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Service Above Self

(From the Arizona Court Reporters Association publication ArizoNotes, Spring 2019, Volume 47, Number 1 )

Hi friends. First, my thanks and appreciation to our ACRA board and our AzNotes editor for their selfless contribution each and every week to our profession. Also, a shout-out to all of those who have served before over the years. Thanks to each of you, we as a court reporting family are better situated, better prepared and better informed.

My father-in-law Harold, (“H”) was a force to be reckoned with. Direct, bold, successful, yet extremely generous with his time. I particularly enjoyed and respected his business acumen and sense of community participation. H was a Rotarian, and he planted the seed of volunteerism from the day I first started dating his lovely daughter, Ann.

One day after a depo a client, who I also respect deeply, brought up joining Rotary. With an infectious smile, he invited me to breakfast at the Chandler-Horizon Rotary Club. That was 17 years ago. At the time Ann and I were overwhelmed. We were building a brand new business. We had a two-year old and a newborn, and we had just moved into a new house in the middle of nowhere, miles further out than I’d ever commuted before. Also, I was commuting back and forth to Los Angeles several times a month to comfort mom during her battle with cancer. I remember driving to my first Rotary meeting thinking, “What am I doing? I’ve got no time in my schedule doing charity work for strangers.”

I could not have been more wrong. I, like many, had no perception of the profound and positive influence a life of “Service Above Self” would have on me, my family, my friends, and most importantly those that we serve.

The Chandler-Horizon Rotary Club is an award-winning, dynamic Chapter of Rotary International . We work tirelessly throughout the year, volunteering with many organizations and causes to provide extra hands, love, and our commitment to help in order to make sure that as many needs as possible are met.

Is it exhausting? Sometimes. But, it’s been one of the most joyful and rewarding decisions of my life. The men and women of our Rotary “family” like most volunteers, are the most kind and giving human beings you will ever know. Whether its Saturday mornings at food banks, Friday night fundraisers, or weekdays volunteering at a local shelter, each week is a new opportunity for adventure with other enthusiastic community volunteers from all backgrounds and walks of life. I have learned that volunteerism is an amazing way to broaden your life experience while having a tangible, positive impact on your community

When Hurricane Harvey hit land, we Rotarians hit the ground running, tirelessly collecting supplies and emergency funds for victims, and sending a team to Houston to rebuild homes.

In 2018 alone I was privileged to be a part of many of our ongoing fundraisers and efforts for the Desert Cancer Foundation of Arizona, Foundation for Burns & Trauma, building storage rooms for The Clothes Cabin, helping build a well in Nigeria, fundraising for an eye clinic and water project in India, providing natural disaster Shelter Boxes to Haiti, working with Hope Crisis Animal Assistance, participating in The Rotary Third Grade Dictionary Project, boxing food for Feed My Starving Children, United Food Bank, and the Chandler Food Bank (Azcend).

In December, there was the tearful, but rewarding “Juguetes para niños” (Toys for Tots) in the expansive barrio of Puerto Penasco, Mexico helping “Santa” distribute 100s of toys, clothes and food to poverty-stricken masses of children.

I’ve stood crying with veterans of all ages organizing the Healing Field at Tempe Beach Park, and laughed with grateful 4th graders during the Back-to-School Backpack Project.

Apparently passion is contagious, as both of my teen daughters have spent their high school spring breaks and vacations on mission trips volunteering around the country. My youngest (16) went to Malawi Africa last summer with a team to support the medical clinic and orphanage.

Ask anyone who knew me 30 years ago, and they’ll tell you that Rotary and a life of “Service Above Self” has changed my life in more ways than I’ll ever be able to repay.

We’re all in this chaos together, with our insane schedules and busy beyond comprehension, right? But, think about this: The need is equally overwhelming. The world needs more people like YOU.

So, wherever you’re at in life, whatever you current level of service work or charity is, the next time you ask yourself, “What can I do?”
The answer is simple: “More.”

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Reasons to Hire an Estate Planning Attorney and Legal Videographer

Estate Planning Attorney

At Herder and Associates, we work with Phoenix attorneys from a variety of disciplines who have a number of requests of our team including estate planning attorneys in need of legal videographers. Before we discuss who may need a videographer, let’s discuss reasons to hire an estate planning attorney versus downloading documents from the internet.

Who is originally from Arizona?

When I sit in meetings, the speaker often asks who was born in Arizona and who came here from another state. If my husband is with me, he is one of only a few to raise their hand. The rest of us were born elsewhere. Because of the transient nature of Arizonans, we’ve often had wills or trusts drawn up in other states which means what was legal or allowable in Minnesota, for example, may not be the case here. And if you’ve downloaded documents from the internet, you may have missed opportunities that can benefit your heirs and estate after you die. Something as simple as not signing on the right line or checking the proper box can mean your estate goes to probate even if that’s not what you intended.

If you’re not sure if your will is valid, contact an estate planning attorney to review it for you.

What is your legacy?

One of the myths of estate planning is that you need a lot of money to establish an estate plan and that’s not the case. If you have assets to protect or investment accounts that you want dispersed to specific people or organizations, you may need the services of an estate planning attorney to protect what you have today and plan for the future. This is especially true for blended families. If your children are minors and you die, their inheritance could go to their biological parent rather than being used to benefit the child’s education like you may want it to.

When it comes to your legacy, you can’t just say what you want to happen to your money and belongings in the event of your death, you have to write it in a legal document and have it properly executed thus ensuring your wishes become reality.

Do you need a legal videographer?

