, 3 Apr 2008 12:44:48 GMT

What I great day I had yesterday (photos posted below).nbsp; I took the Nevada Court Reporting Firm Examination administered within the offices of the State of Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board.nbsp; I feel very positive about my chances of having passed the test despite some minor annoyances that I will get into in a moment.nbsp;

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My Las Vegas Itinerary:

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4:15 a.m. - Alarm goes off

4:16 a.m. - Alarm keeps going off

4:20 a.m. - Shower, shave, get dressed

4:40 a.m. - Quick breakfast of Quaker Oatmeal Squares

4:45 a.m. - Drive to airport

5:15 a.m. - Arrive at airport

5:20 a.m. - Strip search

6:10 a.m. - Departure

7:10 a.m. - Arrival in Las Vegas

7:30 a.m. - Get rental car (a very masculine Chevy Cobalt)

8:00 a.m. - Head to Nevadanbsp;CCRB

8:30 a.m. - Arrive at Nevada CCRB, realize Im 2.5 hours too early

8:35 a.m. -nbsp;Kill some time at Marie Calendars down the street

9:00 a.m. - Kill more time

9:30 a.m. - Bored killing time

10:00 a.m. - Decide to head back to the Nevada CCRB to see if they will administer the test early

10:10 a.m. - Debbie Uehara, Executive Secretary, is flexible and allows me to take the test early

10:13 a.m. - Begin taking Court Reporting Firm Examination

11:43 a.m. - End exam

12:00 noon - Relieved Im done with the exam, head to the Las Vegas strip

12:30 p.m. - Get sidetracked on the wrong freeway, end up heading towards Reno accidentally... Reno Whoooo!

12:35 p.m. - Turn car around, head to the Las Vegas strip

1:00 p.m. - Get sidetracked on Freemont Street, take some pictures

1:30 p.m. - I realize I dont have nearly as much time to play as I had thought, sadly; head to airportnbsp; :(

2:00 p.m. - Rental car return - $70.00 bucks, what a deal

2:30 p.m. - Shuttle to airport

2:35 p.m. - Security lines are hideous

3:00 p.m. - Strip search

3:05 p.m. - Have a Subway sandwich, take nap on the airport lobby floor

4:05 p.m. - Departure Part 1 (plane delayed)

4:30 p.m. - Departure Part 2 (finally in the air)

5:30 p.m. - Arrival, head home

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My Opinion of The Nevada Court Reporting Firm Exam
Overall, I feel that the Exam was fair and tested what it should have tested.nbsp; The study materials referenced by the Board (http://crptr.state.nv.us/forms/FirmForms/Firm_Examination_Guidelines.pdf) were an accurate guide as to the content of the exam.nbsp; As I posted earlier on my blog Nevada Court Reporting Firm Exam, the Nevada Revised Statues, Codes, Civil Procedures, Opinions, et cetera, were all relevant.nbsp; My test-taking experience definitely benefited from my time spent studying those sources.nbsp; Mostly, of course,nbsp;I hopenbsp;my test-passing experience benefits as well.nbsp; The results take approximately seven days, so Im pleased that the wait is not too bad.

nbsp;

Just Say No To Notary?

However, one of the references listed -- The State of Nevada Notary Handbook -- purportedly available for sale for $35.00, was nevernbsp;available to me.nbsp; Further, Debbie Uehara told me yesterday thatnbsp;court reporters in Nevada no longer need to be notaries.nbsp; While I was relieved to hear that, I wish their website could have been more up-to-date and saved me the trouble of studying something that wasnt going to be on the test.nbsp; However, despite Debbies information, there was indeed a question about notaries on the exam.nbsp; Hopefully, I chose the correct answer.nbsp; Still, I wish there was more congruity on this particular topic.

nbsp;

Double Negatives Make A Positive?

My biggest pet peeve about the exam was that some of the questions were asked in the negative.nbsp; For example, in my case, the very first question was something structured like the following:

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; When such and such situation is NOT the case, what should the court reporter NOT do?

nbsp;

Now I may be a bit of an EPS -- Exam Preparer Snob -- based on my experiences helping to put together the California Court Reporters Exam - My Trip To The Board - Court Reporter In Sacramentonbsp;and 2nd Trip To The CRB - HOWEVER - even at face value, the above question is confusing.nbsp; From my CRB exam item writing workshops, Ive learned that one of the biggest no-nosnbsp;is to ask something in the negative.nbsp;nbsp;A better way to ask the material would be to structure the question as follows:

nbsp;

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; When such and such situation IS the case, what should the court reporter DO?

nbsp;

Fortunately, not all of the exam items were constructed so poorly.nbsp; To fix a question with that kind of problem wouldnt take someone too long, I think.nbsp; Just rephrase it in the positive.nbsp;

nbsp;

In conclusion, I think the test was fair overall and I cant wait for my results.nbsp; Wish me luck, Everyone!

nbsp;

nbsp;My 65-mile-per-hour view of the Luxor Hotel

Long lines in Vegas airport!

And finally, what trip to Las Vegas is complete without a photo under the Cowboy sign on Freemont Street?

Notice my Steno T-shirt? Buy one!

Nevada Court Reporting Firm Exam

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:23:59 GMT

Ive been studying for the Nevada Court Reporting Firm Exam.nbsp; Its been a great refresher of Statutes, Codes, Civil Procedures, Rules, Advisory Opinions, et cetera.nbsp; Ill be flying to Las Vegas, Nevada to take my test, officially yet redundantly known as Firm Owners Examination for a Court Reporting Firm.nbsp; As far as I know, Im the only one taking the test.nbsp; Lonely ol me.

The Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board is located at 500 North Rainbow Boulevard, Suite 300, Las Vegas, Nevada 89107.nbsp; I will be given 90 minutes to complete the exam.nbsp; Ive been dealing with the very nice and courteous Debbie Uehara who is the Executive Secretary for the NVCCRB.

Here is a partial list of my study materials and links to their respective websites.

Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 656 - http://leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-656.html
Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 656 - http://leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-656.html
NRS 608 Compensation, Wages and Hours - http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRs/NRS-608.html
Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure (NRCP) Rules 9,13 and 30 - http://leg.state.nv.us/CourtRules/NRCP.html
State of Nevada Notary Handbook - http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-240.html
NCRA Advisory Opinions - http://ncraonline.org/AboutNCRA/cope/Advisory/
NCRA Code of Professional Ethics - http://www.ncraonline.org/AboutNCRA/cope/
Various technology articles from JCR and RPR Study Guide
General business knowledge (i.e.; forming sole proprietorship, corporations, etc.)

Court Reporting Comedienne

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:04:44 GMT

You didnt know that court reporting had a comical side, did you?nbsp; Check out this video from Kathy Taylor.nbsp;nbsp;This is thenbsp;only court reporting standup routinenbsp;that Ive ever seen.nbsp; Shes pretty good, I think.nbsp; Some of my highlights of her routine:

I am a court stenographer..... (pause).nbsp; I havent talked for 23 years
I type and I stroke, type and I stroke.nbsp; Miss a word -- go to jail.
The scariest words for a court reporter are, Read that back.
I know you cant tell by looking at me, but I have been happily married.nbsp; Four times.
When people find out Im a court reporter, they sometimes say strange things.nbsp; You must know how to create the perfect murder.nbsp; Heck, if that were the case, Id be a widow.

Great job, Kathy!nbsp; Very funny! Cant wait for any future court reporter comedy routines!

Interview With ProCAT

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:46:48 GMT

I just wrapped up a nice interview with ProCAT National Sales Manager, Deby Owens.nbsp; She was just a doll for letting me interview her.nbsp; As soon as I have the completed transcript of the interview posted, Ill post a link back here.nbsp; In the meantime, here are some of the highlight questions I asked her:

Who are you?
What is your position with ProCAT?
How didnbsp;ProCAT come about?
What gotnbsp;the companynbsp;into the court reporting equipment softwarenbsp;business?
What changes have you seen in court reporting softwarenbsp;since you started?
What are your recommended tips for people when choosing CAT software?
What are the differentiating points between ProCATnbsp;andnbsp;other vendors?
What does the future of the court reportingnbsp;software look like in, say, five years?
What one thing would you like court reporters and students to take away from reading this interview?

Eat Drink And Sleep Steno

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:24:19 GMT

So Im taking a walk down memory lane about my career in the field of court reporting.nbsp; Ive collected some interesting mementos and snapshots.nbsp; I decided to post some of them for you on todays blog.

The Steno Toast
This toast is not intended for consumption. This is a photo of my decade-old toasted piece of toast said to hold an image of a steno keyboard. In 1997nbsp;I was about to take a bite out of it and saw the court reporting keyboard staring back at me.nbsp;

I can neither confirm nor deny thatnbsp;The Steno Toast holds mystical powers.nbsp; I can say that I have done little to preserve The Toast save for keeping it in a sandwich baggie -- for 10 long years -- but it doesnt crumble apart or deteriorate or cry.nbsp; Ive decided to show the world -- now for a limited time -- The Steno Toast.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I believe that in America everybody has the right to learn of it and experience its mystical powers for themselves.

I really dont care to comment further about that except to say if this artifact is indeed a slice of stenographic pop culture -- which it is -- and if an internet casino would be willing to purchase it for their world tour -- which it may -- Id be willing to sell.nbsp; Otherwise, Im thinking of auctioning it on eBay.nbsp; Not sure the asking price.nbsp; Could be some serious bread.nbsp;

The Tortilla Whisperer

Closely associated to the Steno Toast -- and in the bread family,nbsp;I supposenbsp;--nbsp; is the Steno Tortilla.nbsp; If you stare long enough at the Steno Tortilla you will notice the unmistakable image of a steno machine with two hands typing.nbsp;

This phenomenonnbsp;occurred soon after embarking on my court reporting studies roughly in 1993 ornbsp;1994nbsp;around dinner time.nbsp; It seemed like everywhere I went I saw court reporting related items.nbsp; I thought it was merely my imagination.nbsp; Capturing this image on the Steno Tortilla, however, confirmed my suspicions.nbsp; I considered it a sign that I was heading in the right direction.nbsp; It was like somebody whispered, Hey, youre heading in the right direction.nbsp; Plus, Eat a tortilla.nbsp; I listened to thenbsp;Tortilla Whisperernbsp;to the extent of following my dreams of becoming a court reporter and agency owner.nbsp; Inbsp;left the Tortilla uneaten, however.nbsp; It is now in a frame above my diploma.

Sleeping With The Enemy

Shhhhhhh.nbsp; Court reporter at rest.nbsp; Its not me butnbsp;thenbsp;abovenbsp;photo is of a tuckered out court reporter.nbsp; Similar to this guy, I began court reporting school in 1993 and I personally count my experiences in school as some of my most cherished memories right up there with my daughter being born and my last tax refund.nbsp;nbsp;During those days, I ate, drank and sleptnbsp;steno.nbsp; At night I dreamt of P-A-T and S-A-L like they were my two buddies.nbsp;

Not in a weird way.nbsp;

I made it through theory and then 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 100s.nbsp; I just kind of plodded along.nbsp; I was NO natural.nbsp; Turns out, Im not really a natural at anything.nbsp; Everything that Ive been able to accomplish -- in court reporting, in business, in Nintendo PlayStation -- was not because of some innate talent or natural ability but because I stuck with it and never gave up.nbsp; And I worked hard and learned over time -- how to work smart.nbsp;nbsp;I feel like repeating my favorite phrase right now:nbsp; If Todd can, anyone can!nbsp; (Hey, theres an idea for another Steno T-Shirt!)

My Favorite Teacher Of All Time - Mr. Rusty
Everybody has a formative teacher or mentor or two; right?nbsp; Mine was Mr. Rusty.nbsp; He taught theory as well as Professional Practices.nbsp; He was a good arm wrestler too.nbsp; Because of Mr. Rusty I learned the value of forming a good foundation of theory, studying hard and also how to perform the hook and toproll -- twonbsp;critical arm wrestling techniques.nbsp;

Mr. Rusty also encouraged the use of tattoos as motivation to get through school.nbsp; His logic went something this: If you have a tattoo of a steno machine on your arm, you are less likely to drop out.nbsp; I cant argue with the sentiment, though I stopped short of getting inked. ;)

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For Those Long Deposition Sessions -nbsp;The Court Reporters Drinking Buddy
There are times when the testimony is just too good, when the attorneys are just too interesting to ask for a break.nbsp; Who cares if youre thirstynbsp;when everyonenbsp;important has already helped themselves to coffee and water and self-satisfaction.nbsp;Fornbsp;the parched court reporter, we introduce the Court Reporters Drinking Buddy:nbsp;

Holds two (2) cans of beverage!!
Fits snugly around your head.nbsp; Suppresses headaches!!
Chin snaps are velvety smooth!nbsp; Suppresses back talk to rude attorneys!!
Comes in attractive yellow and red!!
No-drip hose uses hamster bottle technology!!

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The Court Reporters Bathroom Buddy - Sold separately

Mid-Missouri Paralegal Association Publishes My Blog

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:19:31 GMT

A few weeks ago I got an email from a very nice lady named Lori from the Mid-Missouri Paralegal Association:

I am the editor of a regional paralegal newsletter. Could I reprint your blog article on marketing in an upcoming issue? Our newsletter is made available to our members by electronic form. - Lori from Mid-Missouri Paralegal Association

My response?nbsp;

Heck, yeah!
- Todd Olivas, Court Reporting Agency Owner

Isnt The Internet Grand!
Just a few years ago, therenbsp;was no way in the world that a Paralegal Association from Missouri would have ever even heard of a blog article written by some court reporting agency out in California.nbsp; (Just a few years ago there were no blogs either!)

This Is The Blog Post That She Wanted
My Speech To NALS Of Orange County

Here Is A Link To The Finalized Newsletter -nbsp;The Gavel
Mid-Missouri-Paralegal-Association.pdf

A Little Bit About The Mid-Missouri Paralegal Association
The Mid-Missouri Paralegal Association serves members from throughout the mid-Missouri area. Membership is limited to those paralegals who meet specific criteria, including education and experience. Student memberships are available for college students pursuing a degree in paralegal studies.

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month, and often feature guest speakers. The locations rotate between various cities in the mid-Missouri area, including Columbia, Jefferson City, and Mexico. The MMPA offers you an invaluable opportunity to network, while also allowing you to increase your professional knowledge. Even if you cant attend all the meetings - you can benefit from the networking and subscription to The Gavel.

Court Reporter In Vegas, Baby!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:24:40 GMT

I just booked my flight for April 2, 2008.nbsp; Im heading to Las Vegas, NV!nbsp; I will be there to visit the Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board and to sit for their Firm Owners Exam.nbsp; Also, in my articles section, I posted an informative article about becoming a court reporter in Nevada.nbsp; Here are some of the minimum requirements:

Passing the National Court Reporters Association exam for registered professional reporters
Passing the National Verbatim Reporters Association exam for certified verbatim reporters
Providing a certificate of satisfactory completion from a court reporter school that demonstrates competency of at least 200wpm with 97.5% accuracy
Possession of a certificate from the National Court Reporters Association demonstrating that the applicant is a registered professional reporter, certified broadcast captioner, certified realtime reporter, certified CART provider or registered merit reporter
Possession of a certificate of merit or certificate of certified verbatim reporter from the National Verbatim Reporters Association
Possession of certification or licensing in court reporting from another state
Demonstrating one full year of experience as a full-time court reporter

Read the entire articlegt; Court Reporting In Nevada

Court Reporter Speaks To Long Beach Secretaries

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:46:56 GMT

Theres an old saying that, What gets measured, gets improved.nbsp;

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I think I heard that on the loud speakers at my gym... They were encouragingnbsp;me to go weigh in and measure how fatnbsp;I amnbsp;or something.

nbsp;

But how true of a statement is that?nbsp; You cant just go blindly forward in a task and not gauge your performance.nbsp; In court reporting school, for example, there are speed tests every single day.nbsp; Every day!nbsp; As any working freelance reporter or court room reporter will tell you, the translation percentage rate provided by CAT software is a way of measuring accuracy too.

nbsp;

Last night I got to see if improvements in my marketing speech would be noticeable.nbsp; Andnbsp;I believe what I spent measuring last week did, indeed, improve.nbsp; Heres how it went down.nbsp; First, let me say thanks to the Long Beach Secretaries Association for having me last night.nbsp; And a great time was had by all at the Grand Long Beach Event Center.nbsp; Special congrats to newly elected President, Cathleen McGrath Siler, Legal Assistant at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud Romo.nbsp;

nbsp;

I think my speech went way better last night than the first time I delivered it.nbsp; You can read all aboutnbsp;my speech to Orange County legal secretaries here.nbsp; All the revisions and cuts that I made to tighten it up really seemed to work.nbsp; The pacing was a lot smoother and I dont think anyone squirmed in their chairs.nbsp; One very nice lady said that I kept it light and entertaining and the whole thing flowed rather well.nbsp; Judging from the speaker evaluations I got back, my talk was a success.

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How Do I Judge Success Or Not?

In order to gauge whether or not my speech was successful or not, Ive got to ask myself some specific questions:nbsp;

Did my speech add value?
Was the content useful?
Did the quality level of the information meet expectations?
Was I engaging and was I able to develop a rapport with the audience?
Did my speech have real world applicability?

nbsp;The speaker evals came back mostly with Agree and some Strongly Agreenbsp;for the above items.nbsp; Thank you LBLSA!nbsp;nbsp;Still, how does this apply to you?nbsp; I would encourange every court reporting student and working professional to come up with their own measuring-type questions.nbsp;

If youre a court reporting student, be sure to always be measuring your accuracy.nbsp; Remember my motto:nbsp; Get accuracy first then speed will follow.
If youre a working court reporter or freelance reporter, be cognizant of your translation rate.nbsp; You can always build more entries into your CAT dictionary.nbsp; Thats the way my dictionary looks.nbsp; It has EVERYTHINGnbsp; in there.nbsp; Even my flubs.nbsp;

Finally, it was awesome to be so close to my Long Beach Court Reporting Suite.nbsp; If you ever need a court reporter in Long Beach, check this out:

nbsp;

Downtown Plaza
211 E. Ocean Blvd
Long Beach,nbsp; California nbsp;nbsp;90802
(888) 566-0253

Schedule a Court Reporter Long Beach nbsp;CA

Description
Welcome to Long Beach! Were proud to have one of the best deposition-taking environments anywhere in town. If youre looking for a deposition suite that offers quality court reporting, interpreting and videography services -- look no further!

This court reporting suite offers convenient access to the San Diego (405) freeway, I-710 freeway and Public Transportation (Metro). We are just a few 7 miles to the Long Beach Airport, Theaters Hotels, Banks, Shopping and Restaurants!

Schedule a Court Reporter Long Beach nbsp;CA

Court Reporter In Long Beach Tonight

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:18:41 GMT

Tonight Im the guest speaker for the Long Beach Legal Secretaries Association.nbsp; Im doing my latest incarnation of M is for Marketing (How to Market Yourself to Become Indispensable to Your Law Firm... Plus How to Market Your LSI Chapter and Attract More Members).

Im very excited about giving this speech.nbsp; As you can read here - My Speech to NALS of Orange County -nbsp;this isnbsp;my second crack at it.nbsp; Butnbsp;during the intervening month Ive really put the polish and shine on this sucker.nbsp; (Or is it lipstick on a pig???nbsp; You be the judge and show up!) When I came home from the last speech I immediately jotted down some improvement areas.nbsp; Here is my little list:

1. Shorten the whole thing everywhere you can.
2. Shorten the Mary storynbsp;especially.
3. Trim the fat.
4. Remember the Rule of 3.nbsp; Sometimes I ask too many questions.nbsp; It got tedious.
5. Try to add more cute stories.nbsp; Sizzler worked, San Jose seemed to work.
6. More humor.
7. Take out who cares?nbsp; Make it what then?

Now understandably, some of those items make no sense out of context.nbsp; Thats not my point in bringing this up...nbsp;

My Point In Bringing This Up Is...
Anything that you want to do in life -- any task or skill or jobnbsp;-- whether in the legal field or court reporting or whatever -- you have to become intentional about improvement.nbsp; I dont think improvement happens by accident.nbsp; Improvement happens because of consistently doing the right kinds of exercise.nbsp;

Want to be a better court reporting student and nail that next speed?nbsp;
Practice consistently the right drills -- with accuracy -- and you will improve.
Want to be a better paid court reporter?
Practice consistently taking the right kind of dense jobs and your paycheck will increase.

Want to be a better legal secretary or paralegal?
Practice consistently doing the right kinds of continuing education and your resume will improve.
Want to be a better speech giver?
Practice consistently better and better material with as much stage time as possible and you will improve.

Any comments anybody?

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The Birth Of My Court Reporting Passion

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:33:38 GMT

Last week I got to visit my alma mater - South Coast College of Court Reporting.nbsp; Jean Gonzalez, the president of SCC, did a little write up about me on her blog, so I thought Id return the favor plus up the ante by posting a snapshot below.

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South Coast College of Court Reporting - My Early Childhood Memories

When I began court reporting school back in, oh, lets say -- last century -- 1993 to be exact, I chose South Coast College as my training ground.nbsp; As a studentnbsp;I never regretted the choice.nbsp; As a licensednbsp;professional now in my ninth year in the court reporting field, I have never regretted the choice either.nbsp;

As readers of this blog will know, I go around to a lot of court reporting schools.nbsp; I go around to pump up the court reporting students.nbsp; I try to tell them that court reporting is a great profession and that they need to focus on getting out of school and into the depo chair.nbsp; (Or court room chair).nbsp; Im very passionate about this field and I think a lot of that passion isnbsp; a direct result of Jean Gonzalez passion.nbsp; Whether its honing her own theory textbooknbsp;known as Roberts Walsh Gonzalez, or running a private court reporting college since before God was a boy (as my mother from Oklahoma might quip),nbsp;or being a powerful advocate for the court reporting profession -- I can say that I definitely did chose the right school back in 93.

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They Say Court Reporting School Attendance Is Down?

Take a look at this picture gt;gt;gt;gt;gt;gt;gt;nbsp;

I took this picture of a vehicle WITHOUT handicap tags parked WITHIN a handicap parking space.nbsp; This photo was taken by me while visiting South Coast College.nbsp; Their parking lot was packed to the gills.nbsp; Just so you know, they have a rather large parking lot (forgot to take a snapshot of that though) -- room for probably 300+ cars.nbsp; And not one legitimate space was available to this able-bodied person in the gas hogging SUV.nbsp;

Okay, Im the able-bodied gas hog.nbsp; Its my car in the photo.nbsp;

The custodian was directing traffic when I arrived for my visit to South Coast College -- he TOLD me to park there.nbsp; I felt bad but he said itd be okay.nbsp; I had to confess it here on this blog.nbsp; They say court reporting schools are on the decline?nbsp; Judging by this full house, not here it isnt!

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Rhode Island Court Reporter Seeks California CSR

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 17:17:09 GMT

I got an interesting email today from a court reporter from Rhode Island.nbsp; She is heading to California next week to take the CSR exam and found my website.nbsp; Here is what she wrote:

Todd, Im a court reporter from Rhode Island and Im flying out next week to take the CSR (Cant take the cold!) Stumbled upon your site (lucky me) in searching for Cal. rules, regs, etc. Took each quiz and they were very helpful, as laws and procedures are different here. Any advice or additional sites youd recommed for out-of-staters to prepare for the test?

Also, a friend of mine who took CSR years ago said they set up a room for dictation to practice after the written tests for the skills portion, but I dont see that in the info. Should I bring my own practices tapes to do in my room or do they still have the practices on Friday afternoon for Saturdays test?

Thank your for taking time out of your busy day to read this email. p.s. Is there plenty of work in Cal for freelancers? Im looking at the San Diego area.

Thanks again,
-D. from Rhode Island

Dear D. from Rhode Island:

First, thank you for visiting my website!nbsp; Im so encouraged when people find the quizzes and articles useful.nbsp; I have a passion for this field and am always glad to hear about others finding my resources handy.nbsp; Were trying to add more court reporting quizzes all the time regarding CSR codes, statutes and professional practices but there really is no substitute for a good old fashioned CSR review given by a real court reporting college.nbsp; I could name a whole bunch who give such a review:

South Coast College - Givenbsp;Kevin Magnernbsp;a call at (877) 612-0875
Cerritos Community College - Give Vykki Morgan a call at (562) 860-2451 ext. 2746
Downeynbsp;Adult Schoolnbsp;- Give Cindy Grafton a call at (562) 940-6242

As an out-of-stater, I know it might be difficult and/or nearly impossible for you to attend such a review class.nbsp; However, perhaps they offer a modified curriculum via the internet?nbsp; Im not sure if they do or not, but that sounds like a great place to start.nbsp; In the meantime, Im glad my court reporting quizzes were somewhat useful!

I do not know for a fact that a dictation room is set up for practice dictation, but I believe that that is true.nbsp; If I recall correctly, thats exactly where I spent my time after the written skills portion -- in the practice room.nbsp; Just in case, better bring your own tapes and materials to practice.nbsp; To find out for sure on this, why dont you give the CSR Board a call. You probably should speak with Kim White at (916) 263-3660.

And finally, your last question about freelance work in San Diego.nbsp; YES!nbsp; My agency personally handles depos there several times per week.nbsp; Plus I know other reputable court reporting agencies who you could call for even more work.nbsp; Some good agencies with whom Ive networked include:

Best of luck on the CSR test!nbsp; There a lot of people over here rooting for you!

-Todd

Hearing Reporters - The Good, Bad, And Ugly

Thu, 6 Mar 2008 12:40:15 GMT

Recently the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers Compensation sent me a letter outlining their need to hire more Hearing Reporters.nbsp; I thought Id pass the information along in case anybody reading this blog is interested in taking the Hearing Reporter Exam and/or learning more about what a Hearing Reporter actually does.

First, Show Me The Money
The monthly salary offered by the WCAB (Workers Compensation Appeals Board) is $4770 to $5797.nbsp;

Second, Show Me The Way
In order to become a Hearing Reporter and to get on the hiring list to become eligible for employment, send your application to the Department of Industrial Relations, Personnel Office -nbsp; Examination Unit, P.O. Box 420603, San Francisco, CA 94142.nbsp; The deadline is 4/4/08.nbsp; The application is available at the following website: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dirjobs/dirjobs.htm.

Minimum Requirements:

1 year experience transcribing hearings or conferences or meetings -- OR -- possession ofnbsp; State of California License as CSR -- OR -- possession of Certificate of Proficiency or a Certificate of Merit issued by NCRA.
Willingness to travel throughout the State.
Professional poise and normal hearing.
At least 12th grade education.

Third, Give Me The Bullet Point Synopsis Of The Good And Bad And Ugly
In my opinion there arenbsp;good things about becoming a hearing reporter.nbsp; And some not so good things.

The Good

$4770 to $5797/month
Excellent benefits
Your equipment and software is provided by the State
You do not get assigned to one particular judge but rotate from a pool.nbsp; This is great if you hate sameness and desire a different daily work experience. (I know I do!)

The Bad

$4770 to $5797/month - depending on your lifestyle and where you live, that might not go as far as it used to.
You dont have a choice of what equipment and software you can use.nbsp; Its Stentura and AristoCAT for you.
You do not get assigned to one particular judge but rotate from a pool.nbsp; Thus it might be difficult to get into a familiar cozy pattern.nbsp; (Some people prefer to have the same judge, same court room each day.nbsp; Its a matter of preference, honestly.)

