Office and Techie Tips for Court Reporters

tips for court reporters

Is your office chair giving you a back ache? Are you tired of trying to keep track of your passwords? Are you using space on your computer for client documents? It?s time to embrace our office and techie tips for court reporters.

If you?re like us, you?re too busy running your business and taking care of clients to worry about finding the best technology. With the right tools in place, you can grow your business and become more efficient in the process.

Ergonomic Workspace

After a day of reporting your office chair can feel so uncomfortable that you might not want to return the next day but clients need you so what can you do? Set up an office space that suits how you work best and find the right chair and desk combination for you!

  • Do you work best in a room lit with sunlight? If you?re an early riser, make sure your office is lit by morning sun.
  • Do you have aches and pains in your back? Consider an ergonomic chair or even a standing workstation so you?re comfortable when you work.
  • Can you have a home office with a door? Trick your mind into thinking the work commute is the walk down the hall to open your office. Business closes when you shut down the computer and close the door when you leave. You may find that you?re sleeping better when work is staring you down 24/7 from the dining room table.

Most importantly, make sure your computer is placed where you?re most comfortable to avoid those aches and pains. If that means placing it on a riser, then that?s what you need to do!

Efficient Process

Are you constantly forgetting Phoenix area appointments or wondering where you put your planner? It?s time to think about using an online calendar like Google to track meetings, work, and family time. The best part is that your Google calendar can be shared with others so you can plan events with clients or family and you?ve both got it on your computer and smartphone.

Tired of keeping track of passwords?

Protect your identity and private documents when you have different passwords for every account — emails, medical insurance, car and life insurance, banking, investment, and social media. It can be tempting to use the same password but you?re risking identity theft! Try LastPass password manager to protect your online presence.

Running out of space on your computer?

Don?t waste computer space when you use clouds like Google drive or Dropbox to save and share documents. You can also have access through Android or iOS.

Working remotely?

Check your flight status with Flightaware or sign up to receive updates from the airline so you never miss your flight. If you?re driving, forget printing directions and use Google Maps, Waze, or other GPS apps on your phone to get live traffic reports.

The more comfortable and efficient you can be in your business, the more you can work with clients to deliver quality transcripts. We?re here to support you!

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Let’s “Hear It” for Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)

ACRA Walk4Hearing 2016

Let’s “Hear It” for HLAA, and for members, friends and family of “Team ACRA” who came out strong at Saturday’s fun Walk4Hearing event! Walk4Hearing was held at Sloan Park – Riverview, Mesa, Arizona, (Spring Training Home of the World Champion Chicago Cubs). http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/mesa/ The weather and spirits were bright and sunny, contributing to the perfect day.
We are fortunate that we live in a time where there was a Sea of Cochlear Implant success stories. We?ll be keeping our ear to the ground on exciting developments in this field. Thank you for helping us raise awareness and funding for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The Arizona Court Reporters Association and Herder & Associates: Committed to “Service Above Self.”

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Speak Now – Habits that Can Ruin a Deposition

habits that can ruin a deposition

Have you been in a conversation when one person talks over the other? It?s difficult to understand what each person is saying and you might miss points they?re each trying to make.

What does it feel like to be the observer of an argument? Or worse, to be in the middle of one? It?s uncomfortable. It may even come to the point where no one knows how it got started and the best choice is to stop arguing.

Whether it?s missing parts of conversation or being uncomfortable, your court reporter has likely experienced these and more habits that can ruin a deposition.

One at a Time

No matter your role at the deposition, our court reporters request that you each speak one at a time. It?s the only proven way we can record an accurate account of what?s happening. When you speak over each other, even if we can put the bits and pieces of conversation together, we?re left with a transcript that may not make sense to anyone, including you.

Volume Control

When I was growing up I had a brother whose volume would get louder if he felt his point in a family discussion wasn?t being heard. Don?t let that happen to you or your witness! As long as the reporter can hear you at a reasonable volume, there?s no need to yell.

Use your words

We live in a society of texting and short cuts but when you?re in a courtroom setting, remember you?ve got to speak using real words. Umms, uh-huhs, ahhs, and nodding can?t be transcribed.

It?s likely someone will ask you to verbalize and that only serves to waste time. If you?re an attorney, we urge you to coach witnesses on these finer points of being a witness.

If you?re an expert witness, please speak clearly. Remember that while reporter may be familiar with technical terms, don?t assume they know everything you?re saying. Be patient as they may need to ask for clarification.

The court reporter may be the quietest person in the room but we?re also observing and recording everything that?s being said to preserve it for the record. Remember that the next time you want to speak over or argue with a witness or opposing counsel. Habits that can ruin a deposition can also ruin your relationship with a valued Phoenix court reporter!

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Election Day!

election day

Election day! Whether you are conservative or liberal, young or old, whether your candidate comes in 2nd, 3rd, or never made it out of the gate, please remember that we have the privilege of living in the greatest nation in the history of mankind.?? Whatever the outcome of this election of these two flawed candidates, please be committed.

Please be committed to be an upbeat, positive force in your community, in your career, in life.

Please be committed to shun the negativity and demonizing of any opinion or person that differs from yours.

Please be committed to step up to bring about the change that you want to see, whether volunteering for a food bank, assisting with elder care, or being a Big Brother/Sister.

There are literally thousands of wonderful ways to contribute that you are not doing …yet.

Join a new charity and totally immerse yourself in “Service Above Self.”

Be committed to do more than spending the next few years on FB posting negative, non-productive posts that lack fact-checking or that depend on media propaganda, (CNN, Fox, MSNBC, et al.)

I’ve been voting since 1976. I’ve come to embrace what Mr. Ross Price shared with me on my wedding day in 1994. Ross was tough as nails, an ex-Marine buddy of my father-in-law, a 65-year old witty, successful liberal Dem from Sacramento. I recall it like it was this morning, sitting at a popular sports bar in Cedar Falls, Iowa, at halftime of a Hawkeye game. When we both got “animated” drilling down on politics, me pontificating about fiscal responsibility, Big Ross suddenly leaned in, began to stare right through me . . . and then started grinning from ear-to-ear to say, “You know what, Marty? What I know for sure is that no matter who has been in office, we all live a pretty good life, a life that is better than 95% of the entire world.?? Never forget that.”

That was true throughout his lifetime, and it has proven true throughout my 40 years of voting.?? I miss Ross and Dad, but they were spot-on.?? Both were committed to community service, had a lifetime of giving back to their communities, and both were committed to bringing about the changes they wanted to see.?? Two bigger than life, tough-as-nails, ex-Marines, best friends with wildly different political views, passionate about this great country of ours.

Be led by faith, not fear, and be COMMITTED to make a difference.

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