The Really, Really Ugly

Onlynbsp;a small percentage of transcripts are actually requested.nbsp; (Court reporters -- those reporters working in court -- will tell you that they make a good portion of their income from such extra transcription work.)
And even when a transcript is requested and produced by you, the money goes to the State not to the Reporter.nbsp; Big, ugly ouch!
Apparently during slow times, a Hearing Reporter may be assigned to help out with clerical duties in other areas of the office.nbsp; (In addition to Steno, you know how to make coffee; right?)

Hey, What Does A Hearing Reporter Hear And Report Anyways?
A Hearing Reporter is the court reporter for workers comp hearings at the WCAB.nbsp; There are WCAB offices in 24 California cities.nbsp; The cities with current openings are Los Angeles, Marina Del Rey, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Rosa, and Van Nuys.nbsp; Reporters work in a pool and are typically not assigned to one specific judge.

The main work produced by the Hearing Reporter is a summary of the hearing, which is dictated to the reporter by the judge.nbsp; Only a small percentage of transcripts are requested.nbsp; :(nbsp; When a transcript is requested and produced, the money goes to the State -- not to the Reporter.nbsp;

Hearing Reporters work from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday.nbsp; All work produced -- i.e. transcripts -- is accomplished during the course of the normal 40-hour work week.nbsp; There is occasional travel to work at satellite locations or to other offices when short-staffing occurs.nbsp; No work is taken home; therefore, reporters enjoy their evenings, weekends and holidays as their own personal time.nbsp; What a concept.

Full benefits include medical, dental, vision, retirement, sick leave (8 hours per month), vacation leave (2 weeks/year through the first 3 years of employment, which increases with more years of service), and state holidays.nbsp; Once you receive full benefits, that equals approximately 30 percent over and above the base salary.

Your equipment is furnished by the State.nbsp; Yes, I repeat... The State will provide you withnbsp;a steno machine (Stentura), desktop computer, printer, work space, et cetera.nbsp; They also provide the computer-aided transcription software AristoCAT.nbsp; Your custom dictionary will be converted by AristoCAT to work in their system.

The position of Hearing Reporter does not become available very often.nbsp; The recent hirings and openings are due to an increase of workload.

So, does anybody want to become a Hearing Reporter?

Want To Become A Court Reporter In Arizona?

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 14:13:25 GMT

A new article was posted last week: Court Reporting In Arizona.nbsp;

I almost forgot to blog about it.nbsp; Its all about court reporting in Arizona -- its governing body, reciprocity for those certified in other states, Arizona court reporters association, and becoming a court reporter in Arizona.

Here is a snippet:

The state of Arizona recognizes the importance of court reporters in providing a fair and impartial, professional legal system. As such, the state has imposed minimum standards that every court reporter must follow. Here we will detail the process of becoming a court reporter in Arizona.

Read the full article: http://www.toddolivas.com/court_reporting_articles/court-reporting-arizona.asp

We also offer court reporting services in Arizona:

Alpine (Alpine Depo Room)

Bullhead (Bullhead Depo Room)

Casa Grande (Casa Grande Depo Room)

Chandler (Chandler Depo Suites)

Glendale (Glendale Conference Center)

Mesa (Mesa Conference)

Nogales (Nogales Court Reporting Room)

Phoenix (3131 Camelback Court Reporting Suite)

Phoenix (Esplanade Conference Suites)

Phoenix (Paradise Valley Court Reporting Suite)

Phoenix (Phoenix-Delta Crown Conference Room)

Phoenix (24th at Camelback)

Prescott Valley (Prescott Suites)

Scottsdale (Gainey Ranch Center)

Tempe (Tempe Suites)

Tucson (Tucson Suites)

Yuma (Yuma Depo Rooms)

A Court Reporter Gets The Flu

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If youve noticed the slow down of postings on this blog, Im pleased to inform you that the rumors about my death are entirely exaggerated.

I am not dead. I have merely wished I was.

Rewind About Two Weeks Ago
I get to take care of my nine-year-old daughter Ruby. The vomiting. The fever. The staying home from school. Et cetera.

Fast-forward About One Week Ago
I get to take myself to the doctors office. The fever. The fatigue. The flu. I usually pride myself on the fact that I never get sick. And when I say never, I mean NEVER. In my adult life, I cannot remember the last time I got sick. I guess I was due. I have never felt that sick in my life. Ever. I didnt get out of bed. I didnt go to work. I didnt do anything that I would otherwise normally do.

I read in the newspaper that this flu season was one of the worst on record. For me there is no doubt that it was terrible and awful.

Anybody else feel as bad as I did?
As the president of Todd Olivas Associates, I guess, one of the perks is that I am able to call in sick without fear of job loss. I actually first wrote owner and not president. But technically, I am not the owner. I am an employee of a corporation. Anyway, my point is that Im not going to fire myself, in other words. And I believe me when I pull the Im-Too-Sick-To-Work card. But I feel very bad for all my independent contractor court reporters. When you guys call in sick, or pull yourselves off calendar due to illness -- somebody else gets to do the deposition and gets the pages accordingly.

I know in some states, its the norm -- or at least one of the acceptable norms -- to be employed by a court reporting agency instead of contracted by them. Here in California, Ive never heard of it being done. During this flu season, I can definitely see the benefit of being an employee rather than a IC.

What are your thoughts?

My Speech To NALS of Orange County

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Last night I spoke to NALS of Orange County. This is a legal secretary group that is highly dedicated to what they do. Theres no doubt about NALS commitment to its slogan The Association thats for legal professionals. From continuing legal education, technology and networking, NALS has a plethora of resources that all combined make it a great and wonderful legal secretary association.

Photo L to R: Zena from Murtaugh Meyer Nelson Treglia, Todd Olivas, Mae Galvez - Tharpe Howell

Congratulations To Mae Galvez, Certified PLS
Mae was sworn in as the NALS of Orange County President. She has so much spirit and enthusiasm, I can see why they voted her in completely uncontested. Mae is a legal secretary for the firm of Tharpe Howell. As a court reporter, Ive worked with Mae and her firm for several years -- since 2004, I think. Wow, how time has flown by.

M is for Marketing
Last night marked the unveiling of my new speech, M is for Marketing.nbsp; From the evaluations that I received back from everybody, it looks like Ive got a winner. Still, there was some constructive feedback that I needed to shorten some of the parts. Specifically, some of the stories went a little long. And truth be told, when I was up there I could tell that at the very end I was losing people. When people start shifting in their seats and the body language starts to say -- Hey Todd, good speech but its already 8 oclock here. Ive worked a long day. Im ready for you to have a seat. -- you know its time to wrap.

I cut several pages from my speech because I sensed that it was getting late. Hopefully, nobody realized that I sort of rushed through the last part.

Still, the feedback was great. I even got asked to write an article or two for the NALS e-newsletter. That will be so cool. Ill let everyone know when that happens.

Some Of My Marketing Suggestions
As a court reporting vendor, Ive sort of got my own ideas about how to go about marketing. Believe me, Ive made many, many mistakes. (During my speech I talk about my first attempts at reaching attorneys and secretaries by sending out spam emails. Not a good idea!!!) Here is a partial list of some of the things that I talk about during my speech:

Set a written goal for your career path. Stick to it.
Relationships are the key. Remember its not who you know, its who knows you.
Remember what the real need is that you meet.
Its better to solve a problem that is right in front of you than waiting and looking high and low for an earth-shattering discovery.
Face-to-face meetings beat email or voice mail every time.
Thank You notes - the worlds least expensive yet highest return investment!
Make sure your website or blog is pulling its weight.
Write an article for publication that will be seen by your peers.
Make a speech at your local paralegal or legal secretary association or school(s).
Volunteer!
Create a log of all your value-add activities and email it to your boss once a week as a subtle reminder of the Problem Solver you are.
Take a lowly, unpopular task and do it with utmost excellence. Pretend its the most important duty in the world. Youll get noticed faster than you think!
Take a class and/or get more education then write an article about it for your firms newsletter.

Sarnoff
I got to meet -- and sit next to -- Doreen Bandy from Sarnoff. Very nice to meet you, Doreen! Sarnoff is an excellent court reporting firm thats been around forever. Doreen was very nice and I would highly recommend her service. (Also, congratulations to Doreen for having a three-month-old newborn!)

Litigation Support Services

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Videographers
Todd Olivas Associates Court Reporting Agency offers videographer services. We feature videography services along with our standard court reporting services. There is an extra charge that depends upon how you want the final product delivered how many disks, what file format, et cetera -- and how long the proceeding takes.

Interpreters
We also offer interpreting services. We are able to find you a certified interpreter for nearly any language. Give us as much notice as you can for exotic language because depending on the languages that are common in a specified area, we may need to book the interpreter well in advance. For more obscure languages or interpretation tasks, it will likely be more time consuming to find qualified people and thus we keep an on-going relationship with other interpreter firms with whom we network.

Teleconferencing or Videoconferencing Services
Finally, as a court reporting agency we offer full-service teleconferencing or videoconferencing capabilities to our clients. This is often accessible in the office of the court reporting conference suite please call ahead to specify your needs and see about availability. Arrange for any additional services ahead of time so that suitable locations and timetables may be handled before the job.

How My Court Reporters Grammar Saved Me Money

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 13:07:06 GMT

Court reporting students often ask me, Whats up withnbsp;all this grammar knowledge?nbsp; Why should we have to know grammar when all we do is take down what other people say?nbsp; My answer is always a very firm -- because!

Because you are going to represent our fine profession in front of well educated people -- attorneys and judges -- and you dont want to look dumb.

Because it may come in handy some day...Not long ago I received a very important email from PayPal.nbsp; A very important email, I tell you!nbsp;For those of you who do not know, PayPal is an online processor of money.nbsp; With my PayPal account I can make purchases and most importantly accept credit card payments for invoices.nbsp; Since Ive added the ability to pay for transcripts via credit card, my cash flow has improved, its easier for clients than COD,nbsp;and all in all things are grand.

Then I got this email. Seems my account was compromised.nbsp; Lets let the email speak for itself:
(Click on the image to see the full version.)

Under normal circumstances, your heart might skip a beat upon receiving such a notice.nbsp; But as a trained court reporter,nbsp;your Super Powers of Court Reporting Grammar kick in, and allnbsp;your fears leave.nbsp; Andnbsp;youll have a good laugh too.nbsp; This email is a fake.nbsp; A fraud.nbsp; It belongs in the trash.nbsp; It was sent by someone claiming to be PayPal in an effortnbsp;to getnbsp;me to click on their bogusnbsp; link to steal my user name and password.nbsp; The process is known as phishing.

Where my Outlook spam filters failed, my grammar skills kicked booty.nbsp; Whoever sends these junk, thieving emails should have gone to court reporting school.nbsp; Maybe their scam wouldnbsp;work better.nbsp;

Ive notated just five of the ridiculous things about this email withnbsp;my red numbers.nbsp;

1.nbsp; Attention PayPal Online Client:
While this is not poor grammar per se,nbsp;it sure smells fishy.nbsp; PayPal is strictly an online service.nbsp; So why would PayPal distinguish me as an Online Client?nbsp; Are there Offline Clients?nbsp; I didnt think so.nbsp; My suspicion meter spiked.

2. ...your PayPal account had been recently compromised.
Not poor grammar technically,nbsp;but surely the smart and educated people over at PayPal know better than to write in the passive voice.nbsp; Had been is so yucky when it comes to business letter writing.nbsp; Smacks of junior high grammar skills -- if you ask me.

3. If your account informations ...
Ah, bad grammar paydirt.nbsp; Mixing the singular account with plural informations makes my dogs eyes hurt.nbsp; And my gramm-a-meter spiked off the charts.nbsp; Oh yeah, informations is not even a word.nbsp; My spell checker ixnayed on the informations-ay.nbsp;

4. ...has not been fraudulently used and to combat fraud.What the #$@*?!nbsp; My nine-year-old daughter would choke on her Cocoa Puffs at such a poorly constructed sentence.nbsp; Once again, my court reporting senses told me that something was amiss.nbsp;nbsp;Hey, in the future,nbsp;if youre going to try to steal my money, at least do it with proper English grammar skills.nbsp; Sheeeesh.

5. Please login into your PayPal Online account and complete verification process
First, login into is redundant.nbsp; Second, complete verification process should have been complete the verification process.nbsp; Third, by placing your mouse arrow over the hotlink, you can see where its headed.nbsp; This particular link went waaaay off the beaten path with some crazy URL like http: //fnthrsm006008.hrsm.fnt.ftth4.ppp.infoweb.ne.jp/~support/cgi/security.htmnbsp;
DOT NOT ATTEMPT TO GO TO THAT LINK.nbsp; THEY WILL TRY TO STEAL YOUR MONEY WHILE USING HORRIBLE GRAMMAR ON YOU!!!

Lessons Ive Learned:

Being a trained court reporter with good grammarnbsp;skills can savenbsp;you thousands of dollars;
Thieves need to improve their grammar skills by attending court reporting school;
Its a good thing to know grammar simply so you dont come across as dumb.

Im Back From Visiting The Board -CRB Trip #2 -Mission Complete

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 10:53:01 GMT

Im back from my trip to Sacramento consulting with the Court Reporters Board regarding the next CSR Exam.nbsp; Here is a quick itemization of what I experiencednbsp;there:nbsp;

I helped with CSR Exam Construction.nbsp;
The weather was alternately horrible and wonderful.nbsp;
I took a cab and ate at the best restaurant in Downtown Sacramento.nbsp;
I met some incredible reporters.nbsp;
I actually did use the hotels gym facility.
I discovered an important CCP section that might help me get paid on a particular outstanding invoice.

First, I took this photo of a very ominous looking Arnold. nbsp;His square mug graced the lobby of the Office of Examination Resources.nbsp; If you strain your eyes and stare long enough, I think youll agree that hes saying, Make it a guhd CSR Exaaahm.nbsp; We need court reporters out there.nbsp; You heard me.And with that rather simple directive, my fellow SME (Source Material Experts) and I entered into a process to create the next CSR Exam.

What Is An SME?
An SME is known as a Source Material Expert.nbsp; Thats me.nbsp; Thats also Linda, Sandra, andnbsp;Pamela.nbsp; We are experts by due fact that we are licensed by California as Certified Shorthand Reporters having duly passed the very Exam that we endeavored to create.nbsp; Its a beautiful circular type of thing.nbsp;

Exam Construction 101
Exam Construction is simply about selecting pre-approved, pre-qualified questions from the various subject matters from the bank of available questions and voting on them as a group.nbsp; As Ive written before, the purpose of the Exam is tonbsp;produce safenbsp;court reporters.nbsp; Safe for the profession of court reporting but mostly safe for the consumer.nbsp; We dont want half-baked court reporters.nbsp; We dont want court reporters who do not know what theyre doing.nbsp;By the same token, we dont require a court reporter candidate to know everything there is to know about court reporting.nbsp;

Exam Construction is about creating a fair Exam that trys to validate a candidates grasp ofnbsp;entry-level CSR knowledge.nbsp; Things that only a 30-year veteran would know are weeded out.nbsp; Things that are common knowledge are yanked as well.

I believe the Exam that our team put together meets all those criteria.nbsp; While the test is challenging, I do feel that it is fair and accurately tests those things that a first year court reporter must know in order to perform his/her job safely.

The Best Restaurant In Downtown Sacramento
When in Sac, I always steal away and head to Chops.nbsp; My friend from Microquick and I discovered this place a while back -- I want to say two years ago? -- during one of our treks to this area for marketing.nbsp; In between stops to law firms, we pulled into Chops to get one of the best steaks in town.

The One Thing You Must Know About Chops
Chops is a great restaurant.nbsp; Its right across the street from the Capitol Building.nbsp; You are extremely likely to run into any number of political types.nbsp; In fact the night that I was there,nbsp;Assemblyman Van Tran held a private reception for a Japanese dignitary.nbsp; Quite honestly I had never heard of Assemblyman Van Tran before.nbsp; So from my bar stool and during my lentil soup, I Googled his name and found out hes a Republican from my Southern California area.nbsp; He also gave quite a nice speech to a graduating class at UCI.nbsp; During my steak dinner -- prepared medium rare -- I alternately learned more about Mr. Tran and watched the Democratic debate.nbsp; I snapped this horribly grainy photonbsp;of Mr. Trans cocktail party.nbsp; I only got their backs because, after all, Im only a court reporter not some political bigwig.nbsp; LOL.nbsp;

Oops, I forgot to mention the one thing.nbsp; The one thing to know about Chops is that -- in my opinion -- the place should be rated R for language.nbsp; Ive nevernbsp;been in a restaurant/bar where so much foul language is used. Ever.nbsp; The first time I went there I thought maybe it was an off night.nbsp; Nope.nbsp; Ive been there many times and each time Im astonished at the number of F Bombs I hear coming from the mouths of otherwise respectful and respectable folks.nbsp; It probably has nothing to do with Chops, per se.nbsp; Maybe politicians just cuss a lot? (I wasnt close enough to Mr. Trans party to hear any bad words.nbsp; And yes, I did try to use my super powered court reportingnbsp;ears to strain to hear something...nbsp; Nada.)

I Met Some Incredible Court Reporters Whilst In Sacramento

Linda Goddard - a seasoned vet of the court reporting world.nbsp; Linda is really an encyclopedia of codes and regulations regarding court reporting.nbsp; What a treasure she is to our profession.nbsp; I got to meet her husband Jerry as well.nbsp;nbsp; Nice people.nbsp; When I got home to my January edition of the Journal of Court Reporting, Linda had been published.nbsp; Pick up a copy of the mag to read a very insightful column regarding court reporting agencies giving out incentives to gain clients.nbsp; I highly recommend it and I happen to agree 100%.nbsp; (I personally used to do that but stopped back in 2005 for some very interesting reasons which I will have to blog about someday.)

Sandra von Haenel - a wonderful court reporter from the UK.nbsp; Her accent enchanted us all!nbsp; (Middle in photo.)

Pamela Peirson - another seasoned reporter formerly from my neck of the woods. Shes an expert WCAB depo taker and I hope to use her on some work soon.nbsp; (Left in photo.)

In Conclusion
had a great trip.nbsp; I learned a lot and got to help out my Board which in turn helps out my profession.nbsp; Good luck to the students who will be taking this Exam.nbsp; I think youre going to like this one!Oh, one more thing --nbsp;the CCP code that will hopefully get me paid on a certain invoice.nbsp; Heres the situation:nbsp; We did a deposition for an attorney who is trying to wiggle out of paying us for the O+1.nbsp; She wants the opposing counsel to bear the cost.nbsp; However, the law says it loud and clear as follows:

2025.510. (b) The party noticing the deposition shall bear the cost of that transcription, unless the court, on motion and for good cause shown, orders that the cost be borne or shared by another party.

A Few Random Photos From Mynbsp; Little Camera Phone:
The picture to the right was taken by me after eating at Chops.nbsp; The streets were slick and wet.nbsp; There was an Arctic chill that cut through three layers of my clothing.nbsp; The blurry lights are the Capitol. gt;gt;nbsp;nbsp;

nbsp;

lt;lt; This little self-snapshot is me at the Sacramento airport.nbsp; Wow!nbsp; Exciting stuff here on this blog!

Court Reporter In Sacramento

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:13:15 GMT

Im flying up to Sacramento this afternoon tonbsp;spend a few days withnbsp;the CRB - Court Reporters Board of California.nbsp; This is my second trip to help out with Exam Construction.nbsp; Its quite an honor to be able to help write the test that licenses people to work in this great profession.nbsp; I promise not tonbsp;write too hard of questions just thenbsp;right level of difficulty.nbsp;

How Do We Decide Whats An Appropriate Question?
Thenbsp;purposenbsp;of the test is not to be difficult (for difficultys sake) or restrictnbsp;qualified people from gaining their CSR licenses.nbsp; The purpose is to protect the public and passnbsp;people who have reasonablenbsp;entry-level knowledge about the field.nbsp; In other words, when we write questions we are constantly mindful of the following guiding question:Is this an area of knowledge that an entry-levelnbsp;court reporternbsp;should know?nbsp;We filter out potential questions that only a seasoned reporter would know.nbsp; We omit things that are isolated events or situations that are not the norm.nbsp; We ask affirmative questions rather than what something is not.nbsp; There are no True or False type questions.nbsp; (I know on my court reporting quizzes, I do use True and False type questions.nbsp; But thats just because Im not trying tonbsp;replicate the CSR Exam conditions or format.nbsp; Basically, I make the quiz questions the way I feel like making them.nbsp; So sorry!)

Last time I wasnbsp;at the Boardnbsp;I had a great time and got to meet lots of nice people.nbsp; Heres all about my first trip to the Court Reporters Board.nbsp;Im not sure if Ill have time to blog while Im in Sacramento.nbsp; Maybe if I get a spare chance to from the hotel, Ill drop everyone a line.nbsp; No guarantees!!nbsp; Just like before, I will report back what I can.nbsp; Obviously, for Exam security reasons, there are some confidential things that I cannot write about.nbsp; Because then I would have to kill you.nbsp; :)

As an aside, Im trying to be good while Im there and have actually packed my gym clothes to use the hotels workout room.nbsp; Keep me accountable people! Im trying to get back in shape for a busy 2008.nbsp; Rhyme unintentional.nbsp;

While Im up there, I will hopefully be able to check in on my Sacramento court reporting facilities. This one on Ninth Street is one of my favorites:

US Bank Plaza Center980 Ninth Street Sacramento,nbsp; California nbsp;nbsp;95814(888) 566-0253Schedule a Court Reporter Sacramento nbsp;CA

DescriptionWelcome to Sacramento! Were proud to have one of the best deposition-taking environments anywhere in town. If youre looking for a deposition suite that offers quality court reporting, interpreting and videography services -- look no further!

The deposition suite is located in the middle of the city. We have three deposition rooms that accommodate up to 12. We also provide videoconferencing.Schedule a Court Reporter Sacramento nbsp;CA

Todd Olivas Associates goes above and beyond what is expected of them to provide to legal counsel exceptional support through the discovery process.-The Demeter Law Group, Inc.Alina Demeter, Esq.

MCLE Credits For My Speech. A Work In Progress

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:31:59 GMT

Im putting the final touches on my Activity Approval Application with the State Bar of California in order to offer MCLE credits for my latest speech for legal professionals.nbsp; This is a presentation that Ive been working on for several months and itsnbsp;almost there.nbsp; You know that feeling you get when a big project or task -- one that has weighed you down for a long, long time -- when that project or task nears completion, how good it feels?nbsp; The light is at the end of the tunnel for menbsp;to get this speech out there.nbsp; Thank God!

Why Would A Court Reporter Be Giving A Speech To Legal Secretaries and Paralegals For MCLE Credits?
The title of my speech is M is for Marketing -- How To Market Yourself To Become Indispensable to your Law Firm.nbsp; It is geared for legal secretaries and paralegals.nbsp; But why exactly am Inbsp; going to be talking about that subject?nbsp; More importantly, what possibly could Inbsp; as a court reporter and court reporting firm owner have to say about such things?

Good question.

#1 Reason for me to speak at legal associations.nbsp;
Its fun.nbsp; If it werent fun to get up there and speak, I dont think I would do it.nbsp; Period.

#2 Reason for me to give my speech in front of legal secretaries and paralegals.nbsp;
Its good exposure for my company.nbsp; Lets face it.nbsp; What do you think isnbsp;faster -- going around marketing my services to law firms door to door -- OR -- creating a valuable speech that law firm staffers will care about and deliver that speech at an association dinner?nbsp; Yep, you guessed it.nbsp; Door No. 1.

#3 Reason for me to public speak
Its a way of being helpful.nbsp; And being helpful feels good.nbsp;nbsp;I know that the students to whom Ive spoken to during my court reporting student speeches have all gotten at least something from hearing me speak.nbsp; But -- and this is the kicker -- there has been no one more blessed by the experience than me.nbsp; It feels very good to be helpful in this way. My hope and prayer during my upcoming legal secretary and paralegal speeches is that they will find the information I present useful and helpful. (As well as fun and at least a little entertaining!) (As well as earn MCLE credits!!)

Here is a description of my topic taken directly from my MCLE application:
The State Bar of California says it needs to, Improve communication with members about what products are available; broaden the array of products available; increase the perceived value and quality of the products.nbsp; Thus, legal secretary associations and individual secretaries need to market themselves accordingly.

The main thrust of this presentation is to discuss ways in which legal secretaries can market themselves better to their law firms - in addition to - ways in which legal associations can market themselves better to their membership base.

For the purposes of this presentation, the term marketing is defined as: Showcasing your ability to solve the problems of the person who pays you.nbsp; It is an important distinction to realize who the person who pays you is.nbsp; We do an in-depth analysis on who exactly it is who pays you. Basically, the person who pays you is the client.Another principle is discussed.nbsp; The principle that nothing stays the same.nbsp; You are either growing or shrinking - as a person or as an association.nbsp; Therefore it is critical to stay intentionally proactive.nbsp; Thus marketing yourself is an on-going, never-ceasing task that everyone does all the time whether they realize it or not.

Next in the presentation is a discovery of the steps towards client problem solving.nbsp; Several examples of ways to intuit where there is a problem are given.nbsp; Practical and probing questions are asked in an effort to show people how to quickly discover where problem areas are.nbsp; For example, the audience is asked to complete the following questions as related to their law firms, It would be smarter if my firm did ____.nbsp; Or If this were my company, I would ____.nbsp; The idea is to get people thinking about problem solving from a constructive standpoint rather than complaining.nbsp;

Additionally, several examples of finding the itch and scratching it are given to spur further problem-solving.Once a problem has been identified, the next step is to actually solve it.nbsp; The audience is encouraged to be resourceful as well as creative when finding solutions. Several examples of problems solved by Fortune 500 companies are discussed as illustrations.nbsp;Finally, the third step is to showcase ones ability to problem solve.nbsp; This idea of showcasing is really another term for marketing.nbsp; This is shown to be the critical final step in a self-marketing plan and the one that makes legal professionals indispensable to their law firms.

Legal Secretaries International Publishes My Article

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:42:51 GMT

About a week ago I received word from Teresa Brown, Vice President of Legal Secretaries International Inc. that her organization would like to re-publish one of my articles.nbsp; I was, of course, highly honored that she made the ask.nbsp; And with some minor revisions, the article Marketing Forward is due to be published in their May, 2008 newsletter.nbsp; This article is all about my experiences as a court reporting marketeer:nbsp; what Ive learned about the subject, mistakes Ive made, and what legal secretary associations can do to build up their own marketing efforts in order to raise membership.

The subject matter of that article is also the subject matter of my upcoming series of 2008 speeches:M is for Marketing (How To Market Yourself To Become Indispensable To Your Law Firm Plus How To Market Your Association And Attract More Members)

More to come on that subject later!

A Little Bit About Legal Secretaries International

Theynbsp;are an educational association for legal secretaries whose members value continuing legal education, professionalism and ethics.nbsp; Theirnbsp;mission is tonbsp;improve the competence of legal secretaries so that they may better serve governments, courts, businesses, and of course, attorneys.nbsp;nbsp;The Associationnbsp;includes legal secretaries of variednbsp;experience who support their professional association with their time, talent and treasure.

Legal Secretaries International may be reached at:http://www.legalsecretaries.org2302 Fannin StreetSuite 500Houston, TX 77002-9136

Click here for membership info.

Transcripts

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:51:59 GMT

Transcripts
Court reporting agencies characteristically have varying rates for transcript fees. There are various types of transcripts available, including online transcripts which can be emailed directly to the clients and related parties. E-transcripts are secure digital transcripts that can be sent over a network for the expediency of the clients.

Court Reporter Job Description Video

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:50:09 GMT

Scopists Information

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:28:57 GMT

Ive been getting inquiries from scopists lately.nbsp; Quite a few in fact.nbsp; So Ive added a page onto this blog called Scopists Cornernbsp;in order to post some of their information -- with their permission, of course!nbsp; Hopefully, any court reporters out there in need of a scopist will at least stopnbsp;by the Scopists Corner and see whos looking for work.If youre a scopist in need of a little free publicity, please simply post a comment on the scopist page.

Whatnbsp;Is A Scopist?
A scopist isnbsp;basicallynbsp;like an editor and/or proofreader for a busy court reporter. nbsp;He/she is trained on various CAT softwares and is adept at grammar and punctuation.nbsp; Many scopers I know are former paralegals or court reporters in training.nbsp; They often work from home and have clients throughout the country.nbsp; The scoper Ive used is named Darla and lives in Montana.nbsp; Montana!nbsp; Think about it, here I am a deposition reporter in California having my transcripts proofed and edited by a lady in Montana.nbsp; Isnt the Internet grand!

My Theory On Having A Scopist
I figured out a long time ago that I wasnt making any money sitting at homenbsp; in front of my computer editing transcripts.nbsp; Unless my behind was in the chair at a deposition, I was losing money!nbsp; My theory isnbsp;the less time scoping my own work, the more time taking depositions, the better.nbsp; I know not all CSRs share that opinion.nbsp; But as for me, thats what I tell everyone.

Scopist Proofreaders Corner

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:12:29 GMT

Updated 1/16/08
I get lots of inquiries from scopists around the country aboutnbsp;working with me and my court reporters.nbsp; Its clear from my full email inbox, however, nbsp;that Im not very efficient at responding to each and every one that I would like to.nbsp;nbsp;Its gettingnbsp;harder and hardernbsp;to give everyone the time and attention they deserve.nbsp; So Ive decided to add this page -- Scopists Corner -- to the site in an effort to be able to post peoples information and share thesenbsp;scopists with the rest of steno-dom.

Obviously, I havent worked with them all so Im not vouching here.nbsp; Just sharing...
-Todd

Jennifer Guerra
I am a proofreader in the San Diego, California area. Although I am in San Diego and because of our wonderful technology that we have today, it allows me to work with any court reporter in any part of the country. Currently, I have court reporters that I proofread for in San Diego, Los Angeles, South Carolina, New York and Boston. I love proofreading.nbsp; I have been a proofreader for several years. I am also a legal assistant in a prestigious law firm in San Diego. Court reporters send me their depositions via e-mail, I proofread the depositions and then send the corrections back to the court reporter via an errata sheet. Reply email: jmmproofreader (at) yahoo (dot) com

Anna Moody
annamoody85 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Heidi Dillon
My name is Heidi Dillon and I am seeking employment as a scopist and/or proofreader. Although I have been scoping and proofreading for the past three months, I have 19 years experience in the legal field. I was a paralegal for 19 years and enjoyed it. Recently, however, I completed the Phoenix Theory with the Assistance of a mentor and have discovered the joy of working from home for court reporters. Im a fast learner, hard worker and have a great turn around time. I am attentive to detail and I listen to audio line by line. Its important to me to produce a great product and have my work in on time. I use Case Catalyst along with Express Scribe. I also have high-speed Internet and can easily be reached by telephone for a rush job. If I sound like the kind of person you need, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.nbsp;Reply email: hhjdillon (at) yahoo (dot) com

Reba Burgess
I have been a scopist for 10 years, and would love to make your life easier as a reporter.nbsp; My software is Digital Cat, and I worked directly with the designer of the software as his scopist until he temporarily moved to Florida.nbsp; In his office, I also worked as his editing manager with gaining experience getting his depositions copy ready that was invaluable.nbsp; Ive had two years in court reporting school, and love working from home.nbsp; I listen to all transcripts unless instructed not to, proof for accuracy, and Im willing to do it your way. Expedites are not a problem! Contact me at rebaburgess (at) verizon (dot) net as I check my email several times daily.

Court Reporters Notes Retention - How Long?

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:28:53 GMT

As a court reporter we are mandated tonbsp;retain notes for a specific length of time.nbsp; Weve created a new quiz in our Quiz Central area in order to test peoples knowledge about this important aspect of being the guardian of the record.nbsp; Take our quiz now and be ready to answer the following questions in random order!nbsp; Have fun!

Court Reporters Notes Storage - How Long? (10 questions)
How long should a court reporter hold his/her notes? What are the rules about note storage? Take this quiz (which applies to California rules) and test your knowledge.

The rules for court reporter note storage are the same in every state --
The length of time a court reporter should store his/her notes is not that important --
Superior court notes In Los Angeles are to be stored for --
Government Code states the notes storage limit is --
A good way to store the notes is --
In the case of official court reporters notes, the court may have its own storage facilities --
In Los Angeles Superior Court, they typically ask the court reporter to store his/her own notes for easy access for how long?
In Los Angeles Superior Court, after a certain period has passed where the court reporter has had immediate access to his/her notes, they then ask the reporter to --
After a deposition transcript has been transcribed, the reporter must retain his/her notes for how long?
The best place for a reporters notes to be held is within --

Note: The answers to this quiz pertain to California.

Court Reporting Services

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:39:51 GMT

These days a good court reporting agency should have the very best to offer when it comes to court reporting services. Along with reporting any legal proceeding, a court reporter also can swear in litigants of the case, take depositions or other legal proceedings, and can provide closed-captioning for television or during court proceedings to the hearing impaired or deaf members in the room.As an agency -- when choosing a reporter -- we make sure that they are licensed and have all of the acceptable educational credentials to perform the task accurately.nbsp;nbsp; The California Court Reporters Board offers a helpful license verification feature on its website. Additionally, we ask to see references and any supplementary information before making the ultimate hiring decision.nbsp;

Finding a Court Reporting Agency

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 14:44:16 GMT

Many court reporters (aka deposition reporters) work through a central agency that provides their services and arranges clientele. Hiring a court reporter with first-class credentials is a matter of finding a quality court reporting agency. Typically, court reporting agencies provide their court reporters as independent contractors and offer high quality assignments (hopefully!) , guaranteed pay (definitely!), and flexible calendaring. Finding a court reporting agency that offers these benefits and more is what makes agencies like Todd Olivas amp; Associates a desired workplace for many of the top court reporters in the field.There are a number of services that a court reporting agency will provide, including:

Standard court reporting services
Online transcripts, E-transcripts and other transcript services
Videographers
Interpreters
Teleconferencing or videoconferencing services

To Recap: A Miracle Year

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:35:35 GMT

What an incredible year.
2007 has been the best year EVER in the history of Todd Olivas Associates!nbsp; However, I fully believe our best days lie ahead.nbsp; I am looking forward to 2008!

First, the bad news...
I saw firthand the virtual mortification of Workers Comp depositions.nbsp; Many other court reporters and agencies and related vendors have felt the slow down as well.nbsp; What was once accountable for 80% of my revenue is now about 30%.nbsp; While Im no expert on the WCAB industry, I believe the problem is that Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggers Workers Comp reforms back in 2005 have finally caught up to us vendors.nbsp; There is simply less volume of injured worker files.nbsp; Note I said, injured worker files.nbsp; Im sure that there are still plenty of injured workers who perhaps now have little to no recourse if they get hurt on the job. Thats not good. Hopefully, the pendulum will swing back to the center a bit in 2008?nbsp; Until such time, theres hard times ahead if youre solely reliant upon that type of work.nbsp; The Workers Comp defense firms have dropped like flies.nbsp;nbsp; I could name a dozen WCAB law firms in the Southern California area alone who are no longer in business.nbsp; Even many of the behemoths are now skeleton crews of what they once were.

The problem it seems is that there are still the same number of defense firms but with far fewer files to go around -- which translates to a very highly competitive marketplace now. We did see an uptick in the number of doctor depos this year but the overall volume of Applicant depos went down.

Take-away point:
If youre a court reporter who only likes to do the easy type of work -- namely Workers Comp Applicant jobs -- youre on notice to stretch yourselves in 2008.nbsp; That type of work dried up.nbsp; Gear up for more meatier jobs like civil litigation, expert witnesses, doctor depos, et cetera.nbsp; Im not trying to scare anyone, just reporting what I see as a trend going forward.

Fortunately for my business...
Fortunately for my business, we began aggressively marketing civil litigation firms in 2005.nbsp; The writing was on the wall even back then.nbsp; No, the sky didnt fall but it was getting a little too claustrophobic for my tastes.nbsp; Besides, it is never a good idea to have only one type of client on your roster.nbsp; So despite a slow down in the WCAB column, this has been a banner year for TOA -- 10% growth over 2006.nbsp; Not a number thats going to light the world on fire, obviously, but given the climate and nature of where we were before (as I said, 80% WCAB) to the current situation (30% WCAB), Im more than pleased with that number.nbsp; Thank the Lord, though, because the gap got filled by new regular business litigation clients who happen to take a ton of depos and have opposing sides who order copies!nbsp; Thank you all for chosing to use usnbsp;as your deposition, interpreting and videography partner.nbsp; It has been awesome.nbsp;

In fact, it has been a miracle.

Selling My Soul?
Not once but twice this year did I get serious inquiries from 3rd parties to either a) invest in Todd Olivas Associates or b) purchase Todd Olivas Associates outright.nbsp; I met with one venture capital company and had some interesting conversations about their investing in me.nbsp; This was back in July.nbsp; But at that point (and now) Im not ready to sell my soul to the devil and bring in investors.nbsp; At this point, Im far too excited about the organic growth of this company as is.nbsp; Theres not too much I want to do that I cant.nbsp; They talked about funding my acquisition of other smaller court reporting firms.nbsp; Basically, giving me a pile of money to go out and buy up small agencies.nbsp; Thats a process for which Im neither schooled nor interested.nbsp; Which sounds for the making of a fiasco.nbsp; Ive always believed in doing what you know.nbsp; I dont have an MBA.nbsp; I have a CSR license.nbsp; I dont have aspirations to be the next Esquire, just the best little agency I can be.nbsp; My 15-year-old dream of owning a court reporting agencynbsp;isnbsp;now anbsp;reality.nbsp;

It is a miracle!

Anthony Robbins of the Court Reporting World? Not!
During 2007 I launched my secondary career as a public speaker.nbsp; LOL.nbsp; My initial vision of my speeches was to go around to legal secretaries and attorneys at their association dinners.nbsp; None of that materialized.nbsp; My one engagement at the NALS of Orange County got cancelled with mere hours to spare because it conflicted with Valentines Day.nbsp; Seems people would rather have a romantic night with their significant others than stare at me for an hour; go figure!nbsp; But seriously, I dont blame them.nbsp; So rather than crying about it, I carved a public speaking niche out of going around to court reporting schools.nbsp; And after boring to tears the kids at Argonaut -- my sincere apologies again (still) --nbsp; I honed my speech down to a science and by all accounts now have an excellent and motivating speech for court reporting students.nbsp; My speech is called, How To Get Out Of School With Your Sanity Intact.nbsp; And I was able to deliver it to tons of schools throughout California.nbsp; Do I hear the words, Road Trip!?nbsp; I got to see many different towns and many different people during my travels.nbsp; I got through all the speeches without even one tomato or hiss or boo.nbsp;

It was a miracle!

Some of my personal highlights during 2007 (in no particular order):

Reaching the 300+ mark for deposition suites
Being asked to consult the CRB in writing CSR test items
Speaking to students
Getting married
Getting a new dog named Charlie
Helping out at ServeDay.org
Creating new custom calendar software to help Lori and Sherry manage our new growth
Learning how to blog
Seeing internet traffic to my website increase a ton (see the graphic from Google Analytics below)

Thank you for sharing in our 2007nbsp;miracle! 2008 looks even brighter.
Todd Olivas

Deposition Basics

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:29:14 GMT

Back to Basics!nbsp;
When Tiger Woods practices his swing thousands and thousands of times, hes getting back to basics.nbsp; When you asnbsp;a court reporter take one of our court reporting quizzes, youre getting back to basics.

Deposition Basics
We just created a brand new quiz entitled, Deposition Basics. Whats the purpose of the admonition? What is a stipulation? What do you do if ??? Here is a sample list of the quiz questions.nbsp; Check these out and then test your knowledge.nbsp; Have fun!

When can the court reporter interrupt the deposition?
If the witness responds with a positive Uh-huh, you as the court reporter should write --
If the witness responds with a negative Huh-uh, you as the court reporter should write --
When in doubt about when to go off the record, you should --nbsp;
You may go off the record when --
If one of the attorneys wants to go off the record but not everyone seems to agree, you must --
If the attorney who hired you wants to go off the record but the opposing counsel disagree, you must --
What are some common deposition objections?
If a witness is speaking too softly, you may --nbsp;
When people speak too quickly during a deposition, you may --
The football time out signal is a great way to indicate you need a break
A great way to interrupt a deposition is to verbally repeat the last few words spoken
If two people attempt to speak at the same time, you should --nbsp;
If an attorney reads from his/her own documents at a rapid pace and the documents are not going to be entered as exhibits, you may --
When dealing with exhibits, it is important to ask --
It is your job to keep track of the exhibits.nbsp; If an attorney borrows an exhibit that has been marked for the record --
When reading back the record, it is important to --nbsp;
It is a good idea to always be aware of what is going on in the proceeding

Orange County Court Reporter Remembers Home

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:48:01 GMT

Orange County Court Reporting
As a long time resident of Orange County, California, Im pleased to have been basically raised in one of the greatest counties in the United States. Orange County has got to be one of the best places to begin court reporting and subsequently open a court reporting agency. As a young CSR to-be, I attended Bear Street Elementary located, strangely enough, on Bear Street in Costa Mesa. :) I then attended Davis Middle School and Costa Mesa High School. All of these institutions are not far away from my Costa Mesa court reporting suite.

The Following 5 Orange County California Court Reporting Suites Were Added Today:
Aliso Viejo Court Reporter
Anaheim Court Reporters
Brea Court Reporting
La Palma Court Reporter
San Clemente Court Reporting

As of this writing, we now have 315 conference suites available for taking depositions. What an unbelievable year we have had. Our addition of some new calendaring software has also helped manage the growth.

The Four Ps of a Court Reporter Blog

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:14:43 GMT

These days it seems that everybody has a blog or a website, even court reporters. It stands to reason, then, that someone looking to hire a court reporting service would be well served to check out a companys blog and see what kind of firm they are. And thats exactly what happens with us. A lot of law firms are finding us right here on this website. Checking out our site (or any companys website) is a good way to get some information before making that critical decision to use its service. And in our case, obviously, our service is providing court reporters, interpreters and videographers on a deposition.Some of the things to look for when checking out a court reporting firms site are:

Professionalism
Pride
Punctuation
Principles

Professionalism
The first thing to look for in a court reporter blog or website is professionalism. This refers to the general layout of the blog. Is it clean and easy-to-read? Does the blogger design the page efficiently? Are the buttons and links operable and functional? Follow some of these fundamental principles of design to examine blogs for professionalism.If a blog is clean and structured, for example, it is likely that the court reporter will also have those traits. Hiring a court reporter whose blog has a selection of non-functioning buttons and a jumbled background may not be the best idea, while hiring a court reporting firm whose blog is succinct and lucid will likely be a better option.

Pride
Does the blogger take pride in his or her court reporter blog? Pride in a blog can be demonstrated through the look and feel of the blog. Does the blogger publicize the blog or is it generally hidden from the public? Does the blogger update regularly or are the updates sparse and scattered? One can always tell the amount of pride someone takes in ones work by examining it, so looking at a potential court reporting agencys blog for clarity, reputation, and incidence of updates can be a good indicator into the type of court reporting service they are.

Punctuation
Punctuation refers to the general grammar and punctuation skill of the blogger. Are there frequent spelling errors or does the blogger use bad grammar? The spelling and wording of sentences or phrases is always a good indicator into the general language skills of a court reporting service. A court reporting agencys website or blog with numerous errors, therefore, is not a good gauge as to an appropriate candidate for your next deposition.

Principles
Finally, does the blog express some sentiment of values? Does the court reporter blog display some sense of principles or values through the entries or does the writing appear insincere and insensitive? While one cant judge a book by its cover, one can get a general sense of character through the way a person blogs. Examine blog entries for principles and morals to find an honest, conscientious court reporting firm.

More Court Reporting Funnies

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:48:18 GMT

See, court reporting is not necessarily a serious and boring profession! Check out these images on the lighter side ...

Court Reporting In Tennessee Louisiana

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:35:52 GMT

Weve just announced the addition of four Tennessee court reporting venues.

Tennessee Court Reporter Conference Suites

RSS feed
Court Reporting Memphis Tennessee
Court Reporting Nashville Tennessee (Airport)
Court Reporting Nashville Tennessee (Cool Springs Blvd.)
Court Reporting Nashville Tennessee (West End Ave.)

Tennessee Court Reporting Information:
The Tennessee Court Reporters Association (TCRA) was created to set and secure a high benchmark of professionalism in the court reporting field in TN. They have a great website that provides resources which helps in maintaining professional court reporting standards throughout all of Tennessee. As a visitor of TCRAs website, your input is a valuable part of the process. Theyd welcome your input!

Nashville Attorney - Daniel W. Olivas aka My Big Bro
Nashville, Tennessee is also where my brother practices law. Mr. Daniel W. Olivas -- my fast talking, witty and genuis IQd older brother -- is an associate with Lewis, King, Krieg Waldrop. They do insurance defense law and as a matter of course perform lots and lots of depositions. As fortunate as that sounds ... me being a court reporter ... him being an attorney doing lots of depos ... 1 + 1 = 2, etc... The fact of the matter is that ethical standards dictate I cannot be the court reporter on any of his cases. Makes sense, dont you think? Put yourself in opposing counsels shoes. Would you want the neutral, third party court reporter to be the natural flesh and blood relative of the opposing attorney? I think not!

Nonetheless, if I were an insurance company or a large employer I would definitely want my brother on my team. Hes one of the smartest people Ive ever met. (Which reminds me, I need to pull together my list of The Smartest People Ive Ever Met. Hed be on that list for sure! Along with Steve, Christine, Tim and Don..)

Last But Not Least... We Set Up A Deposition Conference Site In Louisiana
If you need a court reporter in New Orleans, who you gonna call? TOA (888) 566-0253

Free Court Reporting T-Shirts...

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:31:33 GMT

If you would like a free court reporting T-Shirt, heres how you can get one for FREE -- as in zero dollars -- gratis -- sent to you...If you run a website or a blog, just create link to this court reporters blog or my main court reporting website and Ill send you out a free steno shirt. In other words, Im willing to spend a T-shirt for a link to my site. Its worth it to me to give out a shirt and pay the expense of the shipping charges in order to acquire website links to my page.Why Do I Want Links?I want as many people to be aware of my website as possible. Period. Allow me to toot my own horn for just a moment... Toot #1I believe that my website -- while starting out just being a marketing vehicle for my court reporting service -- has turned a corner in the past 12 months. I believe that Im making this site to be one of the best court reporting centric websites on the net. (At least Im trying!) The heart of this website -- my heart in general for this profession -- has really surfaced during 2007. Im more impassioned than ever about promoting this as a great career. Not only with the website but also with my speaking engagements to court reporting schools.Toot #2I believe that Ive got a launching pad for building a truly unique website, filled with valuable content about the field of court reporting. More than merely a sales pitch saying, Hi yaal. Im Toddddd Olivvvvus Your Friendly Neighborhood Court Reporting Agency. When youre in the mood for a deposition, so are we. Um, or something like that.With our court reporting blog (which you are currently reading), the court reporters quiz section, the articles about court reporting, the deadline calculator tool and the court reporting teachers tool -- Im more than just a little proud of what my team has accomplished this year on the website.Ok, Enough Tooting My Own Horn... Why Am I Giving Out Free T-Shirts For Links?I want as many people to know about this site as possible. So in that vein, Im asking for people who run websites and blogs if they will link to me. In exchange, I want to give back something that has value as well. (Besides a reciprocating link.) Ill ship you my famous court reporting T-shirt ($10.00 value + $5.00 shipping amp; handling.)If you link to me, shoot me an email to let me know that its up. Then we can arrange to get you your shirt. My email address is todd (at) toddolivas (dot) com.

Court Reporting Funnies

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:03:34 GMT

Court Reporting In Florida

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:43:59 GMT

Im proud to announce that we have entered Florida for deposition services. As of this writing, we now have 35 conference suites throughout this great state.

A List of Court Reporting Conference Suites In Florida:
Aventura Court Reporting (1)
Boca Raton Court Reporters (2)
Coral Gables Court Reporters (1)
Fort Lauderdale Court Reporting (4)
Jacksonville Court Reporters (3)
Lake Mary Court Reporting (1)
Maitland Court Reporting Center (1)
Miami Court Reporters (9)
Miramar Court Reporting (1)
Orlando Court Reporters (3)
Plantation Court Reporting (2)
Sarasota Court Reporters (1)
Tampa Court Reporting (4)
West Palm Beach Court Reporting (2)

Florida Court Reporting Links:
FLORIDA COURT REPORTERS ASSOCIATION
222 S. Westmonte Drive, Suite 101, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714Phone: 407.774.7880 Fax: 407.774.6440

Whats Going On In The Florida Court Reporting World?
Due to a budget slow down in Florida, the courts have decided to lessen the amount of CSRs and/or seek alternative ways of creating a verbatim record. It amounts to this: during tight financial times like these, the stress about adequate funds many times supercedes the goal of having an excellent, verbatim record. It appears that the FCRA agrees and has issued a statement in that regard. They seem to believe (as I do) that that kind of attitude -- a pretty myopic approach, in this writers opinion -- jeopardizes the security, accuracy and completeness of the record. And perhaps more globally, jeopardizes the litigation process and the fair and equal access to justice for Florida citizens. Thats why we -- and I believe the FCRA does do this -- need to keep in mind the broader mission of serving the publics need.

Directly from the FCRA:
Court reporters are experts at gathering information and preserving it in formats that are quickly accessible and readily usable. They have played a critical role in bringing state-of-the-art technology into the courtroom. Clearly, realtime computer technology, when applied by highly trained and skilled individuals, enhances the value of the record. These Guardians of the Record offer the only method for immediate voice-to-print translation via realtime technology, thereby providing counsel and the judge with instant access to the transcript during the proceedings and ensuring a faster and more efficient judicial process. The same technology provides greater access to the justice system for the more than 28 million U.S. citizens who are deaf or hard of hearing. Having the transcript immediately available in printed form puts vital information where and when it is needed. As a result, the role of the official court reporter has changed from making a record for appellate review to managing a multipurpose system that provides online data for judges, lawyers and other legal professionals.

Will Court Reporters Be Replaced By Computers?

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:01:56 GMT

I just posted an interview that I did with a speech recognition expert and posed this question:
Are court reporters going to be replaced by computers someday?

SNIPPET

Todd: ... So, here is the million dollar question then -- as a court reporter, and I am asking this on behalf of all court reporters and the industry in general, I guess, do you see court reporters being replaced by speech recognition technology or artificial intelligence (AI) and if so, what is the timeframe?

Henry: Well, you know with AI, I dont see it on the horizon. People always talk about it being 5 years, 10 years away, but in my experience in the arena they usually double or triple those numbers. So, if I was a court reporter today, I would not be too worried about it.

Are court reporters going to be replaced by computers someday?

Read the interview in its entirety by clicking on the link above.

Mail Bag Question: Court Reporting T-Shirts Still Available!

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:58:46 GMT

I get emails like this all the time:

Hi, my name is ####, and Im a court reporting student. I was visiting the web site to get a little info, and I was also looking for the Todd Olivas T-shirts. They were black with white steno writing on them. I believe they said, If you cant read this, then youre not one of us. I really liked them and wanted to buy a couple for my sisters. Are you still selling them? And if so, how can I purchase them?

Thank you for writing to me! I do indeed have the T-shirts still available. My steno T-shirts are available by clicking here. You can order online and pay via credit card now too. I have to say, these things have been so popular at all my speaking engagements. Ive been asked to produce more in different colors.

Im also thinking about putting my PSA on a T-shirt as well. This is your brain. This is your brain on steno.

Maybe I should open a whole line of steno-wear, eh? Shoes, caps, belts and fanny packs? Just kidding. A couple T-shirts is all I got.

Cerritos Court Reporting School

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 13:07:37 GMT

Not far from our Cerritos Deposition suite is Cerritos College where I was asked to speak earlier this week. As I said publically that day -- Cerritos College of Court Reporting is absolutely the most lively and spirited group of court reporting students that I have ever witnessed. Ive spoken at court reporting schools through California so I know of whence I speak.

nbsp;

Allow me to be honest... I have never had such a good time speaking at any event (court reporting related or not) in the entirety of my speaking career. The people there were just so nice and friendly and fun. Seriously. This is a school that seems to really be a family. Everyone who attends Cerritos seemed to really be supportive of each other and their school. I spoke at a CSR school elsewhere earlier this year (which shall remain nameless, of course) that seemed to be dead. Grim faces. Nobody laughed or even so much as cracked a smile. Not here at Cerritos. I was actually considering re-enrolling as a court reporting student just so some of their joy would rub off on me. Ha ha. Just kidding. But they were a lot of fun.

Thank you! Mary Balmages, Department Co-Chair of the Court Reporting Department

Thank you! Vykki Morgan, Department Co-Chair of the Court Reporting Department

Their Court Reporting Club was having a potluck on the day that I was speaking. Sorry too that my cell phone takes just horribly bad quality photos. These snapshots do absolutely no justice to their school :(

nbsp;

Still, my speech seemed to go exceedingly well. They actually -- get a load of this -- they actually laughed at some of my jokes. What a concept! On the speaker evals that I got back, one person actually wrote, Hilarious! Theres nothing that makes me more stoked about doing these court reporting school speeches than to know that it wasnt a waste of time and furthermore that it was an enjoyable hour or so. Most of the students gave me an excellent rating, stating that my handouts and topic were both useful and interesting.

(Thank you! Because Ive spent considerable time improving it since my early days!)

Once again, the only real negative comment on my speaker evaluations was that I should talk longer. But as I always say, Id much rather leave them wanting more than wanting less. Also, I got asked a question during the Q A that Ive never been asked before.

Why do you do this?
I hadnt really ever thought about that even though its such a basic question.

My answer is as follows:

The #1 Reason I Go Around And Give Speeches To Court Reporters
Its fun. Period. If it wasnt fun, then I doubt I would go through the trouble of travelling all over California -- schlepping it -- just to get up there and flap my lips for an hour and then leave.

The #2 Reason I Go Around And Give Speeches To Court Reporters
Its a way to give back. I can remember that several CSRs and upper speed students and Qualified CSR candidates came to my school during my formative years. I can recall that Robert Short, CSR made a huge impression on me. Contrary to his name, by the way, hes like six feet 13 or something crazy. Very nice guy.

Also, I remember when Nancy Holly, CSR visited my theory class. I can remember feeling very encouraged by her as I fumbled around the steno keys. Nancy has her own agency, by the way. Ive heard nothing but positive and excellent feedback about Nancys agency -- Coast Court Reporters.

In Conclusion
If I were a court reporting student looking to find a court reporting program in the Southern California area that is both successful as well as very friendly, Cerritos College of Court Reporting would be on my short list.If youre a CSR and you wish to give back to the court reporting community by spending an afternoon with future CSRs -- and the future of court reporting in California -- then Id suggest calling Cerritos up and getting over there to share your war stories and professional feedback for them. Its so worth it and they really will appreciate it. Speaking of which -- another first -- they actually gave me a gift bag as an appreciation present. I got a coffee mug, a cap, and a calendar all emblazoned with the Cerritos Court Reporting logo. How totally cool. Im always up for free stuff!!Good luck students of Cerritos Court Reporting! I cant wait to come back next time!

-Todd

PS. Check out this Japanese Keyboard steno diagram to the right. Ive never seen such a thing but thats just the sort of thing that Cerritos has hanging on their walls. Totally cool! PPSS. - Here is some information about our deposition suite for court reporting located in the city of Cerritos, California:

Cerritos Tower18000 StudebakerSuite 700Cerritos, California 90703(888) 566-0253Schedule a Court Reporter Cerritos CA

Description

This Todd Olivas Associates conference suite is located in Cerritos Corporate Plaza allowing each access to the Riverside (91) and San Gabriel (605) freeways . Located Next to Los Cerritos Shopping Mall with Nordstrom, Macys, Robinsons May and Sears. One Block North of the Cerritos Auto Mall. Convenient to Restaurants and Banking. Mountain Views. A friendly, highly trained staff is on hand to provide a multitude of deposition support services on an as-needed basis.Schedule a Court Reporter Cerritos CA

Court Reporter In El Paso

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:25:20 GMT

Quick travel update. Im getting ready this morning to go to the Ontario airport to fly to El Paso, Texas. Yeee-haaaa! Ive got two missions in mind for this trip to El Paso...

#1 - Check On My El Paso Deposition Suite
Yes, its been a while since Ive personally been able to visit the folks there in El Paso. Shhhhhh. Dont tell them Im coming. Just kidding. They all know to expect me. I was really proud to open this Todd Olivas Associates office earlier this year. We can now adequately serve West Texas as well as parts of New Mexico with great El Paso court reporters.

Check it out:

El Paso Court Reporting Suites240 ThunderbirdSte. DEl Paso, TX 79912(888) 566-0253
Schedule a Court Reporter El Paso

As Im writing this at 7:09 a.m. Thursday morning, its a chilly 42 degrees there in El Paso. I hope all my court reporters have mittens! (But with the fingertips cut out of course so as to allow for precision steno writing, of course!)

#2 - Give The Invocation At The Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS Installation Dinner
So, if youre the inquisitive type like me, youre probably asking yourself, Why is a court reporter giving the invocation at The Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS Installation Dinner anyways? Great question! Im glad you asked. But first, let me dispel with the formality of that word invocation. Its a prayer and thats the word Im going to use for it. So Ive been asked to lead the prayer portion of the installation dinner. What a great honor! The man being inducted and the new 2008 President of the Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS is a Mr. Dan Olivas -- my dad. Congrats, dad! Im praying for all the realtors of El Paso. (just kidding) :)

Court Reporting in California. A Look At The California Court Reporters Association (CCRA)

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:52:11 GMT

NEW ARTICLE POST:

Court Reporting in California - A Look At The California Court Reporters Association (CCRA)
Every California court reporter is responsible for staying in tune with the industry, what to look for and knowing about the state standards for court reporting. The California Court Reporters Association (CCRA) is a great place to start to find information about court reporting in California and to learn some of the nuances of the field. The CCRA promotes professional reporting and the use of state-of-the-art technology in the vocation, helping those looking to join the field distinguish some of the facets of the business.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: Court Reporting in California - A Look At The California Court Reporters Association (CCRA)

2 New Court Reporter Quizzes Added

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:56:54 GMT

Weve Added Two More Court Reporter Quizzes to Quiz Central.
The two quizzes are When Can The Court Reporter Interrupt and Ready? Set? Depo! The idea behind these quizzes is to prepare court reporters (and refresh Old Timers!) on some of the basic deposition taking techniques. By no means, are these structured like the real CSR test questions I was asked to write ealier this month. I know that True False questions are a no-no. I know that negative questions are a no-no. (A negative question is not bad per se. Its simply a question that asks something like this, Which of the following is NOT acceptable during a deposition? That is a negative question because it asks what something is NOT rather than what something is. Still, bad test-question theory aside, we think our court reporting quizzes are both fun and informative. So there!

When Can The Court Reporter Interrupt? (10 questions)
As a court reporter, your primary job is to protect the record. And no one but you can do it! What are the appropriate times you can interrupt? Take this quiz to find out!

Ready? Set? Depo! (30 questions)
So youre at the deposition. What next? This quiz is all about introducing yourself, confirming the identities of all the parties, getting a case caption, and more.

New Article: 5 Characteristics Of A Quality Court Reporter

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:15:02 GMT

While this list is not exhaustive by any means, we just posted a new article about the 5 Characteristics Of A Quality Court Reporter. For all you CSRs out there, what qualities do you feel are important?

When looking to employ a quality court reporter, there are a number of key characteristics to keep in mind. A court reporter should be able to perform the tasks of his or her profession accurately, of course, but there are a number of intangibles to look for when making the ultimate critical hiring decision. Court reporting can be a tough career, but there are a few traits that set the paramount court reporter above the rest. They include:

Concentration
Organization
Flexibility
Maturity
Promptness

Read the full article: http://www.toddolivas.com/court_reporting_articles/5-characteristics-of-a-court-reporter.asp

Deadline Calculator Bug Found (minor)

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:22:36 GMT

We have really, really smart visitors to our court reporting site tools and blog posts. Just yesterday we got an email from just such a visitor... Thanks to Greg for writing to us about the following issue with our deadline calculator:

There appears to be a discrepancy in calculating 20 days from Oct. 22, 2007. Heres what it gives: 20 calendar days after Monday, October 22, 2007 is Sunday, November 11, 2007. However, this date falls on a weekend and Veterans Day, so the next business day is Monday, November 12, 2007. I think the correct answer -- given the legal holiday on Monday -- is Tuesday, November 13, 2007. Thanks for the great tool!

Thanks for the great tip, Greg. You are correct!
We are looking into the problem and will post a fix for the bug ASAP. At first blush, it appears that the problem is when a holiday falls on a Sunday, the software isnt smart enough (yet!) to know that we naturally observe the holiday that Monday and thus the next business day should be Tuesday.

And just a few days prior, a visitor named Edward from Baker McKenzie wrote:
Your date calculator does not take into account Rule 6 for Federal cases, which adds three days for all modes of service except hand delivery.

Bingo!
The calculator doesnt account for Rule 6 for Federal cases. (Probably because the programmer didnt even know about such a thing!) Thanks, Edward! Weve since put a disclaimer on there. Use the court calendar software here.

My Experience At Downey Court Reporting

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:43:05 GMT

I did a speech yesterday. It was my usual -- How To Get Out Of School With Your Sanity Intact! I was completely blown away by the level of hospitality that Cindy Grafton the court reporting Program Coordinator showed me. She and her staff at http://courtreportingdvds.com/About_DAS_courtreporting.html were just so incredibly nice. And that students seemed to really enjoy my speech. All of the Speaker Evals that I got back were very positive. Many of them wrote that my speech should be longer than it was. Longer, I tell you! I currently do about 30 minutes and then we have 10 - 15 minutes of Q A. My experience has been that leaving them wanting a little more is far, far better than leaving them wanting less. Believe me, Ive done it both ways. (Just ask the kids at Argonaut -- ouch! I think they took naps... I spoke so long. )

The Downey court reporting program seems to be alive and well. They had a full group. Check out the pictures to the right. When I got going there were approximately 75 people in attendance. The program as a whole has about 150 court reporting students. The one minor strange thing -- more of a minor inconvenience than anything else -- was that I had to speak from inside that box that you see in the picture. Its sort of a counter top/well area. The part about public speaking I love the most is having a connection with the audience, so the counter top in between me and the students took a little getting used to. But once I got going, I dont think the barrier was a hinderance. At least I hope not! (Next time Ill try standing on top of the counter top. Ha ha. Just kidding Cindy.)

Speaking of Cindy. She is just the nicest person alive. She originally contacted me about coming to her school to speak. Apparently she was sitting next to someone at the last CSR exam and somehow the subject of this Todd who goes around to court reporting schools came up. Well, Im the infamous Todd :) And she found my website quite easily by searching in Google. (Thank God for Google!)

The picture to the left is (from Left to Right) Susan L. Chiaravalloti, Cindy Grafton, Me. I remember Susan from South Coast College where she was a night teacher -- I believe -- after I had graduated. I know people who know her and shes a terrific court reporting school teacher.My one regret is that I forgot to talk about the court reporting quizzes I have on my site with the students and I also forgot to mention to Susan and Cindy about Slasher 1.0. Oh, well. Next time!

New Article Posted: What Is A Deposition?

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 12:31:17 GMT

Back To Basics
What exactly is a deposition? We just posted a brand new article on just that topic in the court reporting articles gallery:

What Is A Deposition?

snip

The idea behind the deposition is to give the legal parties involved with a particular court case a fair glance of the evidence that will come up in the trial. This is to facilitate equality in the court trial so that there are no surprises and that both sides have a fair shot at probing all of the evidence.

read more...

My Trip To The Board

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 15:52:38 GMT

Last Thursday (Nov 1, 2007) I flew to Sacramento to participate in the CSR Exam Writing Workshop. I was an invited guest of the CRB (Court Reporters Board). They paid my way in full and I was very impressed how they treated me (as well as they other invitees).

The Sacramento Airport
If youever flown in to the Sacramento airport, you will notice their version of luggage art. I thought I saw an old suitcase that I lost on a previous flight. But it was stuck way at the top and I didnt have time to climb up there. I had to get to my hotel.

The Hotel
For the out-of-town invitees (like me), they put you up in the Holiday Inn Express just a few miles from the airport. I have to say that Kim White, Exam/Licensing Analyst with the CR Board was excellent in coordinating all of the details for my trip. Her explicit instructions about where to go, what to do were much appreciated. She provided an itinerary from start to finish for my stay and even produced a letter for me to present to the hotel staff. Can I just tell everyone in the future who may be asked to volunteer in like manner -- Kim and the staff definitely have their act together. Thanks, Kim!

Breakfast
I dont know if youve ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before, but they have a complimentary breakfast bar. Eggs, juice, toast, bacon, bisquits and yogurt. And cereal and coffee and bagels. And fruit and pastries and donuts. You get the picture. Not that I had all of that, of course! Once again, I was happy that the Board had put me up in a decent hotel with a more-than-adequate breakfast bar. I was not going to starve to death for sure!

So with a hearty breakfast, I was off to the test facility. I was picked up (on time!) by Janece Sargis. Shes a wonderful lady who was our exam proctor and chaperone. We drove just a few miles to the building where all the TOP SECRET exam sauce is concocted.

TOP SECRET
Im not kidding about TOP SECRET. I signed waivers and confidentiality agreements up the ying yang. I even got a special badge that was to be worn at all times. Truth be told, it felt great wearing my official government badge. I was sad to let it go at the end. (So snapped this little photo as a memento.)

What Goes On Behind Closed Doors
So what did we do for two days behind the TOP SECRET doors? I am not allowed to state specifics. I signed my life away promising that I would keep the cat in the bag in no uncertain terms. Suffice to say that part of the way the test is created is to get licensed professionals in a room with source material and have them create questions based on several factors:

The Factors That Make Up A Good CSR Exam Question

Is the question something a licensee should know in order to protect the consumer?
Is the question something that a brand new CSR candidate should know?
Is the question something common to all CSRs working in the field?
Is the question something a minimally competent CSR is expected to know?

Factors That Are Avoided in Creating A CSR Exam Question

Is the question something only an attorney would know?
Is the question something that only an experienced CSR would know?

Source Materails Being De-Classified?
There has been talk about the CSR exam source material list being made public. In my opinion, this is a great idea. Its never been done before in California. The schools would soak that list up like a sponge. Which is one of the concerns of the opponents of this idea. The problem is that if a list is made public stating something to the effect of here is the master list of everything the CSR exam is sourced from, that schools and students will rush right out and purchase every single source material on there, and study and cram and force feed every book cover to cover expecting to pass the CSR exam. Thats not really the way it works.

So in an effort to minimize liability in such a case, the Board needs to find language that couches the list in disclaimer language before releasing it. Something like, Hey, here is the list. Study from here but dont necessarily spend a billion bucks buying each book. Better to have a nodding acquaintance with the entire breadth of knowledge rather than studying, for example, the dictionary cover to cover.Thats the Boards conceren. And its a good one. However, I for one think releasing the list is a must! As a former stuck student, I can recall all to well the feelings of trying to hit a moving target that is ever changing in scope and size. Releasing the list would eliminate at least some of those unknown variables.

In Conclusion
It was a grand honor to serve the Board in this fashion. I would love to go again soon. A shout out to all the other volunteers... Mary, Jeannie, Joe. What a terrific weekend with you guys.

How I Got To Be #1 In Google

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:34:30 GMT

I know this is a court reporting centric website. Youre here to find out about court reporting stuff. And we definitely have that in spades with our court reporting articles, court reporting quizzes, and lets not forget the plethora of deposition conference suites available around the country. Some of the most popular pages on my website are the deadline calculator and the Slasher 1.0 court reporting teachers tool.nbsp; And just for fun: The Worlds Funniest Court Reporting Videos.

As a by-product of so much great court reporting content, my website now ranks No. 1 (meaning on the first page that Google displays) for many keywords including the hyper-competitive court reporter and court reporting terms.

How Did I Get To Be On Page #1 In Google?
Good question. Lots of answers. But since this is a court reporting website and not related to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing), I thought Id take the temperature of my blog readers before delving into this realm. Anybody care about how Ive done it? Leave a comment on this blog and if the interest level is high enough, I will write more.Until then, check out these two screenshots that I just took today -- Halloween, 2007. Im as pleased as punch that out of the millions of potential websites (2,790,000 to be exact) -- I rank in the top 10! When you search for the term court reporter in Google...

And then this one for the term court reporting...

New Article Posted: Using A Stenotype Machine

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:56:25 GMT

New Article Posted:
Using A Stenotype Machine

snip

Good court reporters can use a stenotype to achieve speeds upwards of 225 words per minute at a very high accuracy rate. Some users have been clocked at speeds of over 300 words per minute. School training in court reporting includes many hours of instruction on the stenotype, helping students practice their speed and accuracy through the use of dictation drills.

snip

My Upcoming Visit To the CR Board

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:10:05 GMT

Sacramento, Here I Come
Im packing my bags and getting ready to head up to Sacramento this week to visit the Court Reporters Board of California. Im volunteering to help with the Examination Writing. Its hard to believe that what was such a big huge scary dragon to slay -- the CSR exam -- I am now being asked to help write. Crazy! What an honor! I was visiting South Coast College this week and Jean and the crew were so proud of me. (I graduated from SCC in 1999.) Naturally, they had all kinds of feedback for me as far as the exam goes.

What I Will Be Doing At The CR Board
I will be involved in the Item Writing workshop. To the best of my ability (allow-ability) I will write what I can on this blog about what it is exactly we do in the Item Writing workshop. I know there are many, many people curious as to the inner workings of the state exam. Stay tuned.

Some Interesting Logistics
Ever wondered how volunteers of the CR Board get treated? Pretty good, Id say. All participants receive $150 per day (reimbursed) to cover meals and incidentals. Airline, hotel (reimbursed at state rate) is covered for those outside of the Sacramento area. They provide airline tickets up front, theremaining expenses are paid for by the volunteer and reimbursed by the Board with a voucher/travel form. Due to the full day schedule, it has been standard practice to arrive the night before the first day of the workshop.

Quiz Central Launched Today. Test Your Knowledge!

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:06:35 GMT

After several weeks of development, weve finally launched the much-anticipated area of our site now known as Quiz Central. This is the place to test your knowledge on all things court reporting. Weve launched with four quizzes so far. Many, many more will be added in the future.

The Purpose of Quiz Central
Quiz Central is designed to be an extremely helpful and valuable resource to our website visitors. The quizzes are offered FREE! All we ask is that you tell your friends and link back to us from your site or blog, if possible. (Theres linking code on the page so all you have to do is copy and paste it. Easy schmeezy!)

Who Would Care About Such A Thing?
We believe there are thousands of people would would care about something like Quiz Central. If youre a court reporting student -- you definitely will care. If youre a court reporter already working in the field, you should always be brushing up on your procedures -- you most definitely should care. If youre new to the field or just scoping it out asking yourself the question, Is court reporting for me? ... then Quiz Central is the place for you!By the way, we will be launching a whole series of paralegal and legal secretary quizzes in the weeks to come. We are compiling our resources right now to be able to offer those areas as well. Stay tuned paralegals, legal secretaries, and attorneys!

Why Would We Spend The Time And Money To Offer Quizzes For Free?
Good question. Because were nice! :) Oh, and also, we value our court reporting field so much that we are racking our brains over here in TOA land constantly trying to think up ways to improve the knowledge-base about court reporting. If we can help even just one person, then the whole enchilada was worth it.

Check out Quiz Central

We Need Hearing Reporters In San Francisco

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:28:37 GMT

We (as in the Public Utilities Commision) have positions open in San Francisco for hearing reporters. You can download an application from their website located at www.cpuc.ca.gov or just give them a call at (415) 703-2364.

Final Filing Date:
November 2, 2007

Salary Range: $4771 - 5798.
(Cha-ching!!) In addition, you will receive a page rate for daily or expedited transcripts of $4.65 per page. (Cha-ching!! Cha-chiiiiing!)

Exam Information:
The exam is 50% performance test (your ability on the steno maching) and 50% interview. Youve got to get a minimum of 70% in the examination process.Go to their website noted above for all the 411.

Slasher - Software Release Makes Court Reporting Teachers Lives Better!

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:32:23 GMT

We just released the beta version of Slasher 1.0 -- our new court reporting teacher tool. Its a pretty basic tool that allows you to paste text into a box and then puts a slash every nth word. The slogan is, Spend More Time Dictating and Less Time Slashing! For those of you who dont know why in the world such a tool would be useful... consider this. In court reporting school -- especially speed dictation -- teachers read to their students at prescribed speed levels. They use stop watches to guage how fast they are speaking. When they reach a slash in the text at a certain time position, they know whether they are reading too fast or too slow.

A tool such as Slasher 1.0 is helpful for teachers because they no longer have to manually count every nth word to place their marker -- in this case a slash (/). Teachers, simply paste your text into the box, select how many words as intervals, and presto chango -- youve been slashed.

Check out Slasher 1.0 - the court reporting teachers friend.

Gallery Of Court Reporting Related License Plates

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:41:24 GMT

Ever seen a court reporting related license plate on the road? Or better yet, do you personally own a vehicle with a court reporting vanity plate? Please send a photo to licenseplates (at) toddolivas (dot) com and we will post a gallery of the best ones out there. STENO LOVER is the first one that I personally found while visiting a court reporting school in Southern California.

nbsp;

nbsp;Send me snapshot of your steno plates!

New York Court Reporting Suites Now Open

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:46:17 GMT

What may seem like a blitz of new court reporting suites and sites opening this week... (we now offer court reporters in Oklahoma, court reporters in New York, and court reporters in Utah) -- is actually the culmination of months of coordinated effort. Thanks are to be given to my talented and diligent staff for meeting our October deadline of adding these states to our portfolio. Kudos to Lori and Sherry in the Calendar department for keeping up pace with all the additional regions.

Im not sure where were headed next as far as new states... actually I do ;) but you will just have to check back for that update in the future. In the meantime, its my great pleasure to be serving the great states of Oklahoma, New York and Utah with great court reporting services.

At Home In Oklahoma -Three Conference Suites Added!

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:26:59 GMT

Im pleased to announce the addition of three new conference suites in the great state of Oklahoma. Weve got two in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa. Check out this page: court reporting in Oklahoma.

Information About Court Reporting In Oklahoma
Oklahoma Court Reporters Association - http://www.ocraonline.org/

snip
What are the test requirements for the Oklahoma CSR?

A two-voice question and answer dictation of testimony at 200 words per minute for five minutes. A five-minute dictation of literary material at 180 words per minute. One hour will be given for the transcription of the question and answer dictation, and one hour will be given for the transcription of the literary dictation. Applicants must attain 95 percent accuracy.

Proof of passing the Registered Professional Reporter Examination of the national Court Reporters Association or an equivalent test as authorized by the Supreme Court may be substituted for the above-mentioned portions of the examination.

A written knowledge test of not less than 25 questions relating to Oklahoma law and court rules. This section of the examination will be administered in forty-five minutes. Applicants must attain a passing score of 70 percent or better.

Freelancing As A Court Reporter... new article post

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 10:30:14 GMT

Just posted another new article in the Court Reporting Articles Tools section of my site. Here is a sneak peek of the article entitled Freelancing As A Court Reporter ...

snip

The best way to think of a freelance court reporter is to think of an independent contractor. Freelancers have the capability to take the jobs they want to work on and pass on the jobs they dont. The only influence this has is on their overall income. As a freelance court reporter, a person could work as many or as little working hours in a week as considered necessary.

snip

How To Become A Vendor For TOA

Thu, 4 Oct 2007 07:53:55 GMT

Frequently we get inquiries from vendors offering to provide videography, interpreting and other services. While most of those services are provided by us on an in-house basis, now and then we are able to partner with another business in order to serve our clients...

Heres a recent letter I got from just such a business:

(Im) inquiring as to how we go about becoming a video vendor for you? Were in the LA area, and we schedule video nationwide and worldwide. A full info pack was sent to your firm on 9/11/07. Can you please let us know how we may be added to your vendor list? Best regards, ### ###.

First, thank you for writing to us. As noted above, we typically provide video services to our clients by using our own team. However, there are some busy days ahead and we might need a service like yours. Youve already done an important step. You sent us your information pack. Then you followed up via email and not a telephone call. I dont know how other court reporting agencies work in this regard, but I for one would rather have an email than a phone call for this type of inquiry.

Next step is for us to review your work and get to you know you. Well never just send someone out to service our clients sight unseen!

How Long Does Court Reporting School Take?

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 11:00:19 GMT

Q: I am interested in finding out as much as possible about how to become a court reporter. How long does it typically take to become one?

A: The short answer is it depends. Keep reading for the long answer...
Thanks for writing to me! I really appreciate your question because I had the same ones before enrolling in court reporting school way back in 1993. Wow, I can hardly believe its been 14 years since starting out on this journey. While its been challenging and difficult at times, I have never regretted my decision to enter into this field. No, not even once!

There are a ton of resources available online for the interested court reporting student. Just hit Google with search terms like court reporting schools in your area and you will find the nearest schools to you. If you happen to live in Southern California, I always recommend South Coast College which is where I attended. There are some great schools in northern California as well like Humphreys, Argonaut, Golden State and others.

Dont let anyone fool you. Court reporting school is hard and can take as long as it takes. Ive heard of students doing it in 2 years but that is not the norm. I personally took 4 years. Plus then I had to pass the California test which took me 1.5 years more. So all total, my journey from the day I entered court reporting school to the day I had a license was nearly 6 years.Again, everyone is different. No two people have the same trek through school. So hopefully, you will be closer to the Two Year Plan rather than the Todd Six Plan. :) (My biggest problem was that I was not focused enough on school to make it my priority. I was never one to let school get in the way of my distractions. Do not be like me and you will be better off for it!)

Good luck and feel free to drop me a line with any more questions that you have.

-Todd

Court Reporting Agencies... What to look for when hiring a court reporter

Mon, 1 Oct 2007 11:47:11 GMT

I just posted a new article on our main site about the qualities and characteristics that a court reporting agency should look for when hiring a court reporter to perform services. (Actually, I shouldnt use the term hiring when contracting is what we technically do.)

You can read the whole article here:
Court Reporting Agency Perspective: Choosing a Court Reporter

Transcripts Available Online

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:54:18 GMT

Recently the Judicial Conference of the United States voted to make transcripts available for bankruptcy court proceedings and federal districts through the PACER system.

Full article here...

PACER is the Public Access to Court Electronic Records System (http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/).

Under this format the transcripts produced by court reporters are to be made accesible for research and copying in a courts clerks office 90 days after arrival to the clerk. You will be able search, view and print a transcript for .08 cents a page.

Court Reporters Dates To Remember

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:33:38 GMT

October 25 26 Certified Reporting Instructor Orientation, Reno, Nev.
October 26 28 Teachers Workshop, Reno, Nev.
November 14 15 NCRA Board of Directors meeting, Tysons Corner, Va.
November 15 18 State Leaders Conference, Tysons Corner, Va.
February 22 24, 2008 Certified Legal Video Specialist seminar and forum, Dallas
February 24 26, 2008 NCRA Legislative Boot Camp, Alexandria, Va.
April 4 6, 2008 Midyear Conference, Boston, Mass.
July 24 27, 2008 Annual Convention and Exposition, Anaheim, Calif.

New Court Reporting Article Posted

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:21:09 GMT

Were excited about a whole new series of court reporting articles that will be posted in the upcoming days. Todays first article is already up there.

Heres a sneak peek:

Court Reporting: Vast Career Potential
Court reporting is an essential occupation in the justice system. Often taken for granted by other participants in proceedings, the role is an important one. A court reporter has the responsibility to record audio or speech into writing. Court reporting makes use of a number of different methods to achieve this responsibility. Most court reporters characteristically use a stenographic machine.

Mailbag Question: Court Reporting T-Shirts Still Available!

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:03:42 GMT

Question from the Mail Bag:

Hi. I believe Todd made a visit to my school Golden State College in Dublin, CA a few months ago. I was absent that day, but I saw that he sold some t-shirts and I was curious to know if they are still available for purchase. - Absent Court Reporting Student In Dublin, California

Dear Absent Court Reporting Student In Dublin, California:
Why, yes! I do have t-shirts left from my speaking tour earlier this year. They are available in four sizes: SM, M, LG XL. Here is a link to my original blog post about the steno t-shirts and how to order them: http://www.toddolivas.com/blog/?p=320. Thanks for writing to me!

Court Reporting Marketing. My Tale

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:43:21 GMT

Even from my earliest days as a court reporting agency (opened my doors in 2003), I knew full well that the only way to succeed would be if I was willing to spend lots of time marketing to potential clients face-to-face. I made the decision to perform fewer of the actual depositions myself and move more into a management and marketing role. I would spend every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the road. I can tell you that I made many, many, many pit stops at Costco and Sams Club. I know the very best cookies to buy if you want to impress an office. (Its the sugar cookie kind that come with frosting. To die for.)

My theory has always been that if you can get a law firm eating with you, its much easier to get them to try out your services. I think over the years I have passed out millions of cookies, going by that theory. (I think my theory is at least partly responsible for why I weigh 200 lbs now instead of my usual 190ish!)

Moving on.

This past year, with management duties keeping me docked in the office more and more, I havent been able to get out there as much as I would like. What was once a 2 - 3 time-per-week ritual, is now about once per week.Today, in my court reporting marketing efforts, I visited several firms in the Riverside, California area as well as some Orange County ones. (Not telling which ones!) These pictures to the right were taken by me with my very high quality camera phone. :) The first one is my loaded up vehicle with a cooler full of Morika Southern Delight aka Cupcakes Gone Wild (http://www.cupcakesgonewild.com)nbsp;cheesecake cupcakes.nbsp; Isnt that just the best name in the world!

I mentioned the Costco cookies were good. Morikas cheesecakes are like crack for law firms. They scarf them down and usually beat down my doors for more. So much so, in fact, that I am half sad that Im not in the catering business. LOL.

Whats That Thing The Court Reporter Is Using?

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:49:07 GMT

I found a pretty good NPR broadcast about the stenograph machine that court reporters use. Its an audio that is from 2005 but still relevant.

Click here for the story.

Also, there is a corresponding article here: http://www.slate.com/id/2119534/

...snip

How does it work? Court stenographers can type entire words all at once by striking multiple keys at the same time. The left hand spells out the beginning of a syllable, while the right hand spells out the end; all keys are pressed at the same time, and the machine produces an alphabet soup thats incomprehensible to anyone whos not trained in machine shorthand.

...snip

Mailbag Question: Which Court Reporting School Should I Choose?

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:17:22 GMT

Question From A Court Reporting Agencys Mail Bag:

I am in the process of choosing a court reporting school and would like to know if you have any advice, or recommendation for the Orange County area. My concern is whether a city college or private school is preferred by agencies and courts and any other advice you are willing to provide is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, ### ###

My advice for choosing a court reporting school within the Orange County area is South Coast College http://www.southcoastcollege.com. This is a school run by a very passionate person, Jean Gonzalez. Jean has integrity and has been a long-term advocate for court reporting. I know of no better court reporting school in Southern California than South Coast College.

As far as whether agencies care which school you went to... While I cannot speak for other agencies, I know that I absolutely do not care one bit about which school you attended. I do care about you being a professional person with a valid CSR license, but basically how you get there is not really a concern of mine. Additionally, the number of the times you spend at the CSR exam is also of little importance! (I personally took the test three times before passing.) Once you are licensed, please check out the reasons why you should consider my court reporting agency to take jobs for. Read this article.

Good luck and call me with any other questions you might have!

Want To Speak At The Midyear Conference?

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 07:30:02 GMT

Its time to start planning for the NCRA Midyear Conference in 2008. We need presenters and seminar teachers. Ive already placed my application online to hopefully give my student speech, How To Get Out Of School With Your Sanity Intact. Not sure if I will be picked but at least Im giving it a shot. They pay the speakers $200 which I think is nice. (Id do it for free!)

NCRAs 2008 Midyear Conference is April 4-6, 2008 in Boston.

More information is on the NCRA Web site, along with a submission form.

Quick Discovery Time Table

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:12:41 GMT

Ive got to give credit where credit is due:

The following helpful discovery time table was produced by one of my competing court reporting firms www.RyanHunterPau.com. Ive posted it here as a valuable resource for others in the legal community to enjoy as well...

Written Interrogatories
A) A defendant may propound at any time to a party in the action.
B) A plaintiff may propound at any time 10 days after service of summons, 5 days in unlawful detainer action.
C) Response to interrogatories within 30 days after service, 5 days in unlawful detainer action.
D) Motion to compel further response must be made with in 45 days of service of response or it is waived.C.C.P. 2030.020 (a) (b), 2030.260 (a), 2030.300 (c)

Inspection of Documents, Tangible Things, Land or Other Property
A) A defendant may make a demand for inspection at any time.
B) A plaintiff may make a demand for inspection at any time 10 days after service of summons, 5 days in unlawful detainer action.
C) Inspection at least 30 days after service of demand, 5 days in unlawful detainer action place and time must be reasonable.
D) Response to inspection demand must be made within 30 days of service, 5 days in an unlawful detainer action.
E) Motion to compel further response to inspection demand must be made within 45 days of response or it is waived.C.C.P. 2031.020 (a) (b), 2031.030 (c), 2031.260, 2031.310 (c)

Physical Exams
A) Demand for a physical exam must be scheduled for a date at least 30 days after service of demand.
B) Plaintiff must respond to demand for physical examination within 20 days after service of the demand.C.C.P. 2032.220 (d), 2032.230 (b)

Expert Witnesses
A) Demand for exchange of information concerning expert trial witness is made no later than the 10th day after initial trial date set or 70 days before trial, whichever is closer to trial date.
B) Date of exchange shall be 50 days before the initial trial date or 20 days after service of the demand, whichever is closer to trial date.
C) Supplement expert witness list may be made within 20 days of initial exchange.C.C.P. 2034.220, 2034.230 (b), 2034.280 (a)

Oral Depositions
A) A defendant may serve a deposition notice at any time after being served.
B) Plaintiff may serve a deposition notice at any time 20 days after service of summons or appearance
C) Oral deposition shall be scheduled for a date at least 10 days after service of deposition notice. If deponent is required to produce personal records of a consumer deposition shall be scheduled for a date at least 20 days after service of deposition notice, in unlawful detainer action 5 days after service of deposition notice, but not later than 5 days before trial.
D) Non-noticing party must give no less than 3 calender days notice of intent to take video tape deposition.C.C.P. 2025.210 (a) (b), 2025.270 (b), 2025.330 (c)

Time Limitations on Discovery
A) Discovery is to be complete 30 days prior to initial trial date.
B) Motions to compel discovery must be heard 15 days before the initial trial date.
C) Expert witness discovery is to be complete 15 days prior to initial trial date and motions to compel discovery heard 10 days prior to initial trial date.C.C.P. 2024.020 (a), 2024.030

Requests for Admission
A) A defendant may propound requests for admission at any time.
B) A plaintiff may propound at any time 10 days after service of summons, 5 days in unlawful detainer action.
C) Response to requests for admission must be made within 30 days after service, 5 days in unlawful detainer action.
D) Motion to compel further response must be made within 45 days of service of response or it is waived.C.C.P. 2033.020 (a) (b), 2033.250, 2033.290 (c)

Public Service Announcement: Your Brain On Steno

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 09:58:42 GMT

Who can forget back in 1987 the PSA campaign This Is Your Brain On Drugs series? The original PSA depicted a guy holding an egg, This is your brain. He then grabs a frying pan and says, This is drugs. He cracks the egg into the frying pan and it starts to sizzle, This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?

Any student of court reporting or court reporter professional will tell you about the effects of stenography on your brain. When I was in school going through theory -- the boot camp of learning to type on the steno machine -- I ate, drank and slept that stuff. I had dreams about typing my way through mountains of letters, papers and documents. Ok, thats a little weird, I know.

Court Reporter To The Stars?

Wed, 5 Sep 2007 07:14:49 GMT

Court reporter to the stars or photoshop hoax? You decide? Is this a snapshot of the courthouse in Memphis, TN during Elvis copyright infringement lawsuit for the songs Heartbreak Hotel and Are You Lonesome Tonight? You decide!

3 Ring Monsters And Other Deposition Exhibits

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 08:44:04 GMT

We were recently working on some exhibits for a construction defect case. The original exhibit for this deposition is this bulky, 3-ring bound monster with color exhibits, custom tabs, photographs, diagrams. Basically, the works.Per Counsels requests, we were to duplicate the beast exactly. Claws and all. Even down to copying the Walgreens picture envelope and receipt.

As a court reporting firm, we are always listening to our clients and attempting to serve them the best we can. The photograph above shows the project during production. Three hours and lots of toner later, we finished it up.

Then I read an interesting article from Lawyers Right Hand -- our friend the Mystery Paralegal Blogger -- regarding just such a topic. She writes, ...anytime I get exhibits in a big old ring binder, the first thing I do in addition to muttering under my breath is wrench them out of the binders and place them into redwelds. The exhibit number tabs you insert are great, because that means all I have to do is divest myself of that pesky binder and transfer everything to a redweld. Its even nice that you took the time to 3-hole punch the exhibits, because maybe one day I will want to put them in a binder or, more likely, three or four reasonably-sized binders.

After reading her post, she would surely hate my exhibits for this job. And to be honest, we are no fans of spending hours and hours slaving over a hot Xerox. Still, in our defense, for this case the clients asked us to produce the depositions in just this fashion. Whats a court reporter to do? She continues with the bare-bones truth: The reality for modern-day law firms is that the hard copy of exhibits we get from the court reporter goes into the file and never gets looked at again.

Ouch! Do you mean all our hard work gets shelved. Literally? And all those trees that got cut down to produce those beautifully tabbed exhibits? What a waste! (Al Gore would would frown on this sort of thing.) We are with her when she lauds the use of PDF exhibits. Any way we can, we attempt to go paperless these days. Hopefully others in our industry are following suit.

How To Find Demographic Information For Your Law Firm

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:51:26 GMT

Recently I stumbled upon a pretty cool website for gathering demographic information about a website and/or keywords. And why exactly would you want to know that kind of information? The rationale goes like this:

You can know who your clients are...
If you know who your clients are, you can serve them better...
If you serve your clients better, they will tell their friends...
If your clients tell their friends, you law firm can make a lot of money.

The site Im talking about is a beta project developed by Microsoft for their adCenter Labs. They call it demographic prediction and it comes with a few disclaimers (of course):

The tools shown on the adlabs website are not yet in production; they are demos or prototypes of tools that we might include as production adCenter tools in the future. Additionally, the tools do not provide or display conclusive results; rather, they are designed or produce anecdotal information that might indicate a trend or behavior that seems pertinent to an individual advertiser. Finally, the information and results presented here are based on a sampling of real audience data, and are designed only to demonstrate a proof of concept.

Still, even with the above jargon, I think the tool is really quite useful and interesting. For example, if I wanted to gather demographic information regarding court reporting. I would simply type in court reporting and click the button to receive the following chart:

Or if I wanted some specific stats on the visitors to my website, I could search for http://www.toddolivas.com and get the following:

You might be able to add value to your law firm by running demographic tests like Ive done. Would it be valuable to know the gender and age distribution for a potential market or website? I think absolutely. Have fun :)

The Depo Trail -Totally Cute Court Reporting Video

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:03:03 GMT

Hey, everybody. I found this cute little court reporting video. Enjoy!

Court reporting in the Land of Enchantment aka New Mexico!

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:16:25 GMT

This week I am proud to be open for business in my Mother Land aka New Mexico. If you need a court reporter in New Mexico, were there for you now. Weve got conference suites for depositions in the following New Mexico towns:

Just The Facts, Maam!nbsp;

Albuquerque is the hot air capital of the world. (A lot of attorneys? No! Hot air balloons.)
Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.) - was born there as well.
Demi Moore - actress, born 1962, Roswell, New Mexico.
John Denver - singer, born in New Mexico
I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico only 36 short years ago.

Mailbag Question From A Court Reporter... Which Agency To Work For?

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:21:50 GMT

From my mailbox this weeks comes a question from a newly licensed CSR inquiring about which court reporting firms are reputable...

This e-mail is for Todd Olivas. My name is ##### #####. I was a student at South Coast College, and I was also in class one of the days he came and spoke to the school. I passed the CSR in 2006, and I have been working in the L.A. area. I am writing today because I have some questions regarding finding the right agency and some other questions regarding agencies.

-New CSR in LA

Dear New CSR in LA:
Thank you for writing to me. First off, a huge CONGRATULATIONS for completing the monstrous task of becoming a CSR. :) Way to go! telephone. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this!

Second, you have so much going for you:

You have a CSR license!
Court Reporters are in huge demand!
You live in one of the busiest litigation hubs in the United States! (Los Angeles)
Youre smart enough to ask peoples advice about what to do next. (If only everyone did that)

If I were in your shoes, here are the agencies that I would get in contact with:

Me (shameless plug, I know)
Barkley
Lynden J Associates
Reporters Connection

Questions To Ask When Working With A Court Reporting Agency:

What kind of work/clients do they have?
As a new reporter, do they provide lots of TLC in the beginning?
What are their rates? Not only page rates but late cancellation fees, appearances, waiting time, mileage, per diems, after hours...
When are the pay dates and cut off times?
Do they have integrity within the industry? (Ask for court reporter references)

The Most Influential People In Court Reporting

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:26:50 GMT

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means. - Albert Einstein

Im currently working on my list of The Most Influential People In Court Reporting. Its going to be released soon and I think you might be surprised who Ive picked. But there is still time to get your nominations in. Just write me here on this blog to let me know! Whos at the top of your list? With so many different individuals from which to choose, I want you to tell me on my list who you agree or disagree with.

Heres my working list (in no particular order) of the top men and women whose power or influence is transforming the court reporting world:

1. Barkley Court Reporters for going green.
2. Jean Gonzales for her theory and dedication to court reporting education.
3. NCRA president Kathy DiLorenzo.
4. DepoMan for his online forum.
5. Mary Ann Payonk for her reporters advocacy and real real time passion.

What My Blog Wants To Be When It Grows Up

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 05:22:34 GMT

If you are not already subscribed and reading Lawyers Right Hand blog, you do not know what you are missing. Seriously folks, that blog is what my blog wants to be when it grows up. While maintaining a bit of mystique about her true identity, the Lawyers Right Hand author is a gold mine of real world experience for the legal secretary. She offers free tips on career, excellence and work/life balance for legal secretaries. Her blogs have humor and are very readable.

Oh BTW -- this favorable post has nothing to do with her recent favorable review of my Deadline Calculator Tool. Ive been meaning to do a little write-up about her blog for several weeks. And if you know anything about my own personal blogging habits you will note that I NEVER and let me repeat that -- I NEVER EVER - write on weekends. So the fact that today is Sunday is testimony enough that I am passionate about Lawyers Right Hand!

Any Secretaries Need A Date? Use Our Tool!

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:36:06 GMT

We just unveiled our free tool Deadline Date Filing Calculator 1.0. This is a tool designed to be used by legal secretaries, paralegals, attorneys, et al for calculating date distances. Just plug in the starting date and the number of days before or after and watch the magic happen. It even lets you know if your calculated date falls on a weekend or a holiday and adjusts accordingly.

Check it out here: http://www.toddolivas.com/court_reporting_articles/deadline-calculator.asp

Im Known For My Patients And Other Typos

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:10:53 GMT

Recently Ive been working with UCIs Career Center to help find me interns for my business. As faithful readers of this blog, you will no doubt be aware that I have a court reporting agency that provides court reporters to attorneys for depositions....

I got the following email from UCIs marketing department:

Thank you for your patients. The UCI Career Center is looking forward to helping better serve your needs. - UCI Career Center

Im quite well known for my patience but I was never made aware that I had patients. In fact, as a parent of a nine-year old kid, I have learned a lot about patience. Only once when she was in the hospital for an eye infection back in 2005 do think I ever had a patient. And come to think of it, when I had said patient she was not checked into the UCI Career Center for treatment. Hum, strange...

Ok. Im removing my tongue from my cheek. I just love finding spelling mistakes in otherswriting. How many of you are the same in your daily writing tasks at your law firms? Does your attorney ever have atrocious grammar and spelling errors? How about letters from clients?

Send me your doozies and Ill post them here. (Actually, if you know of a doozy on my own blog or website, please let me have a good laugh with you and let me know about it; okay?)

In the meantime, hope you have a grate day!

Lessons From A Paper Shredder. No Shortcuts

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:13:20 GMT

A shortcut is the longest distance between two points-Unknown

I was in a rush. Who could blame me? Ive got a lot on my mind these days with my growing court reporting company. I had some junk paper and various documents that needed to be disposed of. Plus, did I mention I was in a hurry? But still, theres no excuse for jamming 25 sheets of paper into my 6 sheet maximum paper shredder. I thought for sure the little gears and the spikey teeth could munch up my papers with nary a belch. Boy was I wrong!

Turns out when you overwhelm a paper shredder it just looks back at you with silent congestion. The once mighty whir of the gears become mutely locked tight. Turns out it doesnt pay to rush these types of things. Turns out the time I saved by stuffing my little shredder was more than taken up by the time it took me to take the thing apart (see photo) and unjam the mess.

Lessons From Trying To Take A Shortcut

There are no shortcuts.
The time saved by taking a shortcut is exactly proportional to the amount of time it will take to fix the situtation and return to the beginning to do it the right way.
Doing something the right way the first time takes precisely half the amount of time and patience it takes to attempt a shortcut and then figure out the error and back track.
Did I mention there are no shortcuts?

Next time youre in a rush -- whether its in your role as a legal professional at your law firm or even in your personal life -- consider this lesson from my shredder!

Were Heading South

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:07:02 GMT

Please excuse my slow blog posting this week. Weve been a little busy around here becase were Heading South! We are proud to announce the addition of the great state of Georgia to our growing list of service regions. In fact, weve got 19 court reporting conference suites available throughout Georgia. (14 of them are within Atlanta!)

Here is an example of one of our Atlanta deposition venues. This is the Pinnacle Deposition Center and as you can tell from the photo, the views from this suite are going to be spectacular.

Pinnacle Deposition Center
3455 Peachtree Road North East
Atlanta, GA 30326
(888) 566-0253

Description
Welcome to Atlanta! Were proud to have one of the best deposition-taking environments anywhere in town. If youre looking for a deposition suite that offers quality court reporting, interpreting and videography services -- look no further! Located in the heart of Atlantas most respected business and retail districts, stands the Pinnacle Deposition Center, one of the most prestigious TOA court reporting addresses in the city.
Floor-to-ceiling windows provide panoramic views, and the dramatic crown formed by the sail above the sky garden provides a distinctive identity. The two-story lobby features glass sculptures and provides an entrance into BluePointe, one of Atlantas finest restaurants. Other amenities include a cafe which is open for breakfast and lunch, 24-hour security, on-site car detailing and service, shoe shine stand, and dry cleaning which can be delivered directly to the TOA floor.

Law firm clients are greeted by a well-appointed reception area which accents the dynamic picture of a contemporary professional litigation center. Our clients can choose the conference room best suited to their needs including two deposition rooms, one training room that can accommodate up to 18 people and two TOA client lounges. Videoconferencing, an LCD projector and on-site administrative, technical and fully trained deposition support staff are available to all clients. The building and floor are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the nine floor parking garage provides ample covered parking.

A wealth of dining options are close by and some of the finest hotels in the city are within a one mile radius. The Pinnacle is just 20 minutes from Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and is easily accessible by car, taxi, shuttle and MARTA, Atlantas public transit system.

Court Reporting School or Home Study? Which Is Better?

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 18:13:28 GMT

I got a question via email yesterday from a prospective court reporting student. I thought the question was interesting so Ive posted it here for others to read.

I hope you can take a minute to help me do my due diligence in the cour reporting field. I am looking at going to school for Court Reporting, so I am contacting as many agencies as possible. I am in Arizona. When you hire reporters to you look for an associates degree or simply the state certification requirements being met? I am very torn between a 2-3 year program iwth a degree (AAS) or doing a short term home study course. Thank you for your time, your response is very appreciated.
-KB From Arizona

Dear KB,
Thank you for writing to me! I personally think that court reporting is the best profession in the world! Maybe Im biased, but I know no other career that affords as much flexibility and good pay as does court reporting.Now about your questions... When I hire court reporters to work for me they are actually independent contractors. They actually dont work for anybody but themselves. They all receive 1099s at the end of the tax year. They are responsible to pay their own taxes throughout the year. (Remember what I said about flexibility!) But to answer your question, I do not care about an associates degree. I look for the state cert and professionalism and thats it.

Not to sway you either way regarding the 2-3 year program versus the home study course -- BUT -- Ive never met a working court reporter who did it through the home study method. Now thats not to say they do not exist. They probably do and perhaps Ive just never run into them. However, the vast majority -- in fact all -- of the working court reporters I know have all attended programs either at private or community colleges. I personally went to a private school and can attest to the program being a success.

(My school is http://www.southcoastcollege.com)

And I know that many people do very well from the community college programs as well.I guess in a nutshell, the advantage that I perceive about the AAS program is not the degree. Its the focused intensity of the program itself. Again -- not to say you cant be focused and intense on your own via a short term self-study course. You personally probably have the drive and the dedication to get through court reporting school or anything else. But maybe for a lot of people having the accountability and teacher support system that a school provides is key to getting out quickly and getting working as a court reporter.

Still, go with whichever one you think is the wisest choice for you!nbsp; Im rooting for you!

-Todd

blogs.adison.edu is No More

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 14:56:41 GMT

I decided to stop contributing to some of the other blogs I was writing for. Namely, Adison Universitys blog formerly located at blogs.adison.edu/courtreporting/. I think having control over my blogging is the best course of action for the long run. So I will only continue to post blogs here and select other controlled environments. I may eventually switch this blog to land on my main court reporting site too. But thats later. For now. Good Monday morning to you!

Court Reporting In San Diego, CA

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 15:08:45 GMT

A Day In San Diego
If you noticed, I didnt write a blog post yesterday. I had to leave the house at 6:00 a.m. to meet my friend Jon Castro from MicroQuick to do some joint client marketing down in San Diego, CA. Well, we didnt get back until late so my bloggin went idle for one day. You all survived, Im sure.

But San Diego is just about my favorite city in Southern California. Its my #2 favorite city in all of California. My first being, of course, San Francisco. Anyway, I was just so blessed to be able to do my job in such a beautiful city with such beautiful weather!

(Excuse the mushiness today. Im just grateful for having a grand day yesterday. Plus its Friday today!)Makes me want to smile alot! :)

San Diego Court Reporting

How To Know If Google Knows You

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 14:48:56 GMT

Googles Got My Number
My main court reporting website http://www.ToddOlivas.com is indexed by Google 246 times as of today. That means that Google knows about 246 separate pages on my website. This is a good thing. If someone searches for key terms that appear on any of my 246 web pages, Google serves up a link to my page. This is a very, very good thing indeed!

Two Rules Of Thumb If Your Law Firm Wants To Grow Its Business These Days...

Rule #1 Get listed in Google.
Rule #2 See Rule #1

How To Check To See If Google Likes You
Heres a quick tip to see if your website is indexed by Google. This trick will work for any website and its a good way to make sure that you law firms wesbite is included in Googles database.

Go to http://www.Google.com
Type in the following: site:yourwebsite.com (exchange the words yourwebsite for your own website name)
Example: If I wanted to check my website, I would type in site:toddolivas.com
Click search

If your website is in Google, all of the instances where it has a page reference will come up. If your website is not in the Google database, time to get to work submitting it to them. (More on that later.)

A Value Addition To Your Law Firm
I write often on this blog about bringing more value to your position as a paralegal or legal secretary. My theory is more value equals more pay. Little tricks like these can help you become more well-rounded when it comes to the internet. For example: who knows, maybe your bosss website is not being found by Google and by your running the procedure above you bring the crisis to his/her attention? And by bringing the problem to light, you set the fire alarm off in the minds of the higher-ups and they get crackin on getting the firms website optimized and listed in the search engines.; which brings in more business; which makes your job at the firm ever more secure!

Now thats a value add if I ever saw one!

CourtReporting.co.uk Domain Name Treasure!

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:29:41 GMT

Treasure In Plain Sight!
I couldnt believe that nobody had purchased a few choice court reporting related domain names. Let me see if I have it right. Its the year 2007 and nobody in Englad as snapped up two of the most obvious court reporting domain names? Well, I went for it. I just bought CourtReporting.co.uk and CourtReporter.co.uk. Both domains forward back to my main court reporting website http://www.ToddOlivas.com for now. Looks like I may have to open up for business in the UK if the need appears.

Lessons Learned
Never assume something is taken. Never assume an opportunity is NOT there. Sometimes there are opportunities right in front of us. Sort of hidden in plain site. What opportunities are sitting in plain view at your law firm? Take a minute each day to examine where youre at:

Is there a new way of accomplishing some task that will bring more value to your law firm?
Can you be more efficient in some way?
Can you stop doing something just because its the way weve always done it?
Can you start doing something just to see if maybe theres a better way?

You never know until you look for that hidden treasure!

Paralegal vs. Legal Assistant?

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:48:21 GMT

In my profession -- the court reporting business -- theres not much distinction between court reporters who work in court versus court reporters who work in the freelance world doing depositions, arbitrations or hearings. The term court reporter is synonymous with all of them.

Not so in the legal support staff world. The debate is this: paralegal versus legal assistant? What are the distinctions inherent in those two terms? I found an interesting article which can be found here:

The Shakespearean analogy about a rose still smelling as sweet despite a different name doesnt quite work when applied to the paralegal profession. The professional status of a paralegal would not stay the same if the title changed to legal assistant, according to paralegals who responded to the March/April issues My Opinion Survey. An overwhelming 94 percent of respondents said paralegal denotes a higher professional status than legal assistant.snipIn other survey results, 91 percent of 33 respondents said the term parashy;legal should become the universal job title, considering that more associations throughout the United States have changed their names by replacing legal assistant with paralegal. I believe the term paralegal should be universal as far as associations go, said a Memphis paralegal with eight years of experience. But I also know that some people who classify themselves using this term dont have the skills or training associshy;ated with this type of profession.

What does everyone else feel about those two terms? Whats it like in your law firm? I would love to know!

Legal Secretary Association Members? Where Is Everybody? (2)

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:46:10 GMT

Megaphone
n, megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, funnel-shaped device whose application is to send a persons natural voice toward a targeted direction for a specified purpose. (wikipedia)

If youve read my court reporting blog for any length of time, there is one theme that bubbles to the surface time and time again... everyone is their own megaphone. In other words, everyone markets themselves all day long.

Everyone Is A Marketer
When youre writing your resume, you are marketing. When you speak to the HR department at a prospective law firm -- even on the phone -- you are marketing. Your tone of voice, your professionalism is being marketed across the phone line to the other person. Certainly when you sit down for a job interview, you are marketing. Once you land the job, your job of marketing yourself continues in perpetuity.

I wrote a whole series of blogs about asking for a raise -- the main point was this: you need to market yourself in the right ways in order to get a raise. Thus, continuing with my theme in my article for LSI, as a Legal Secretary Association chapter and member everyone is a marketer.

The crux of my legal secretary marketing article was this: In 2006 the State Bar of California wrote a survey containing the three primary marketing considerations for their growth. Ok, the State Bar of California put out this report and they came up with 3 things that they needed to do to continuing growing their membership base.

3 Things The State Bar Of California Does To Increase Its Membership Base
1) Improve communication with members about what products are available.
2) Broaden the array of products available.
3) Increase the perceived value and quality of the products.

The same three marketing considerations apply to LSI. I put them in slightly different language, however:

3 Things Legal Secretary Associations Need To Do To Increase Their Membership Base
1) Keep all your members in the loop.
2) Rack your brains to come up with even more cool stuff to learn and do.
3) Market till the cows come home.Stay tuned. Much more coming up in this series...

Buddy Can You Spare Some Change? A Quick Life Lesson

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:43:12 GMT

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
-Author Unknown

Ever had things change at your law firm?
In other words, have you ever opened your eyes? I like to say that nothing stays the same no matter how hard you might want it to. While just yesterday the staff dynamics at your law firm were one way -- lets say favorable. Then today when you got into the office, your attorney put in notice and your best friend down the hall got a pink slip. And you got a whole new project that you have absolutely zero notion about how to accomplish.

The funny thing about now is that now is here today and gone later on today.
-Todd Olivas

That was strange, I just quoted myself. Anyway, if now is so temporary and if change is so constant, what are we to do? I dislike change just as much as anyone. The impact of having to stretch myself in order to grow my court reporting business wears on me all the time. But you know what? Ive learned that instead of avoiding change or burying my head in the sand -- the ostrich approach -- things go much, much better if I lean into the change and actually ride the curve into a new place.

I hope you consider this idea of leaning into change rather than running from it... in the areas of your office dynamics, the nature of your job duties, even just the paralegal or legal secretary profession in general.

Dont be afraid to move into new areas!
Around here at Todd Olivas Associates, Inc., we too are moving into new areas. Just this week, for example, we finalized conference room space in the great Commonwealth of Virginia. We now have 16 (as of this writing) court reporting conference suites there. You can check them out here, if you ever need a court reporter, interpreter or videographer in Virginia.

In my own way, Im leaning into the change of being a growing court reporting firm. The growing pains are there to be sure, but the overall benefit is a healthier business and -- dare I say it? -- I get to have a lot of fun. Because Im not afraid of change. :)

A Lesson In Hypocrisy

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:01:39 GMT

The most difficult choice a politician must ever make is whether to be a hypocrite or a liar.
-Author Unknown

In my duties as a court reporting firm, I find myself on the road quite a lot. So there I was travelling on the freeway behind a Toyota Prius. I was thinking to myself, Ah, what a fine citizen driving such an economical vehicle. 60 miles to the gallon, Ive heard. Eco-friendly. Heck, the paint job was even an Al Gore Green. And then it happened.The window of the Prius comes down. The driver flicks a cigarette out of the window. He flicks a cigarette into the air and onto the freeway.

So much for eco-friendly.

So I sped past him and headed straight for my blog. That will teach him! How dare he disappoint me and litter the highway like that?? But as I sat down to write this I remembered that I drive a smog-spewing, gas-guzzling SUV -- am I really any better for the environment than he? Shouldnt I clean up my own act before pointing the finger at someone else for his foibles? Yes and yes.

Thats when it struck me -- sure the guy was a hypocrite, but that did not give me the permission to judge him by his actions while judging myself by my intentions.How many times do we do exactly that at work, with our co-workers, with our boss, with our families? Do we have the right to judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions? No and no.

2 Things I Am Going To Do:
Im going to get a different vehicle soon. Probably a hybrid.
Im going to keep an eye out for that green Prius... Ive got an ashtray for him.

Want To Grow As A Legal Professional? Serve Others

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:28:18 GMT

Dont go through life, grow through life.
-Eric Butterworth

After a long week at your law firm -- putting out fires -- managing crazy schedules -- dealing with deadlines -- Im positive that the last thing on your mind is getting up on a Saturday and serving others; right? For me -- Im exactly the same. The day-to-day activities of running my court reporting agency keep me challenged and sometimes quite exhausted. However, as one who believes that serving others is important -- actually I believe its critical for ones growth in life as well as in our profession -- even I need a reminder as to some of the reasons WHY.

Here is a list of 5 Great Reasons Why Serving Is Important:

Have fun! You will be able to make new friends and have a great time all while helping your community.
Grow! You will be able to expand your perspective of the world by working with and learning from people of different races, cultures, ages and life experiences.
Grow Some More! You will be able to widen your appreciation of community issues.
You Can Impact The World! You will be able to make a difference in the world. Your contribution matters!
Grow Even More! You will be able to challenge yourself to encounter new things outside of your comfort zone.

This Saturday, July 28th there is a large scale community project called Serve Day. Serve Day is a whole day dedicated to serving people in the community with no strings attached. This is an opportunity to put to good use all that serve others belief system that I talk about. :)

Legal Secretary Association Members? Where Is Everybody?

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:52:29 GMT

Bueller?... Bueller?...
In the movie Ferris Buellers Day Off, there is this classic scene of the high school teacher taking attendance and calling out the name, Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?... The snapshot is of bored students drooling from the mouth, staring at the clock, waiting for the classroom bell to ring. Its a perfect analogy of someone missing in action.

Legal Secretary Assocation Member?... Legal Secretary Assocation Member?...
Where is everybody? Where are all the Legal Secretary Association Members these days?

Wait a minute, wait a minute. The State Bar claims there are about 200,000 attorneys in California. Ok, 200,000! And in the Legal Secretaries Association (LSI) there are only about 2500 members. Two thousand five hundred. Thats an 80 to 1 ratio. 80 attorneys for every one legal secretary.

Please raise your hand if you have 80 attorneys? Anybody? Please raise your hand if it feels like you have 80 attorneys. Anybody? Anybody?

So then back to my original question.

Where is everybody?

Earlier this year I was asked to write an article for LSI - the Legal Secretaries Inc Quarterly magazine.I have written for newspapers. And as a court reporter, I have written for national trade magazines like the JCR - the Journal of Court Reporting -- so I was honored and stoked to add your publication to my bibliography.

But I had no idea what I was going to write about. I only knew that the deadline was fast approaching and that it had to be about 1,500 words. So I did what any author would do under similar circumstances. I procrastinated. I waited until the week of the deadline to start. And thats the fun stage when procrastination turns into panic. Yeah, thats fun!

But I was able to get my hands on a few back issues of the LSI and I devoured them studying them for any angle I could come up with.And then I stumbled on it

Where is everybody?

The theme that surfaced during my research - over and over - from different angles - but still the common thread throughout -- is the problem - no let me make that stronger - the crisis of the declining membership base of the LSI.

Again, let me ask the question

Where is everybody?

And that is the question that I set out to write about. The article I wrote came out in May of this year and it was called, LSI: Marketing Forward.Over the next few blog posts, I will attempt to unpack the nuggets from my article and try to figure out where is Ferris Bueller, er, I mean Legal Secretary Association Members.Stay tuned...

Im Packing My BagsSacramento Is Calling Again.

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:31:01 GMT

A few months ago I got an email from David Brown, the Executive Officer of the Court Reporters Board basically asking if Id come to Sacramento to contribute to the Board via committee or test construction participation. At that time I tried to coordinate a meeting with Mr. Brown because I was heading up to Sacramento to speak anyway, but due to scheduling constraints... time did not permit.

Now it looks like the honor is being extended to me again. I just got an email yesterday from the Board asking me to participate in the CSR Exam Construction Workshop or the CSR Exam Passing Score Workshop in August. I made a cursory glance at my schedule for open time slots for things like Incredible Opportunities To Serve My Profession And Give Back and lo and behold.... YEP theres room on there.

So when Sacramento calls ... I pack my bags and come a runnin.

Stay tuned.

How To Get Out Of School With Your Sanity Intact. Audience Question

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:27:42 GMT

If youve been reading my blog, youll note that I as a court reporting agency like to go around to the various court reporting schools and pump up the students. This past weekend was the CSR test and I find its particularly helpful for me to get out there right before the students face down that final hurdle on their way to becoming a licensed court reporter.

Well, after my court reporting school speeches I typically get inquiries from audience members both during the live Q A and also subsequently via email. Here is a great question that I got asked via email:

Thanks for the encouragement the other day.... It does get a bit discouraging when one is kind of stuck in a speed. I sometimes write decently at 180 or 190, but other times I am not quite there. I am married, have grandkids, three houses to tend to and work teaching some exercise classes, so I am quite busy. I find that the energy level has a lot to do with the accuracy... I am doing part of my work online due to the distance I have to drive for maybe 90 minutes of dictation... I tend to write flat fingered at times and I think that messes with my accuracy. Any tips you have to give are appreciated.
-N. from northern California

Dear N. from northern California:
As a formerly stuck court reporting student, I know all too well that feeling of discouragement being in school so long. So many times I wished I could quit, but I had no escape plan -- no Plan B. So my mantra during that time was if I dont quit, Ill make it.

And if you dont quit, you will make it.

What a wonderful blessing you have in your marriage, your grandkids and what sounds like a full, rich life. However, with so much going on, no wonder your energy level can be drained for other tasks like finishing court reporting school.

My Tips:

Have reasonable expectations about how quickly you will master any given speed.
Remove any non-essential distractions from your life for the time being. (I would have to say your husband and your grandkids do NOT fall into this category!)
Set practice and dictation goals that you can follow on your own time.
Get as much live dictation as possible.
Read your notes.
Review your theory.
Get an accountability partner to hold you accountable for maintaining your goals.

All of the above tips are helpful and probably no single one is the silver bullet. However, if you persist and chip away at it, there is no way the goal of becoming a court reporter will elude you. Lastly, remember my motto: If Todd can, anyone can!

Legal Professionals: 4 Reasons You Either Succeed or Fail

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:32:25 GMT

Im always searching to bring you guys some interesting articles, tools and tips. Today Ive found an interesting article about the reasons some people succeed at their legal career or fail. (In truth, these principles could be applied to any profession including my own: court reporting.)

According to the article by Chere B. Estrin, Ph.D. which can be read in full here:

Many legal professionals are technical experts in what they do but fail at getting to the top of the field, attaining joyous job satisfaction or just plain having fun at what they do. They fail not because of a weakness in their character but because their professional life was not properly managed. Once a career has emerged or grown to a certain level, management of your career must change or the career will run into trouble. For many legal professionals, this level is between 5-10 years of experience. Sometimes the critical point is higher or lower. However, when it occurs, the legal professional must evolve, morph, or otherwise change from a floater (someone who lets his/her career direct them) to a manager of your career through strategic thinking.

Here are the 4 things which she says are reasons legal professionals succeed or fail:

1) Positive, Committed, Patient, and Persistent work habits and traits.
2) Making Sure to Have a Strategic Career Plan in place .
3) Using an Organized Board of Directors to encourage best efforts .
4) Relying on a Strong Support System.

Credit for hearing me speak. CCLS Certification MCLE credits coming soon

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:00:42 GMT

Im currently in the process of applying to become an approved provider of MCLE credits. In addition to my role in life as a court reporting service, Ive been going around speaking about my secondary field of expertise -- marketing. Since Ive been speaking to legal secretary and paralegal associations the ultimate value-add for me is to make attending one of my seminars, workshops and speeches count toward those credits! Well, that process has begun today by me coordinating with Joan Layte the chairman of certification through LSI.

I found the following information on their website quite helpful...

Once you have become a California Certified Legal Secretary, you must complete 15 hours of continuing legal education within a 3-year period in order to maintain your certification. Every 3 years, you must submit proof of attendance of at least 15 hours of continuing education to the CCLS Certifying Board with the Application for Recertification and a fee.

And you are able to get your credits by...

3. Attendance at seminars and workshops that focuses on the duties of legal support staff and is an approved provider (use the Certificate of Attendance form).

Thus my speaking engagements will be even more valuable than ever.

Law Firm Stress: 5 Ways To Not Worry And Be Happy!

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:38:18 GMT

Since its the middle of summer right now and were all either leaving for or returning from our vacations, I thought an article about stress-free living would be appropriate. I know that in my day-to-day activities as a court reporting agency, things can get pretty hairy. And Im sure that you in your paralegal or legal secretary duties its the same thing.

News flash: Being stressed is not part of a healthy lifestyle! We all know that tot only is stress bad for us physically, but did you know that it can also cause you to eat more and exercise less? Stress is a huge roadblock in the way of a healthy lifestyle.What can we do to effectively manage stress?

The following five steps will help you to make changes to have less stress and more happiness in your life.

1. Physician Know Thyself
Learn to understand what situations at your law firm; events, circumstances and people cause you to feel negative stress. Think about what message your brain is telling you about why you feel stressed. Notice the physical reactions you have, a racing heart, and shortness of breath, tight muscles or feeling angry and upset.

2. Make A Plan
In your job as a legal professional, is there a way you can set up a structure to reduce or eliminate the stress of your caseload or your attorneys schedule by being more organized or managing you time better. Can you avoid or eliminate any of the things that cause you negative stress? Can you reduce your exposure to stress by taking a break away from the situation?

3. Smile More
No one has the power to put you in a bad mood except you. Your attorney cant; the managing partners cant; your fellow legal secretaries cant. To put it another way, no one can force you to frown. Learn relaxation and deep breathing techniques that will slow down your racing heart, improve your breathing and relax those tense muscles. Learn to smile and laugh more. Its hard to be angry and stressed while youre laughing.

4. Have Good Support
Dont live up to other expectations, as these will not be in alignment with your own needs and values. Hang around upbuilding and supportive friends or co-workers. Find someone to share your concerns with. Also learn to ask for and accept help.

5. Move Your Body
Being in good physical shape simply reduces stress. Be physically active everyday. Eat well, dont smoke or drink excessively. Get enough sleep and regularly take time out to do things you enjoy. Take the stairs; park in the farthest parking spot available; carry files around in your arms (if possible) instead of using the cart. Move your body!

This week look at what is causing you stress and then work at applying the appropriate steps in this article. Be realistic and make changes slowly. Above all, dont worry be happy!

My Pedometer Is Broken

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:20:59 GMT

So I strapped my pedometer -- you know what those are; right? Its a device that straps to your belt buckle and counts the number of steps you take in a given day. As a person who has a job sitting down like me -- a court reporter -- I was shocked to find out that my pedometer was broken. Shocked -- shocked I tell you! Because by noon, when I checked my pedometer it had barely budged off the zero mark. Was this thing defective -- or -- do I really move that little??

Well, after staring at my own sloth-like behavior square in the eye, I realized that I need to make some serious changes to my daily activity level.

Q: How many steps should a human walk each day?

A: The simple answer is now generally agreed to be 10,000 steps per day.

Most people walk between 2500 and 7000 steps a day. If you are working at a computer all day -- or in front of a court reporting machine -- then you will probably be in the slow lane and people with active physical jobs will be at the high end. Turns out the health benefits all kick in if you reach the 10,000 steps per day level. If you are unfit and or very overweight then dont suddenly try to increase your number of steps. Work at increasing them gradually and that way you will be much more likely to succeed.

Ive made it my mission this summer to increase my steps from what they are now -- around 5,000 per day -- to the 10,000 level. Who is with me?

Are You Feeling A Little Old Today: 1975 vs. 2007

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:05:15 GMT

After travelling to northern California all week for my speaking engagements to court reporting students and law firm clients, I feel a little tired and -- I hate to say it -- a little bit older. The road weary traveller returns with a list of differences from 1975 to 2007. Enjoy!1

975 vs. 2007
1975 : Long hair
2007 : Longing for hair

1975: KEG
2007: EKG

1975: Acid rock
2007: Acid reflux

1975: Moving to California because its cool
2007: Moving to Arizona because its warm

1975: Tryin to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2007: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

1975: Seeds and stems
2007: Roughage

1975: Hoping for a BMW
2007: Hoping for a BM

1975: Going to a new, hip joint
2007: Receiving a new hip joint

1975: Rolling Stones
2007: Kidney Stones

1975: Being called into the principals office
2007: Calling the principals office

1975: Screw the system
2007: Upgrade the system

1975: Disco
2007: Costco

1975: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2007: Children begging you to get their heads shaved

1975: Passing the drivers test
2007: Passing the vision test

Freshman College Kids Were Born In 1987
I was a sophomore in high school when todays freshman college class was being born. Yikes! Now Im an old man court reporting agency owner. Just in case you werent feeling old enough already today, this might alter your perspective a little.. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this years incoming freshmen.

Heres this years list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1987.
They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.
The CD was introduced the year they were born.
They have always had an answering machine.
They have always had cable.
They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.
Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
They cant imagine what hard contact lenses are.
They dont know who Mork was or where he was from.
They never heard: Wheres the Beef?, Id walk a mile for a Camel, or de plane, Boss, de plane.
They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is.
McDonald s never came in Styrofoam containers.
They dont have a clue how to use a typewriter.

West Valley College

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:31:00 GMT

Third and final school Im speaking at this tour -- West Valley College, in Saratoga, CA. This is a pretty small program but what they lack in size they more than make up for in passion for court reporting. Linda Lawson, the department chair is highly qualified as a court reporting educator. And as you can see from the quote below, shes got the right heart for the job as well!

A Quote From Linda:
My greatest reward in teaching in the court reporting department is seeing our hard-working students reach their goals and ultimately use their education and skills to enter rewarding careers.

-Linda Lawson, West Valley College

Humphreys College

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:30:07 GMT

Today Im at Humphreys College, speaking to their students. What a great school. I would highly recommend getting in touch with this school if you are interested in becoming a court reporter. They are located in Stockton, California. Bruce Bodine is the chair of the court reporting department and a heck of a nice guy!

Humphreys College
Provides court reporting students with the knowledge and skills and to excel in a quality career and supplies the legal industry with qualified court reporters, deposition reporters, and captioning professionals. In the program, students learn a variety of skills that boost their competency levels, challenge their skill development, and teach them the tools of motivation and self-discipline, all of which can serve them through the many challenging careers that are available in this field.

Degrees in court reporting qualify students to work in many different positions, such as Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR), Official Court Reporter, Freelance Reporter, State Hearing Reporter, Broadcast Captioner, Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Reporter, and Webcasting Reporting. The overall focus of the department is to provide the proper environment, academic instruction, skill development, and dictation practice that will enable students to achieve their desired career goals or certification.

Dead End Job?

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:56:47 GMT

In my travels as a court reporter, I stumbled upon this article. This LawJobs.com career advancement article is directed to associate attorneys, but I think the advice applies equally well to paralegals:

The harsh reality is that sometimes a job just doesnt work out. This can happen to anyone -- it often does. Recognizing the signs early on and being prepared for change are key elements necessary for a rapid recovery.There are two entities that can determine whether one has landed in a dead-end job. The first is the firm that will not promote an associate -- for whatever reason. The second is the associate who is unhappy -- also for whatever reason.

snip

People who maintain a responsible approach to managing their own careers are quick to establish guidelines that they can use to evaluate their current situations and to assess whether they are on the right course to meeting their short- and long-term goals. The same guidelines can be used to assess the potential of new positions offered. The following are some of the factors to consider....

Reading the complete article is highly recommended, even if youre happy with your current position.

Golden State College of Court Reporting

Mon, 9 Jul 2007 22:44:50 GMT

Had a great blog post about my visit to Golden State College of Court Reporting yesterday where I spoke to the student body.... but my Word Press somehow deleted all that I wrote. Araaraargh! I will have to rewrite it when I get back from from speaking tour. In the meantime, suffice to say that Sandy was a super gracious hostess and the students there were warm and welcoming. If anyone is thinking of attending court reporting school, this school would be a great choice for the Pleasanton/Dublin CA areas.

Open For Business In Texas

Fri, 6 Jul 2007 18:52:26 GMT

Pleased to announce that weve opened up operations in Texas for court reporting and interpreting. Today marks the initial foray into the Texas court reporting world. Glad to be in Austin, Dallas and other cities coming soon. My dad lives in El Paso and sells real estate so as soon as we can finalize the negotiation process for space, we will be opening up a Todd Olivas Associates conference space there as well.

Yall come on by now, here!

(Final Part 16) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 5 Jul 2007 20:08:22 GMT

Persist!
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, That which we persist in doing becomes easier - not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased.

If you get the big N-O. Thats O-K. Do not let it get you down. Do not let it stop you. Many, many initial nos have turned into yess in the future. Like Ive discussed earlier - this is a perfect opportunity to learn what skills or value-add you need to provide your boss in order to get a raise.

If you get told no, your next question should be what specific obstacles are standing in the way? For example, the no could very well be that is not your appointed or scheduled time for a raise. Simple as that. Timing. In this instance, be sure to ask your boss when the next opportunity for a raise will be and then do everything in your power to be ready to be able to demonstrate the value you bring to the firm.

Or the answer is no because the value you brought to the firm was not enough to merit a raise. Sure that type of critique does not feel good to hear, but perhaps there is a learning opportunity here. Maybe your idea of value is not as dollars and cents as it should be. Maybe your boss can help you clearly define value and how you can bring it to the job.

Remember, feedback is good. Even painful feedback can be quite helpful to gear up for next time. Ask to schedule a meeting in the future before the next round of raises to discuss your progress. Always, always, always be proactive in acting upon the feedback you receive. If you dont, dont expect different results than this time.

Even if you dont get your raise this time, there are other things you can ask for.
-An award
-A bonus
-A promotion
-Attendance at an industry conference
-A new project

You can always, of course, ask for an interim review three to six months out. Then you have got to get moving on planning your next strategy and planning.

I hope this raise discussion has been helpful. I am well aware that it can be stressful. But the results are more than worth the extra effort and risk. Start today in thinking about the value you bring to your law firm and the money will follow!

Happy 4th of July

Wed, 4 Jul 2007 21:30:05 GMT

I hope everybody is having a great 4th of July today! Please be careful and remember there is no such thing as safe fireworks only fireworks handled safely. (I heard that on the news this morning.):)

Attention Court Reporting Students $$$

Tue, 3 Jul 2007 15:47:02 GMT

NCRF SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE JULY 12, 2007
The National Court Reporters Foundation will award four scholarships to second-year court reporting students at this years convention. Winners need not be in attendance at the convention. Deadline for applying for the scholarships is July 12. More information about the second-year student scholarship program is available on the Foundation Web page.

Court Reporting Association NCRA Joins Accessible Technologies Group

Tue, 3 Jul 2007 15:43:26 GMT

I found this blurb about the court reporting associations technology path... NCRA has joined the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) to advocate for legislative and regulatory safeguards that will ensure full access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed broadband, wireless, and other IP technologies. The coalition includes more than 70 national and local groups.

Our participation in COAT further extends our relationship with organizations representing consumers of captioning and CART services, says Mark Golden, CAE, NCRA Executive Director and CEO.

This gives us a great opportunity to work towards goals of common interest in the area of digital communications, such as captioning live digital TV programs and Webcasts.

July Court Reporting School Speaking Tour

Mon, 2 Jul 2007 18:02:41 GMT

Getting ready to do my July speaking tour. Im heading out this coming weekend for the Bay Area to speak to three court reporting schools.

Here is where Ill be at:

7/9/07 Golden State Court Reporting, Dublin, CA
7/11/07 Humphreys College, Stockton, CA
7/11/07 West Valley College, Saratoga, CA

In between and during the off day on Tuesday, 7/10/07, Ill be visiting my San Francisco- area law firm clients (aka Friends).

Cant wait to get up there to see you guys. Hopefully, there will be some nice cool weather. Didnt Mark Twain say something like, The coldest winter I ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco. LOL

(Part 15) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:50:40 GMT

Dont Be Afraid Of The Word No
Even if after all that youve gone through to get your firms manager to say yes to your raise request, they can still say no. But keep the faith! Put it all into perspective. Making the request does not guarantee you of getting the raise. Only not bothering to ask guarantees that. So many of us are afraid to hear that little word - no - that we hinder our forward motion. Do not allow the potential for a no stop you. You just might get that yes and then youll wonder why you even second guessed yourself.

What To Do After A No
Have perspective. So you got told no, so what? Whats the worst case scenario when someone says no to you? Most likely the worst part is just the feeling of discomfort. Its not fun to be sure, but should you whine and moan and let it ruin your whole day? No way!

Typically, making the ask - putting yourself out there on the limb and asking for that raise - even risking the dreaded no - is worth the discomfort you might feel if things dont go your way. The potential for reward far outweighs the risk. And once you develop a thicker skin for hearing the word no, imagine what you could do with that power?

If You Were Not Afraid To Fail, What Would You Do?
Just imagine that you no longer fear rejection. Of any kind. What potential things could you accomplish?

Could you ask for a raise? Yes!
Could you ask for a promotion? Yes!
Could you start a business? Yes!
Could you succeed more and stagnate less? Yes!

So get out there and get over the fear of no and get the raise from your law firm that you deserve!to be continued

Email Disclaimers At The Bottom??

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:47:08 GMT

Why is it that law firm staff seem to put the disclaimer and confidentiality notices at the bottom of an email? Most of the disclaimers Ive read have something to the effect of -- If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any viewing, copying, disclosure or distribution of this information may be subject to legal restriction or sanction.

Heres a question...

Isnt it too late by then?

Maybe the disclaimer should be at the top of the email? Im just saying. Can anyone give me a good explanation for this disclaimer appearing at the bottom of emails and not the top?I typically read my emails from the top to the bottom; dont you? Heck, even faxes have all that legal-ese up front on the cover page.

Anyway, just a mini rant.

-Todd

3 Summer Computer Tips

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:59:40 GMT

Hey Everybody, just a quick post today about the computer. Today is the longest day of the summer -- Summer Solstice.

Heres an interesting read -- 3 tips for your PC...

#1 Summer Computer Travel
Holiday travelers should be on alert when arriving home from long weekends, such as the Fourth of July, a popular time for computer viruses to spread. Most computer users have a tendency to turn off their computers when away on trips, which means youre not getting newly-released anti-virus patches or anti-spyware updates; the two most common areas that cause computers problems. It is recommended that you update your anti-virus software and anti-spyware scans before opening e-mail or going online after an extended absence.

#2 -- Should You Leave Your Computer Running?
One question frequently asked is, Should I leave my desktop computer on or turn it off?There are 2 schools of thoughtTurning it on and off numerous times during the day subjects the microcircuits to flexing and fatigue due to change in temperatures. Over time this could lead to a break in the circuitry and result in system failure.Leaving the computer on all the time puts excess wear on the mechanical components (the hard drive spindle motor and cooling fans).

Best compromise. First user in the morning turns it on; last user turns it off.

I personally leave my desktop on all the time allowing for scheduled utility tasks to run during overnight hours. I also restart the systems (to flush the RAM and reset the operating system) on a regular basis and routinely remove the case covers to clean out any dust that may have accumulated, especially around the fans and screens.

#3 -- Stop Popups!
Never click inside the window of a popup. Instead, close it by clicking on the X in the upper right corner. Many people are fooled into installing spyware applications by popups that promise to clean their system. If you receive a message saying it can help, assume its spyware and dont click!

*Thanks to Sharron Senter for inspiring this article

(Part 14) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:36:56 GMT

Responding Appropriately
What do you do when things go well? What if your bosss response to this whole issue of requesting for a raise turns out in your favor?

What you say: Thank you.

Simple as that.

But many times a managers response is more tentative. They may say they need time to think about it. What is your response going to be then?

What you say: Thank you.

Be sure to keep a positive attitude even though the suspense may be killing you. Saying a simple thank you for their consideration is good. In addition, you need to fuel the fire by asking the following question to spur things along: What other information do you think would be helpful in making your decision?

to be continued

Attorney Rating Website

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:19:19 GMT

I found this interesting website http://www.avvo.com/. This site is under serious legal action because it attempts to create a 3rd party rating system for attorneys. Apparently there is a class-action law suite pending against the owners of the site. But the concept is interesting...

Avvo is a website that rates and profiles every lawyer, so you can choose the right lawyer. Avvo delivers the information and guidance you need to help you make this important decision, even if youve never worked with a lawyer before.

Does anyone else see this as interesting?

48 Funny Excuses For Being Late For Work

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:20:03 GMT

Found this list of funny excuses for being late for work. I know none of you would ever need these excuses... just thought they were cute.

Happy Monday everybody.

I had to teach the temps on how to use the equipment.
Do you know how long it takes to give a dollar to every Santa you see?
I was in a meeting. ..... What, you werent invited? Thats messed up.
Its always in crises after another.
I had to show the new worker something.
Your watch must be fast.
Dont be too hasty in judging me and then trying to oust me. If I am found to have done something wrong, then I ask to be forgiven. - Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, who is alleged to have been involved in two financial scandals involving some six million dollars, and who acknowledged that according to the results of the last election, his deputy, Megawati Sukarnoputri, should have been elected president.
The new manager needed some help understanding the reports that were filed by.....
I got pinned down by Charlie.
I wasnt late. I just failed to be on time.
Im working on getting everyone in position.
Im very busy at the moment.
I wasnt paying attention.
You never asked any of the other workers that.
Well you see, its like this...
Funny you should ask.
The trouble with being punctual is that nobodys there to appreciate it. - Franklin P. Jones
I shouldnt have said what I am reported to have said, and if I did, I apologize. - Jon S. Corzine
Someone wanted to be a farmer; so I gave them a couple of arces. - From The Last Action Hero
Im working on the next big thing.
Want to talk about it over a bite to eat?
I fell asleep in the shower.
I ran into a parade.
You didnt call to wake me up.
I didnt want to play the game.
I didnt want to seem to eager.
I hear youre getting a pony.
I was to busy sleeping to be on time.
Let me get back to you.
If I did that, Id be real surprised.
Im very glad you asked that question; because that brings us right back to the issue of .....
Is it Spring forward or Spring back?
Could I get back to you?
Im not late, Im early for next time. sticking my head in a moose. - Samuel Goldwyn
I had a top level meeting with (Insert name of someone inportant here).
Is it Fall forward or Fall back?
Have you seen my baseball?
I was, uh.....
Could you please repeat the question?
You should have told be to be here on time.
I saw Elvis.
Its not like Im paid to come here.
I thought time was on my side.
I had to speak to the man in charge.
Thats all right, its not my fault; all I need is some more training.
I had to catch a Pokemon.
I was, well you know...
I couldnt find my clothes.

(Part 13) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:13:54 GMT

These are things you should avoid when asking for a raise from you boss:

Dont Get Upset
If you think you might get emotional, then please practice with a friend. The more unemotional and coherent you are when asking for your raise, the better.
Dont Get Personal
Never ever draw attention to whatever turmoil you are facing in your personal finances. This is unprofessional and irrelevant. This tactic may pull at your bosss heart strings, you will do yourself a favor by not bringing up your personal budgeting crises during a raise review.
Dont Threaten To Quit
Even though the specter of not receiving this raise may cause you to consider looking for new employment, do not mention this issue during your raise review. Nobody - and I mean nobody - wants to feel threatened and certainly you do yourself a disservice if you go there. Your chances for a raise diminish with ever subtle threat you make. Stay away from this practice!
Dont Worry About Them
Dont deny yourself the possibility of getting a raise by assuming that the firm does not have the resources to provide one for you. Make the ask! As a court reporting firm owner, I know that money is there for the important things - like keeping reporters happy and doing marketing. Your firm is no different. If you are making a valuable contribution to the firms profit line, you should be rewarded.

(If your position does not add to the bottom line, then you need to quickly find ways that show your value - pronto!)

Every business has a budget. And every budget has limits. But it is not your job to second guess or assume what your firms budget is. Make the ask! There is absolutely no harm in asking for the raise and demonstrating to your boss your value so that when the budget increases do come, you are #1 on the list for a raise.

(If you firm is not doing so well, it may be time to look for a new job!)

to be continued

Vote for the funniest court reporting video

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:13:39 GMT

Hey Everybody. I just created a poll to vote for the funniest court reporting video on the internet. The poll is located on my main court reporting website, ToddOlivas.com.

(If you have a spare moment and need a good laugh, please check out the videos and cast your vote for the Worlds Funniest Court Reporting Video.)

-Todd

6 Ways To Say Thanks

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:41:30 GMT

In my travels as a court reporter and even more in my growing-up of my court reporting agency, I have found the power of the Thank You to be amazing. Youd be surprised how surprised people are when I follow up the ordering of a court reporter with a thank you -- or stopping by their office with goodies. Saying thank you is extremely powerful in marketing and life!

Here are some suggestions for thanking people at work, at home, and in the community.

1. Just Say Thanks.
When you just say Thank you you dont just stop there. You tell the person specifically what it is you appreciate and why you appreciate it. Thank you for doing X for me. It saved me a huge headache.

2. Send An Email.
Sometimes a quick email Thank you is all it takes. Commensurate with the level of the deed done for you, is the level of verbiage in your email. Thanks for lunch... suffices when someone does something simple like brings you back lunch to eat in. Thanks for doing that project... might not be enough when it was something cost the person more time or energy to help you. Think about what you would want to hear and how you would want to be thanked. Maybe email is not the right choice.

3. Thank You Cards.
These are great because so few of us take time to write and mail them. The thank you cards that I sent after someone has ordered a deposition for the first time really adds a professional touch to my service. It makes the relationship more meaningful when I send it written in my own handwritting.

4. Pick Up The Phone
Place an unexpected phone call just to say Thank you. Connecting verbally adds warmth to your appreciation even if you reach voice mail.

5. Present A Small Certificate.
Half-page certificates take up less space if displayed and are as meaningful as full sized certificates. They tend to draw attention because they are different.

6. Flowers!
Give a single flower from your garden, flowerpot, or florist, with a verbal Thank you or a note.

(Special thanks to Jo Condrill for some of the above ways to say thanks.)

At Last, Im An Expert In Something :)

Fri, 8 Jun 2007 17:10:47 GMT

I submitted an article to a online ezine website and they named me an expert in the field of court reporting. Whooohooo! They liked my article, I guess, so theyre going to put it on their high traffic home page later today.Check this out: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Todd_Olivas.

And if you have time... why not rate my article: Court Reporting 101

Happy Friday Everyone!

-Todd

Electronic Filing

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:50:39 GMT

Hey everybody, I found an interesting article on electronic filing at the National Court Reporting Associations website...

If you ask 10 different courts about their electronic filing system, you will probably receive 10 different descriptions and interpretations of electronic filing. The earliest version of e-filing was merely the receipt and transmission of documents via fax. It was a simple method of getting documents to or from a court without postage or courier expenses. The next generation of e-filing is the scanning and storage of electronic images of documents. Some courts manually enter data from the scanned documents to be incorporated into a database.

Incorporating the Transcript
The way court reporters transcripts are incorporated into the electronic filing system varies. Some courts are including an electronic form, whether that be ASCII, .pdf, or some other format for downloading by the general public. Other courts are restricting access to the parties only. Sometimes there is a fee involved, but the court receives the income from downloading the transcripts. Some courts are putting the title, appearance, index, and certificate pages only with contact information to obtain copies from the court reporter. One court is in the process of incorporating a link to Exemplaris to comply with the electronic filing requirements for transcripts.

-(Read Full Article)

Ever Wanted A Transcript Of A Voicemail?

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:16:05 GMT

As a court reporting service, Im always on the lookout for anything technological that relates to my field. I found this about Skype...

Skype Translates Voice Mail to Text
A brief notice on the Wired Web site on February 27, 2007, noted that Internet phone pioneer Skype will offer a service to translate voicemail messages into text and deliver those messages to your e-mail or SMS account. The service will use SimulScribe, a voice recognition software that claims 90 percent accuracy.

For more information, visit www.skype.com.

(Part 12) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 18:31:13 GMT

Your Bosss Boss Is Your Friend
When it comes down to asking for a raise, youve got to realize that many times your boss does not have sole power to make the decision. You always want to be talking to the highest decision maker you can.

In my role as salesman for my court reporting company, I always try to go straight the person in charge. If he/she is not available, then I shoot for the next person down on the ladder. In this same way, you in your quest for a raise, should understand the hierarchy of your law firm.

You can help your cause immensely if you equip and arm your boss with facts and figures about the value that you bring to the firms bottom line. Sometimes, your boss may only want to give you a 10% raise but the company typically goes for 5%.

With enough persuasion and data from you to back it up, your bosss boss can be influenced to see things your way.

Key question to ask your boss:
What information do you think will help you convince The Big Boss that I deserve this raise? And then provide that information pronto!

to be continued

Court Reporting Article Got Picked Up By Digg.com

Tue, 5 Jun 2007 20:21:52 GMT

I wrote an article about court reporting that got picked up on www.digg.com.

Check it out, and if you dig it you can give it a vote! Here is the link to the exact article: http://digg.com /business_finance/ Court_Reporting_Exactly_How _Do_They_Type_So_Fast

Cool Software Alert!

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 13:50:19 GMT

Compulaw Rules
I ran into this pretty cool software called CompuLaw, check it out:

CompuLaw, publisher of calendar/ docket software with built-in court rules databases, has added a National Labor Relations Board Rules set.

The rules provide deadlines for all phases of a case before the NLRB, including the filing of charges, petitions, pleadings, motions, discovery, hearings, appeals, and compliance.The rules also cover all types of matters that may be brought before the NLRB, such as unfair labor practice cases, representation cases, petitions for clarification of bargaining units and amendments of certifications, referendum cases and cases seeking advisory opinions and declaratory orders.

From California-based CompuLaw (http://www.compulaw.com)

(Part 11) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Fri, 1 Jun 2007 16:29:01 GMT

Set The Mood!
When you are meeting with your manager at your law firm trying to get a raise, be mindful of the mood of the meeting. In other words, set the proper tone. Be positive. Be upbeat. Have fun. Remember that your manager is not an enemy, he/she is your ally.

By using the proper tone of voice, body language, and language, you can do wonders for the mood of the meeting if you leave all the negative junk outside.

Here are some negative things to leave behind, things that are sure deal killers:

Defensiveness
Sarcasm
Anger
Moodiness
Irritation
Desperation

There is power in your mood. You have the ability to sway the meeting one way or another depending on the vibe that you give out. At some time during the meeting, be sure to let your boss know that you intend to work with them not against them in the raise-request process.No matter what happens as the meeting proceeds, be grateful and say thanks to your boss for working with you.

to be continued

(Part 10) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 31 May 2007 17:11:58 GMT

Ask The Right Questions
I can remember when I was a kid and my mom would ask me how my day at school went. I would give that famous one-word answer that all kids give: Fine.

What my mom later learned and something we all need to learn from is that we never ask questions that can be answered by yes or no or fine. In your raise interview youve got to be asking questions that are open-ended.

What is the procedure for getting a raise?
What is the policy for advancement?

Sales people know to use open-ended questions because they know that that type of question unearths valuable information.

Can You Help Me Understand
The best open-ended question in the world is this:Can you help me understandCan you help me understand is a fantastic open-ended question for a number of reasons.

First, it enlists the help of the other person. Which is a great technique. Most people want to feel helpful and will help when asked to do an easy favor like explain something. Thus youre actually making them feel good by giving them the opportunity to teach you something.

The second reason why Can you help me understand is such a good question is that it sets the stage for you to dig deeper into the inner workings of your firms raising-giving policies and culture. You might really need open-ended questions like these if youre not getting the positive responses from your boss that you want:

Can you help me understand what steps I need to take to get a raise?
Can you help me understand what obstacles are in my way of getting a raise right now?
Can you help me understandthe policy for raises in our firm?

What open-ended questions can you think of before going in for your raise interview? Jot them down and memorize them!

to be continued

(Part 9) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Wed, 30 May 2007 18:23:25 GMT

The Power of Silence
There is a certain power in saying just the right words and then silence. How many times do we - out of nervousness or anxiety - blabber on and about something, diluting whatever impact the first few words may have had?

1) Its kind of like writing. Short sentences. Like these.
2) Versus writing rather than long, verbose, structured sentences with too many details that go on and on and sometimes leave you wondering where on earth its all going since theres no point anywhere in sight and now you just cant wait to get to the end of the sentence and see that beautiful little dot known as the period.

Which of the above two sentences is easier to read and has more impact? Number 1; right? Its because short, punchy sentences work better. Less is more, as they say.

The same principle apply to verbal communication. After youve asked for the raise, made your points about the value you bring to the firm, stop. Thats it. Just stop.

Bite your tongue if you continue talking after a certain point. Dont do it! You might feel nervous and feel the need to fill the silence with more words. Dont do it! Resist this temptation. It only weakens your original point.

Rehearse Your Speech Only If You Want To Get A Raise.
Here is something you must do: write it down and rehearse it. Write down all your key points and practice communicating them to a friend. Only do this if you want to get a raise. Sometimes a friend will help you see where you are talking too much and watering down your points. Sometimes a friend can help you see your blind spots or where your argument needs to be bolstered.

Any time you go in for a raise - know what value you bring, be able to effectively communicate that value, and then use the power of silence (aka confidence). And then wait for a response back from your boss before saying anything further. If he/she asks you questions - and they will - dont be in such a hurry to blurt out the answer. Take your time. Being in control of your speech is the key to communicating effectively.

to be continued

(Part 8) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Tue, 29 May 2007 16:22:20 GMT

Making the Ask
After you have documented the value and benefits you bring to your law firms bottom line, its time to make the ask. Its time to schedule a meeting with your boss to directly ask for that raise.

(Please keep in mind what we discussed earlier which is to schedule this meeting in advance of when you think your boss is beginning to consider raises. See Part 2 if you need a refresher.)

Check List Of What To Bring With You:

Your Results Report
Client testimonials
Any information that relevantly supports your value to the firm.

No Mind Readers Allowed!
Making the ask may seem straight forward enough. But Im often surprised at how so much of what people think is being communicated is really not being communicated at all. In other words, so often we (myself included) often dont clearly verbalize what we want at work in life. Were so caught up in our own internal worlds that we simply assume that others know what the top priority is thats going on in our brain. Why, its so obvious to us!

Or we might have that passive mentality that thinks, Ive worked hard enough around here surely they must have realized by now. So give me my raise! Yet, our lips arent moving.So get those lips moving and start communicating your value -- the benefit your bring to the firm in dollars and cents -- and let your boss know in plain English that you are interested in getting a raise.

to be continued

-Todd

(Part 7) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Fri, 25 May 2007 15:48:02 GMT

Scope Creep
There is a phenomenon that happens at every law firm Ive ever been in. Scope creep! What is scope creep, you ask? Scope creep is when the scope of your job creeps wider and farther than you had originally planned. Its not something ominous, but is a consistent pattern Ive seen. You started out doing a certain list of tasks and slowly but surely the scope of those tasks crept ever wider.But this is a good thing!

Tell Your Boss About Your Creeping Scope
Most law firms have a standard pay scale for each position. If you are already maxed out, at the top of your range, you might get smaller raises to keep you within range. So it makes sense to demonstrate to your boss how your position has crept larger over time. In fact, if the scope of your job is creeping away from your original position, perhaps it makes sense for you to be put into a different pay category.

Typical of most law firms, is that the lead secretary has reached the top of her pay level because shes been just so darn good at her job and has acquired a larger skill set. Be sure to talk with your boss about a change in your position which might mean a change in your salary!

Example: If you earn $39,500 as a Calendar Clerk, your pay range might vary between $35,000 and $40,000. With only a two to three percent raise you would be breaking the bank for the Calendar Clerk pay scale. My advice would then be to look at getting a promotion to a higher-paying position within your firm. Perhaps there is a Legal Assistant position that has a higher top level pay. Maybe the range for a Legal Assistant at your firm is $35,000 to $50,000. By shooting for the Legal Assistant promotion, you increase your headroom and you could soon be on your way to that pay raise you deserve without running the risk of going over the pay scale range.

to be continued

More Than A 3-Day Weekend

Fri, 25 May 2007 13:36:50 GMT

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us. This is the unofficial beginning of summer -- a long weekend of BBQs and friends and fun and no work; right? But isnt it much more than a three-day weekend? To many people, especially the nations thousands of veterans, this day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country.

On behalf of those you served, Id like to extend a great big THANK YOU.

-Todd

(Part 6) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:06:10 GMT

I visited an office manager at a large law firm in San Bernardino yesterday. Just before we were about to head off to lunch, she said, Oops, I almost forgot. She took out a journal notebook and jotted down a few items. I asked her, What are you doing? She said, Im keeping a log of all the little things that I do around here. When youre an efficient and skilled manager, the assumption by everyone else is that your job is easy. And my boss sometimes has no idea how many little things I do for him every day. So Im keeping a log.

What a concept! Has someone been reading my blog? What she is doing is exactly what Im talking about here. She briefly lists all the things (big and small) which she contributes. Her note-taking activities were a fairly new endeavor for her so I reminded her to go back in time and to include results from three, six, 12 months prior.

The sad fact is that if she has a hard time remembering what she did last month for example, how much harder will it be for her managing attorney to remember? The best kind of accomplishment is the one everyone remembers. You dont want to lessen the impact of all youre doing just because you did it last year. Write it down!

Quantify Everything!
Be sure to use real data dollars and cents facts and diagrams as much as possible to demonstrate your value. All of this supports your reasoning behind asking for a raise. For example, if you were able to organize a filing room that reduced the amount of time spent looking for a file, how much were you able to reduce it? How did that reduction result in time being saved? How much money did the firm save by saving that time? Try to quantify everything.

One last thought on this report of your results imagine writing it as a resume. When resume writing, you wouldnt write about what a hard worker you are you would write about the results that you brought to the firms bottom line. So get writing and remember to use real results, hard, cold numbers and facts.

to be continued

(Part 5) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:05:17 GMT

Toot Your Own Horn (a little)
Never assume that your manager at your law firm knows precisely what youve been up to. As Ive stated before, your boss is probably overloaded with his/her own work that they only notice yours when theres a problem or a fire to put out. You need to be providing your manager a succinct written summary every week. Usually email is the best way to do this. Email provides a way to save the paper trail and document when and what was communicated.I know within my court reporting firm, I communicate with my staff routinely via email. They provide me updates and status reports (as well as the occasional joke or two).

The best part about sending an email to your boss touting your weekly accomplishments is that it is not time-consuming for either party. Your boss can read the email on his/her own time. They will probably learn to appreciate being kept in the loop like this. Be sure to always be connecting the dots between the tasks that you are accomplishing and the firms goals to be more profitable.

When it does come around to your scheduled review, give your boss a complete summary of all those emails within a single report.

The Most Important Thing To Remember
Again, dont just tell them what you did. Tell them how doing what you did either saved the firm money or made them money.

to be continued

(Part 4) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:04:37 GMT

My daughter (age 9) consistently asks for a raise in her allowance. The 7-Eleven slurpy machine calls her by name, apparently. I always ask her, Why should I give you the money? She ponders for a while and then gives me a sweet little smile. Because?

So we head to the slurpy machine.

The negotiation tactics that work for a kid on her parent, dont necessarily translate to the work place. You probably think that you should get that raise from your law firm. Because you work hard. Because you put in many hours. Because, because, because!

Of course, those things (hard work and long hours) are very important. However, they in and of themselves are not enough to justify giving you a raise. Most law firms that I go to in my travels as a court reporter and agency owner I find a consistent factor over and over. Most managers are waaaaay too busy with their own case loads and office tasks to pay attention to the hard work and long hours that you do.

Unless

Unless you let them know! You have to tell them what youre up to. You have to let them know the value you are bringing to the firm and how it benefits the firms profit level.

Take a good look around. Who are the people in your firm who do get praise, the rewards, the raises? Typically, Ive noticed that those who toot their own horns a little (not in an annoying conceited way but with humility) are the ones who also talk about the value they are bringing to the firm.So talk it up out there!

to be continued

(Part 3) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:03:58 GMT

Value, value, value
Looking at market value per se is just one ingredient to your overall benefit that you offer a law firm. The most tangible value is what you personally bring to the table. The best way of going about affixing value to you is think about what you added or reduced during the most recent year.

Have you increased billable hours in some way?
Have you given great service to a client?
Have you bonded with a client which then turned into more cases?
Have you reduced expenses?
Have you saved the firm money?
Have you eliminated waste or discovered more efficient ways of doing something?
Did your firm win a case because of your exceeding efforts?

Your manager should be made aware of what you did and how the firm either saved money or made money. This is dollars and cents time.

The Number #1 Value Question
Here is the No. 1 question you must have an answer for, How did I make or save the firm money? Never forget that although your firm is in the business of law, they are really in the business of making money. They will pay you more if you can help them make a profit. Simple as that. You must know and be able to communicate how you and your position generate value for the firm by generating revenue.

to be continued

Published Author: Me

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:02:32 GMT

They published my article!

My article for The Legal Secretary magazine just came out this month: May, 2007. Im very proud to serve the legal secretary community in this way. I love writing and I loved my topic: Marketing! Seems the membership base for LSI has been dwindling. Ive come up with some practical tips for increasing their numbers.

As a growing court reporting and interpreting company, much of my time is spent getting the word out on the street about us. I wouldnt say Im an expert at marketing by any means. But, I do have a passion for the subject and Ive come a long way baby!

Read the whole article here.

(Part 2) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:01:48 GMT

1 - Laying the Groundwork

Begin Early
Most law firms have seasons of change when it comes to approving raises. You absolutely must know when your specific law firm offers raises. The best place to turn for this information is your Human Resources rep. Dont go off of what your friends tell you. Go straight to the source! If your firm is small, say fewer than 10 people, you may not have a HR department per se. Go see the person who cuts the checks in that case.

A good lead time is two to three months. 60 to 90 days out is a perfect time for you to lay the groundwork because managers are in budget planning mode. Many law firm managers spend this time deciding on the haves and the have-nots.

This is the crucial time to speak with your manager before they finalize the budget. If you wait until your scheduled review time, the chances are your fate has already been sealed. Most likely your salary will already have been decided upon. So please if you get nothing else from this blog -- you must talk to your manager before he or she begins to think about how to divide that budget. Otherwise it may be too late!

Just What Is Everybody Else Getting?
How much are your peers at competing law firms making? These days, with the advent and proliferation of the internet, its more convenient than ever to get pay comparisons. There are plenty of websites that will help you to find the prevailing industry rate for your position nationally, regionally or locally.

You can find a salary calculator under Career Advice at www.monster.com or at www.salary.com. Be prepared to explain to your manager how the salary calculation compares to your job. Even if the exact job title doesnt match, be prepared to explain how the job duties and responsibilities are similar to what you do for the firm.

to be continued

Im Writing A Book For You

Thu, 24 May 2007 18:00:03 GMT

Ive decided to begin work on my first book. The title is tentatively called, How To Become Indispensable To Your Law Firm and Earn More Money. Ive got the bare bones structure of the book already mapped out. Now all I need is about 15,000 words in between the front and back covers. Ha ha.

I will be keeping you up-to-date on my progress. My plan is to even post drafts of chapters right here in this blog.

If you are a paralegal, legal secretary or any other legal professional working in the field this book is for you. If youre swamped with files and cases and you cant possibly spare a minute even to look up from your workload this book is for you. If youre part of the tired, huddled massed who are overworked and most definitely underpaid this book is uniquely written and devoted to you.

Im a busy court reporting agency owner, but Ive got a passion for making the lives of my clients -- aka, my friends at law firms -- a little easier. And I know I love to write and I know I have a few ideas that nobody is talking about. Thus... this blog. Thus... this forthcoming book: How To Become Indispensable To Your Law Firm and Earn More Money.Stay tuned!

(Part 1) 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do To Get a Raise

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:58:11 GMT

(Part 1)
Need a raise? Who doesnt? Even just getting to work is expensive. I know first hand that many of my clients all commute fairly large distances to and from their law firms of employment. My commuting court reporters as well as I all feel the pinch at the pump as we head out to do depositions these days.

There are two kinds of people in the world those whose bills are going up and those whose bills will soon be. Maybe youre part of the silent majority who is afraid to ask your law firm for a raise for lack of what to say. Maybe you need a little help to get you going?

What if I had a three-step plan that you could use TODAY that would help you get over your fears about having that dreaded R Conversation (Raise Conversation).

Ive broke up the three steps of getting a raise into parts -- sort of serial installments -- on this blog. Please log in every day as I unveil this fool-proof methodology that paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries can implement immediately to get the raise they desire and deserve.

Over the next few blogs, I will be writing more in depth about:

1. Laying the Groundwork.
2. Making the Ask
3. Responding Appropriately

to be continued

Americas Largest 250 Law Firms

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:53:21 GMT

As a court reporting service, I am always interested in the size of law firms. Some are solo shops, of course, others have two or more partners. But I found a list of the 250 largest firms in the United States.

Some of my clients are on this list. Including the No. 2 slot - Jones Day! Congratulations to Jones Day -- they boast over 1,800 attorneys.

Heres a quick sampling of the top 10.

1 Baker McKenzie Chicago (3246)
2 Jones, Day, Reavis Pogue Cleveland (1822)
3 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher Flom New York (1822)
4 Latham Watkins Los Angeles (1627)
5 White Case New York (1581)
6 Sidley Austin Brown Wood Chicago (1511)
7 Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw Chicago (1351)
8 Holland Knight Washington, D.C. (1273)
9 Morgan, Lewis Bockius New York (1098)
10 Shearman Sterling New York (1087)

Click here to go see the entire list.

The need for court reporters and interpreters is on the rise. Ive never been shy about going after some of the big fish out there. Many of the firms listed schedule A LOT of depositions. Hopefully, in the near future we will be the court reporting service of choice for more of the top firms. Until that glorious day, Ill take this opportunity to post my little blog and reiterate a big congratulations to Jones Day!

Theres No I in T-E-A-M

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:51:35 GMT

Theres no I in T-E-A-M. (But as the counterpoint joke goes... There is a M-E.)

Take a look at the picture above. If you look closely and think about the circumstances that arose when the Street Line Painter Guys painted their lines AROUND the fallen branch. Cant you just hear the foreman Street Line Painter Guy, Hey, whats this branch in our way? Ah, well. It aint my job to move it. Lets paint AROUND it.

Way to go Team Players!

Have you ever heard yourself say, Thats no my job? (I have.) Weve all be guilty of that phrase once in while. You know the drill. Your managing attorney asks you (the highly educated and busy paralegal or legal secretary) to cover the front desk whilst so-and-so is out sick. So what do you do about it? I found a great article about just this subject. Its especially geared towards paralegals.

Click here to read the full article.

Here are some good questions to be asking yourself when youve reached this fork in the road:

1.Is what youve been asked to do legal?

2. How important is it really?

3.Is this an obligation or an opportunity?

4.Is your attitude showing?

The article ends with a great piece of encouragement: Make your mark! Take charge and ingest the concept of no task too small! Dont be a work snob but instead be a team-player. You may be pleasantly surprised at the benefits you reap from such a change of heart. If thats not enough incentive to evoke a change consider this, the next time the desire to utter the words, Thats not my job over come you, remember with an attitude like thatit may not be for long.

Click here to read the full article.

Press Release. California Court Reporting Firm Solves Age Old Problem for Lawyers

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:50:17 GMT

A press release of mine got picked up on Press Release Newswire. That means that my press release got distributed around the world with this headline:

California Court Reporting Firm Solves Age-Old Problem for Lawyers.

Ive already gotten some good responses! Will keep everyone posted...

Click here to read the article.

Convert ASCIIs to PDFs

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:49:04 GMT

I found a great little article about converting ASCIIs to PDFs. Ever wanted to do that? This article shows you how.

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/ 2006/09/ converting_depo.html

Want To Blog?

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:48:17 GMT

I found a great article geared towards paralegals and legal secretaries at Legal Assistant Today. This article gives a great primer to anyone interested in starting their own blog.

Todd, Why On Earth Would I Want To Start A Blog?
As a legal professional, you can benefit from maintaining your own blog by posting useful information and resources, such as links to commonly referenced statutes, rules and tools, and obscure but useful bits of knowledge that the everyday paralegal runs across on any given day. Whether you participate in the blawging community as a blogger or reader, there truly is a goldmine of information available to the blawg-savvy legal professional.

Read the complete article here.

More Conference Rooms for Court Reporting in California

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:47:24 GMT

Hey, weve been busy over here establishing more and more California conference rooms. For your convenience, we now have over 100 rooms throughout all of California to hold your next deposition. There is a complete list on my website at http://www.toddolivas.com/conferencesuiteslist.asp.

Just find the one you want and you can schedule a deposition, get a map directions, and even learn about the amenities.

Steno Shirts Available Once Again

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:46:33 GMT

SORRY, SOLD OUT AS OF 10/1/2010
My World Famous Steno T-Shirts are back and in huge demand. I sold every single one I had with me during my Sacramento tour. Send me an email through my website http://www.ToddOlivas.com/contact.asp for more details. Im selling them for $15.00 which includes shipping amp; handling. Theyre only $10.00 if you see me at one of my speeches...

How To Order Online:
SORRY, SOLD OUT AS OF 10/1/2010
Just click this button to pay by credit card right now: How To Order By Check:
If you want to just send a check, thats cool. Send me a check for $15.00 made out to:
Todd Olivas amp; Associates
41690 Enterprise Circle North
Suite 200CC
Temecula, CA 92590

(Be sure to tell us where to ship your shirt!)

How To Order By Phone:
We can take a credit card or debit card over the phone and get your T-shirt right out to you:Call (888) 566-0253 and speak with Lori about paying by credit card. She will take down your information and well ship the shirt asap. Thanks!

I Spoke To Argonaut Court Reporting School

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:45:43 GMT

Well, I was lucky enough to be able to spend about an hour with the students at Argonaut Court Reporting School, Sacramento, CA. The audience of about 100 students were so kind and gracious to me -- they even laughed at my jokes. What a treat! Bonnie, the program administrator really rolled out the red carpet for me. Good luck students!! Hope to see you at a depo soon.

A Super Nice Competitor

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:45:04 GMT

While I was heading through Pleasanton and Walnut Creek, CA, I decided to stop in to see my friends at Certified Reporting Services in Benicia. The office manager there is Tim Johnson -- hes a super cool guy who has helped us cover calendar many times. Even though it was the first time meeting them in person, they treated me like a long lost friend -- a weary traveller -- and showed me around their office.

Thanks for the Snapple, Guys!

Other than my own court reporting firm, (Im biased, of course -- take everything I say with a grain of salt!) I think Certified is just one of the friendliest around. If you need a court reporter in their area, I would highly recommend contacting them.

Me No Have Shoes

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:42:11 GMT

Yiiiikes! Dont you hate it when you forget something behind? I thought I had everything I needed for my trip to Northern California. But, no. I forgot shoes. SHOES! I guess I figured Id show up to my attorney clients offices in a nice suit and tennis shoes. That would really go over well. Ha ha.

So there I was at the San Jose Target at 8:00 a.m. buying a high quality pair of dress shoes. They actually arent too bad!

Life Lesson - Double check your feet before you head out the door!

Happy Easter!

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:41:40 GMT

Happy Easter to Everyone!

I went to church last night instead of celebrating it this morning because Im flying up to San Jose to visit my northern central California clients. My tour begins in San Jose, heads up to San Bruno San Francisco, over to Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Sacramento, down to Fresno and Bakersfield. Lots of law firms to visit including some of my court reporters.

Since Im speaking to a court reporting school on Tuesday, Ive got my world famous Top 10 List - (how to get out of school quickly and with your sanity intact!) posters. In addition, Im bringing back my very popular steno T-shirts that say (in steno) If youre not one of us, you cant read this. This should be fun.

And away I go...

Trek up north

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:41:10 GMT

Getting ready to do my trek up to northern and central California. Cant wait to see all my client firms (aka. friends!) up there. See you all next week. Im also speaking at Argonaut Court Reporting school in Sacramento on Tuesday -- should be fun!

Ive Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Stuck in my Throat

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:40:18 GMT

Have you ever had a bad day? A really, really bad day?A bad day is when Your horn goes off accidentally and stays stuck while following a group of Hells Angels. Thats a bad day. A bad day is when Your birthday cake collapses true personal story here -- from the weight of the candles. Thats another bad day.

Heres a true story. From Germany. Two German motorists travelling towards each other through thick fog. Visbility zero. Being very cautious, they approach at a snails pace. At precisely the wrong moment, their heads are both outside the windows when they smack together. Both men sent to the hospital. Both cars are fine. Now thats a bad day.

That a bad headache too.

Bad days are a part of life, arent they? But what if what if -- there was one thing you could do to kill a bad day? You get this one thing right just this one thing -- and everything changes perspective. Want to know what it is? No, not aspirin like the German guys need. Not Golden Spoon either.

The antidote to any bad day is joy. And joy is the byproduct of gratitiude. Being grateful.

In 1982 a guy named Steven Callahan was sailing the Atlantic alone when his boat was struck by a whale and sank. The whale had no insurance and swam the scene of the crime. The guy was beyond the shipping lanes and now adrift in an emergency life raft. His supplies were slim and his chances for survival even slimmer. But when some fishermen found him 76 days later the longest any man had ever survived alone without a woman to tell him what to do he was 1800 miles off course, much skinnier but alive.

Talk about a crash course diet.

The story of his survival is amazing. He made a makeshift spear to kill fish that swam nearby. He ingeniously created a method to evaporate sea water to make it drinkable. It wasnt triple filtered Starbucks water but it was drinkable. He took seaweed and a safety pin and made an iPod. OK, that was a McGyver episode, sorry, sorry. The thing thats absolutely transcendent the thing that blew my woolly socks off -- is the way he managed to stay grateful even when all hope seemed lost. Even when his life raft sprung a leak and he had to keep pumping it up for 33 days straight, he kept telling himself over and over: I can handle this. Compared to others Im fortunate. Im going to have great forearm muscles like Popeye.

This guy finds gratitude alone in the middle of the Atlantic. I have trouble finding a smile in the middle of traffic. It was his ability to fight off negativity and stay cheerful even over the smallest little victories that made him under these circumstances, a survivor. Finding that joy inspite of circumstance. Thats the trick. Thats where life begins. Embracing sober reality right now with a merry heart. Thats where a bottle of wine can really help things along, but mostly its gratitude.

Gratitude.

Gratitude turns what you have into enough, problems into gifts, lawyers into humans, This situation sucks into At least Im not adrift on the ocean. I can remember when I was adrift in life. I had a failed marriage and a failed business and a mattress on the ground. That wasnt all that long ago. You know what got me through many many bad days? Remembering to be grateful. That I was healthy. That I had a sound mind. That I had a second chance.

So next time you have a bad day really, really bad day. Maybe youll remember to have gratitude. And maybe that gratitude will turn into joy. And maybe, just maybe that joy will turn your bad day into a better day. And maybe this is the point -- your better day will help someone else through their bad day and the cycle continues. And finally that day ends and we all wake up to a brand new day and we get to do it all over again with joy.

Graduation Speech to Court Reporters

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:38:16 GMT

I got the opportunity this past Saturday to speak to the graduating students of South Coast College. There were about 60 students graduating from the legal secretary, court reporting and medical programs. Plus about 400 guests. The place was packed.

What an honor it was for me to speak to such a large crowd, crack a few jokes, and give some good advice. (Okay, crack a few jokes at least.)

Way to go students! Were all proud of you. Sallie Mae is proud of you. The IRS will soon be very proud of you.

Also, you have no idea how relieved your family is. (This would be a great time to ask for money from them, btw!)

Expect the Unexpected

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:37:32 GMT

Its a day Ill never forget.

There I was, innocently cruising along at 85 miles per hour -- my daughter and me. As Im merging onto the 91 Freeway, all of a sudden I look in the rear-view mirror and Yep, theres that dreaded sight. What do you think I saw? No, I wish it were a cop. My daughter is throwing up everywhere.

We had just come from the car wash true story.I had no idea from the bowels of an otherwise sweet and wonderful 8-year old kid could come such vile, unholy, extraterrestrial soup. So there I was innocently cleaning up the throw up in the backseat of my car in the middle of the night.

And thats not job you can do half way; right? You gotta get it every nook and crany. A 99% vomit free backseat still has waaaaay too much. But wow the interesting things you can find when your kids throwup.Theres some lettuce. Theres some corn. Theres my spare keys. How many of us cruising along in our lives only to get hijacked by some unexpected event? Its not a matter of if but when. What are you going to do about it? You going to cry and complain and call Dr. Phil? No, youre going to get right back on that horse and keep on trucking; right? Ok, so I mix my metaphors. But you get it.

For every vacation in the Bahamas theres a hurricane. For every pay raise theres a tax hike; right? For every kid with As theres another one with lice. For every close parking spot theres a door ding. What are you going to do about it? Youre going to be shocked and awed and ask How could this have happened to me. Of all people?

No. Youre going to roll with it, youre going to stay flexible, youre going to accept the fact that thats just the way life is, youre going to embrace the imperfection, youre going to learn from it, youre going to allow it to make you stronger and finally, youre going to be better prepared for next time to Expect the unexpected.

Article to be published soon

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:35:21 GMT

I just completed my article for The Legal Secretary, Californias statewide magazine for legal secretaries. I was asked to write the article -- which I was more than happy to do -- by Patti Mires, CCLS the Orange County chapter Governor.

How cool is that! I wrote a nearly 2000 word piece entitled, Marketing Forward which is all about how to build the membership base of LSI. Cant wait for it to be published.

A Competitor With Class: Helen Ruiz Interpreting

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:34:25 GMT

If youve been reading this blog for any length of time, youll know that I own a court reporting agency.

We provide court reporters for depositions. Last year I decided to expand my services by adding interpreters. It just makes sense. My clients are on the phone ordering court reporters. Its very convenient for them to just say, Send an interpreter too. So we do.

Anyway, there is another interpreting service in Orange County called Helen Ruiz Interpreting. Helen has been in the interpreting business for over 20 years and her style of doing business is something we all can look up to. Each year Helen throws a Christmas party for people in the legal industry -- lawyers, secretaries, vendors, and competitors. Yes, thats right! Helen throws a party so she can mix and mingle with everyone -- even her competition. To my amazement I got an invitation for her Christmas party last December 06. Didnt she know I offer a competitive service now? I dont know, I just felt like it would be a bit rude of me -- as her competition -- to show up and enjoy her food, her music, all on her dime. So I didnt attend the event.

I was fortunate enough yesterday to get to know Helen Ruiz of Helen Ruiz Interpreting a little better. We have a mutual client and we needed to discuss some business when this issue of the party came up. Apparently, Helen was hurt about my not coming and further, not even RSVP-ing. And she was right. So I apologized and I even sent flowers. Thats when I realized what a classy lady Helen Ruiz is. Seriously. I think her generosity is only matched by her nice personality.

What a lesson to us all serving the legal community. I for one have taken note and I want to be more like her. So here goes: If you need a great interpreter company (other than us) I would recommend Helen Ruiz Interpreting located at 14730 Beach Blvd, Suite 224, La Mirada, CA 90638. Phone number is (714)522-7440. (I dont think she has a website site otherwise I would have provided a link too, sorry.)

Thanks, Helen.

No Valentines Day Speech After All :(

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:33:10 GMT

My date tonight broke up with me. I just heard the news from my NALS liason that tonights event has been cancelled. Turns out its not a good idead to plan events that conflict with the National Hallmark Holiday. What, do people have love lives or something? Sheesh. And I had planned a great Valentine joke that incorporated a divorce attorney. Ah, well, theres always next year. Seriously, I do appreciate the chance to serve the members of NALS at a future event! Ill keep everybody posted.

Join Toastmasters, Why Dontcha?

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:31:25 GMT

Did I mention that I joined Toastmasters?

Well, I joined Toastmasters.I attend two group meetings per week. Its an awesome organization that helps to build communication skills. Ive been able to practice and rehearse (in front of a friendly audience) various portions of my larger speech. One thing that Im consistently trying to work on is pacing. The skill of not rushing through it. Im trying to actually sit back and enjoy my time on stage and let the words sink in before moving them along out of nervousness or whatever. Its something that I think will help my communication skills in general.

Ill keep you posted. (Did I just rush through that paragraph?)

For anyone interested in joining Toastmasters, I would highly recommend checking out their website: Toastmasters.org

Plans For Valentines Day??

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:30:26 GMT

Im getting ready right now for Valentines evening by putting the finishing touches on my 30-minute speech to be delivered to the Newport-Santa Ana Legal Secretaries Association (NALS). I will be giving the latest version of my speech, How To Have The Job Youve Always Wanted. Its gotten so much better, now that some time has elapsed and Ive had ample opportunity to really fine-tune the humor and the message. Ill let you know how it goes...

My first question to the audience is, What are you doing here on Valentines night? Shouldnt you be elsewhere being love or something?

An Extraordinary Person

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:29:40 GMT

This past weekend, I got invited by my friend Briana Walker (http://www.brianawalker.com) to watch her dance performance at the Long Beach Aquarium. I know Briana from Jones Day, a huge law firm that uses my firm for depositions. Brianas routine was in the hip-hop style with her dance partner Auti Angel. They are a dynamic and entertaining pair. The audience of approximately 200 fans was thrilled.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Briana, does all this from a wheelchair.

Brianas story is nothing less than inspiring and amazing. She was driving on the 55 Freeway when she fainted at the wheel of her car, hitting the cement median at seventy-five miles per hour. A young, aspiring dancer, just 23 years old at the time of her accident, Briana was determined to create an amazing life in spite of her new circumstances. Briana has written a book, Dance Anyway, which I highly recommend. I bought two -- one to own and one to give away. I let my mom read it and her response was, I couldnt put it down. Its an easy read with an important message. Never give up. Never let adversity stop you from reaching for your dreams.

As I watched Briana perform this weekend, I could tell that she not only wrote a book about overcoming adversity but she truly lives it. Way to go, Briana!

You can read more about Briana Walker at http://www.brianawalker.com.

Dont Shave Your Ears

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:28:35 GMT

So the other day I was shaving my ears in a parking lot. Dont look at me that way. You get to be my age you start to shave hair in surprising places. The peach fuzz around my ear lobe is now an orchard. I have long white ear whiskers that require a trim from time to time. At least Im not one of those guys who trys to do the comb-over thing with ear hair. Thats so last year. So I carry a razor with me in the car. Its labeled In Case of Shaving Emergency, Break Glass.

Well, on this particular morning, before going in to see an important law firm, I was doing my usual once-over. Tie straight? Socks on? Hair foliage? And it was then that I noticed the longest tufts of ear hair this side of Andy Rooney. Not to worry, I broke out my high quality 99 cent Bic razor!

So Im shaving away and the little suckers are just not coming easy. Theyre kind of protected in the valley terrain behind the little mountain on the front part of your ear. I dont know how else to explain it except in topographical map terminology. Im a court reporter not an Ears, Nose and Throat specialist. Then again, Im not a map expert either -- I just know my way around a fuzzy ear lobe.

But like I was saying, these particular hairs were playing hard to cut. Every possible angle -- from the top, from the side, from behind -- I just was making no progress. And now Im becoming late for my client meeting. I either stop mid-shave and go in with home grown ear muffs or I continue working, risk cutting myself and walk in late for the meeting. So as I held the napkin to my bleeding ear, I explained the situation to my very patient client who lovingly recounted the story to all within earshot.

Morals of the story: Dont shave in a parking lot -or- Razor blades and deadlines dont mix -or- Some things cant be rushed -or- Dont bleed over the small stuff!

No Shortcuts In Life

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:27:08 GMT

Theres no shortcuts in life.

Only at one of those barber shops with the red and white poles. But not in life.

On Christmas Eve this past year, I was getting ready for church and I had my nicest Target shirt on. Its all black with stripes. And no, not like a referee. Pin stripes.

Anyways, as I was rushing out the door I remembered that my Christmas tree had gone like about 97 days without water. The thing was like Instant Forest Fire: The Home Edition. And this was one of these flocked Christmas trees. Do you know what Im talking about? Its got all this fake snow coating the branches. The thing looked great. But with white powdery stuff everywhere. Kind of like a super model after some hard partying.

Anyway, I didnt want to get my shirt all dirty with fake snow by bending down, crawling through the presents to pour cups of water into the base of the tree so I came up with an ingenious little plan to not only get the tree watered but save a lot of time in the process.

Lesson #1.
Never ever, ever, under any circumstances, no matter how pressed for time you are, no matter how great of an idea it may seem at the time, never, ever bring the garden hose into the house. Trust me on this. If you get nothing else from my story, take this one with you. Its free. The Great Flood of Christmas Eve is what I have fondly named this cheerful incident. There was a lake in my house. I love fishing but not in my living room.

I mean, it makes perfect sense on paper. Theres the tree by the window. You remove the screen, you pass the hose through the window, you guide it into the hole. What can go wrong? You gently turn the hose on, you check for any leaks and viola, the tree is watered, my shirt is still clean and Im on my way out the door.

Lesson #2.
Make sure that theres no hole in the back of the base allowing gallon after gallon of water to quietly flow throughout the entire house. And always watch your back end. Because if you dont, be prepared to use about 500 towels, blankets and sheets to soak up the water. And be prepared to have your neighbors laugh at you as they see wet linens being hurled through the front window onto the front lawn. And also be prepared to be doing laundry at midnight when Santa arrives. I could go on and on.

Lesson #3.
Never ever, under any circumstances, no matter how carefully you do it, never ever dry presents off in the microwave. But thats a whole other episode.

There are no shortcuts in life.

Public Speaker, Yours Truly

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:25:56 GMT

I gave my first public speech for 2007 earlier this week. The speech is entitled, How to Have the Job Youve Always Wanted. I spent the better part of December writing it -- tweaking it -- staring at it -- analyzing it -- and finally committing it to memory. Its not easy to recite 25 minutes of material from memory -- I dont know if youve ever tried it -- but better juice up those brain cells.

I havent memorized anything nearly that long in my life. But the results were worthwhile. I was able to stand before the crowd of 50 court reporting students and deliver everything as planned. The jokes landed well as did the serious content. I am pleased with their reaction but also learned quite a bit about what worked and what didnt.

For one, I needed to have even more humor. I was actually worried that the thing would be too light if I included too much humor. But nothing could be further from the truth. It was the humor that saved the day. Thank God I had any in there at all. The serious stuff -- you know the real content -- made their eyes glaze over. So back to the word processor to lighten up the serious parts.

Stay tuned...

ToddOlivas.com Website Upgrades

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:22:04 GMT

I was getting repeated complaints from clients about the website submission process. Apparently the system (the way it was previously designed) was throwing errors as well as submitting duplicate Confirmation Numbers. After a near-complete overhaul of the system I think its fixed! The confirmation page is now more robust as it displays all the submitted information. Theres also a unique submission identifier behind the scenes which prevents the duplicate submission problem.

Not to bore you with the programmatic stuff, but I am proud to say that after a week of testing, the new system is in place and seems to be working just fine. Try it out, if you need to schedule a deposition: www.toddolivas.com/schedule_a_depo.asp

Thanks for everyones patience and suggestions during the revamp!

Profits vs. People

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:21:06 GMT

Recently I got this interesting questions posed to me by a reporter:

Hi there! Im an independent freelance reporter in Washington, DC. Im a realtimer, and a very good one. I had a question about something on your website. You state you have an ironclad guarantee that you will beat any other reporting agencys offer, but you also indicate to reporters that you pay above industry-standard compensation. I would love to know how this is possible! Thanks!
Mary Ann Payonk, CRR, RDR, Washington, DC, www.maryannrdr.com

I was happy to respond to Mary in this way:

If someone comes from a perspective that Profit is King, then reconciling those two issues is incongruent. I dont. Many times I will sacrifice short-run profits to reap long term business and/or to make sure the reporter is paid what she wants. So I guess in my world, People are King. I believe Ive been blessed with this business by God and its my job to steward it the best way I know how which is with generosity and kindness.

Thanks for the inquiry. Great question!

My Newest Website

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:20:19 GMT

I just founded a new website located at www.usdepo.com. This site will be a free resource for all things related to court reporting, interpreting and videography -- basically all aspects about the legal deposition taking process. Check back for updates...

The Amazing Power of the Court Reporter

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:19:38 GMT

The only one capable of translating the spoken word into written form instantaneously, the only one who gives the hearing-impaired access to the world in realtime, the only one who is entrusted with the words of the Supreme Court, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, is a court reporter.

Court reporters record history. Period.

200 words per minute, writing on 22 black keys with the skill of a concert pianist, the court reporter combines the knowledge of law, medicine, anatomy, and grammar to produce a verbatim transcript.

Excellence is the minimum.

An Open Letter to Arnold Schwarzenegger

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:16:23 GMT

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

I have been a deposition reporter for the past 6 years, during which time the Court Reporters Board, as it exists today, has been a valuable and integral player in the success of my court reporting career. Below are a few of the reasons why I urge your support of SB 229.

First and foremost, the CRB is self-supporting and no funding from the State is expended to perform its operations. There would be no cost savings to the state from eliminating the board as proposed by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), actually it will cost the State money if the CRB was eliminated. Established in 1951 by the Legislature to protect consumers from incompetent practitioners, the Certified Shorthand Reporters Board, now known as the Court Reporters Board of California (CRB), regulates the court reporting profession through testing, licensing, and disciplining court reporters. One of the functions of the CRB is to provide checks and balances to the industry.

The CRB has the authority to suspend, revoke, deny, or impose any other disciplinary action against a court reporter in the case of fraud, dishonesty, corruption, willful violation of duty, gross negligence or incompetence in practice, or unprofessional conduct in or directly related to the practice of shorthand reporting. In addition to having oversight over Certified Shorthand Reporters (CSRs), the CRB is responsible for the oversight of court reporting schools. Although the Board recognizes schools, there is no statutory authority for licensure. Even so, only court reporting schools recognized by the Board can certify students to qualify for the CSR examination.

The Board can also issue citations, and fine schools not in compliance with Board rules. Furthermore, the freelancers, as well as, the court officials heavily depend upon CRBs role in licensure. Small firm owners depend upon the CRB certifying entry-level skills, as do court administrators. In the sunset review process, firm owners wrote letters describing the potential hardship if they would have to certify from scratch or conduct their own testing. This is just one more reason why it is so important to the court reporting industry to maintain the CRBs status.

As you are aware, court reporters are an integral part of the California justice system, both civil and criminal. Reporters are unique, as are all industries, but the nature of their work affects such basic constitutional rights as due process. An accurate written record of who said what in court is essential if the outcome of judicial proceeding is to be accepted by the litigants and the public as non-arbitrary, fair, and credible. Because of the technical and legal aspects to our work, CSRs require industry input and oversight. SB 229 does this by extending the sunset of the CRB. Industry input to decision making would be eliminated or diminished.

The loss of industry expertise reduces the effectiveness of policy decisions. The structure of a centralized agency would require staff to be proficient in processing licensing and enforcement programs in multiple professions, eliminating expertise, and diminishing customer service. Moreover, how would the public have input into the Boards regulatory processes if the Boards public members were eliminated (along with the whole Board) and if decisions could be made without complying with open meeting laws that govern boards? Public access to the regulatory process could be eliminated and will be diminished.

If a Bureau were set-up the Secretary would not be obligated to meet with the public and industry representatives and could change policy or redirect operational resources as deemed necessary. The CRB currently has three public members who protect the interest of the consumer; the bureau would have none. The CRB must also conform to the requirements Open Meetings Act, allowing public input prior to policy decision-making; a bureau does not have to comply with the Open Meetings Act.

Also at stake, should you choose to veto SB 229, is the continuation of the Transcript Reimbursement Fund (TRF). The TRF was established by the legislature in 1981 and is funded through the CSRs annual license renewal fees. The purpose of the TRF is to provide transcript reimbursement costs to indigent litigants. Since its inception in 1981, the TRF has provided over $6 million dollars to indigent litigants. SB 229, extends the sunset of the TRF, which sunset on July 1, 2005 and is set to be repealed July 1, 2006. If the TRF is not extended, this fund will disappear, taking away the ability of those less fortunate to afford justice.

Governor Schwarzenegger, I would urge your support of SB 229.

Sincerely, Todd Olivas, CSR 12237

Get Well Soon, Bob

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:14:49 GMT

My thoughts and prayers go out to Robert Bob Archibald of M M Court Reporters who suffered a bad car accident on his way to work early this year.

Why would I write about one of my competitors?
Because people are people. And business is just business...

Plus, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bob and M M Court Reporters because it was through them that I learned about the profession of court reporting. It was 1991 and I worked in the mail room at M M. I never even knew what a court reporter was before that time. M M was a great court reporting agency. They were huge and had been around for decades. I am so fortunate to have been raised up in such a stellar environment.

As a nosy mail room worker, I saw the kind of money the court reporters were making, so I dutifully signed up for court reporting school.

Now many years later, I am contentedly carving out my dream of owning a court reporting agency of my own. And I would never be here without the inspiration and the unique personality of Bob Archibald.

Heres to a speedy recovery, Bob! God bless you.

Do Legal Secretaries and Paralegals Have Thankless Jobs???

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:13:53 GMT

If a new report on legal secretaries is an accurate reading of their concerns, many have demanding and thankless jobs. Sponsored by the Association for Legal Professionals, the report is based on a poll of 1,000 legal secretaries.

The findings reveal that legal secretaries are more inclined to say they want a day off or more help in the office than flowers from a doting boss. In fact, many say they rarely get time off and are often loaded down with too much work. Theyre telling us that some lawyers are out of touch with their support staff, said Deborah Weinstein, an attorney and president of the Weinstein Firm in Pennsylvania, who designed the survey. The Tulsa-based assocation said 63 percent of the legal secretaries polled described themselves as overwhelmed with their current workloads and 53 percent said the lawyers they work for rarely consider their workloads or schedules before giving them additional work.

And, although Administrative Professionals Day was April 27, many legal secretaries werent expecting to get much from the boss. Of those polled, 40 percent said the attorneys they work for would probably do nothing to show appreciation for the work the secretaries do. Thirty-four percent said they expected to be treated to lunch and 8 percent said they would probably get flowers.

On the other hand, 32 percent said theyd rather have a day off, and 21 percent said theyd prefer a gift certificate.

Court reporter opposes AB 1293

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:11:54 GMT

The Honorable Joseph Dunn
Capitol, Room 2080
Sacramento CA 95814

Dear Senator Dunn:
I am a licensed court reporter and agency owner in California who is opposed to AB 1293. AB 1293 places an undue burden on my agency and our court reporters to comply by allowing any party at a deposition to deny my ability to email transcripts.

Not only is this bad for business, but it is bad for the expediency of the entire discovery process. AB 1293 is not a step in the right direction. It unduly restricts my ability to offer timely services (emailing transcripts) and places the control of my product in the hands of any attorney who appeared at the depo.

A real world example: Attorney Smith can restrict Attorney Jones from receiving a daily transcript simply by refusing to allow me the court reporter to utilize e-mail in delivering a transcript.

Thank you for reading my letter and I would urge you to vote NO on AB 1293 as a bill that blocks the streamlining of the discovery process.

Sincerely,

Todd Olivas, CSR 12237

Ok, Here Goes Nothing

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:32:47 GMT

I decided to move this site from http://toddolivas.blogspot.com to my own domain in order to have better control over the interface and added features that this site will now have. I am going to post as much of the old blogs as is relevant. Thanks for following me over here. As soon as the dust settles, I will get back to work writing and creating court reporting, legal office related content and articles for you.

Until then, Im rolling up my sleeves and getting to work...