There may be situations where a family member finds it necessary to hire a legal videographer to record the execution of an estate plan or will signing ceremony. Reasons include if there is (or may be) a question of the mental capacity of the person signing the documents, circumstances surrounding the terms of the trust, or to document the occasion so there are less questions in the future. There may be family dynamics at play, as there often are when someone dies, and it may give the family peace to see their loved one on video executing the documents.

If you’re an estate planning attorney with clients who may need to hire a legal videographer, contact Herder and Associates to book an appointment.

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Arizona’s Herder & Associates Delivering New Educational Deposition Program

Whatever you need, whenever you need it.

“Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) June 23, 2017

AZ’s Herder & Associates Delivering New Educational Deposition Program

Herder & Associates, a prominent AZ court reporting firm, is now offering presentations that help highlight the role of court reporters and how to conduct depositions effectively. Titled “So You Think You’ve Heard it All? Everything you need to know to take a Deposition,” company owner Marty Herder relies on his years of experience as a court reporter to provide information about best practices in the field.

These free presentations are used to assist law firms in teaching young associates the do’s and don’ts of taking a deposition. Think you’ve heard it all? Think again. Marty Herder, President of Herder & Associates, brings 37 years of experience in over 5000 proceedings to your team, sharing nuances and tips that are unique to the deposition arena. Mr. Herder is a Past President of the Arizona Court Reporters Association, Court Reporting Program Advisory Board Member – Gateway Community College, Official Reporter for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Former Arizona Delegate -National Committee of State Associations (NCSA), mentor and guest speaker.

Depositions are often a crucial component of preparing for a case, but small mistakes made by attorneys and firms can prove problematic later in the case.

“All too often,” Herder says, “A law firm can start off on the right foot for a deposition following a proven path for success. Having worked with hundreds of depositions, I’ve had the privilege to see what makes for a smooth and effective process.”

The topics covered in the presentation include:

How to be effective when the other side is aggressive
Rules and procedure lawyers should know
Common traps lawyers fall into
Frequently made mistakes during the depo process
How to conduct witness prep for maximum effectiveness
Controlling your environment during the depo
Setting goals for each deposition and meeting them

In addition to basics of procedure, these presentations also outline tips for success based on Herder’s personal experience working with many cases. For law firms looking for a great adjunct presentation to supplement any in-house CE programs, seasoned veteran Marty Herder provides an innovative and beneficial program to help law firms get the most out of their deposition process.

Herder & Associates is a full-service court reporting firm based on Phoenix. The company has earned a reputation as a local leader and been a popular choice for attorneys who need reliable and experienced court reporting help. To learn more about services offered by the firm, visit courtreportersaz.com

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Social Media and Free Speech

Social Media and Free Speech

The current political climate has lent itself to conversations about free speech, including what people are saying on social media in Phoenix and across the nation. How can we censor ourselves from conversations in which we don’t want to be involved? Can we police who is using social media? How far is too far when it comes to first amendment privilege? The answers are still unfolding in part because social media is relatively new media and with anything new comes a testing of the legal system. 

President Trump and Twitter 

We’ve never had to ask ourselves if the President can use social media on their own private account or if they can, does it count as an official statement, but we are now! President Trump is, at least at the time of the publication of this blog post, using Twitter to directly communicate with the American people.

There are two dynamics at play here.

The first is that his views are arguably not widely accepted, at least not on the left, so many people simply don’t agree with what he is saying. Those that do agree with him are getting in discussions, some heated arguments with the other side, and it’s making some of the media question the President. The other issue at play is the President’s right to interact on social media in a private account and it has the potential to redefine free speech.

The media will likely be arguing whether the President has the right to have a private account until he is out of office which makes for lively debate no matter which side you’re on. The question for the rest of us is how we protect ourselves and what “protect ourselves” really means when it comes to social media. At this point, it’s personal choice and action.

Self-Policing Social Media 

We can’t control what anyone says on social media, no matter what their job title is, but we can protect ourselves. Social sites like Facebook and Twitter allow users to block and unfollow other users. That gives everyone a choice. You choose to listen to the banter or shut it off. 

Personally, I block and unfollow on a regular basis. From political and religious commentary to inappropriate images, I have a standard that I follow. It is my own standard and I don’t make an announcement or message people that I am unfollowing to tell them why. I keep my stress and interaction to a minimum and you can too.

Social Media and Free Speech 

People have the right to say what they choose on social media. They DO have free speech just as much as I have the right and ability to block them. For those that choose to talk about subjects that some of us, including prospective clients and employers, find controversial, they will have to face consequences. For ten Harvard students, they have to face that even though they shared images in a private group, they still got found out and identified, and are no longer able to attend Harvard.

The social media lesson? We don’t know how this will all shake out in court but we do know that what you say, no matter who you are, impacts your future in positive or negative ways and the choice is all yours. Choose wisely.

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Unexpected Mentorship Opportunities

Some of the best things in life are unexpected. Whether that’s mentorship opportunities, career changes, or even love, you’ve got be aware of what’s around you so you can fully embrace what life has to offer.

Define Your Passion

What are you good at and what do you like doing? For a long time I was in jobs that involved numbers and after being laid off discovered that what I really loved about my jobs wasn’t in the job descriptions. I realized my passion was people and words and not numbers and analysis. I identified people in my life who could guide me; they became my mentor team. Now I pay it forward to others who are seeking a new career.

Thinking about making a change? If you’re in a career that isn’t fulfilling but know you’re focused, detail oriented, professional, punctual, and driven, consider a career in court reporting.

Make a List of Experiences

When I say make a list of experiences, I challenge you to list not only professional experience but personal as well. Are you a speaker at business networking events? Do you admin a group on social media? Are you the person your peers call for advice? Think about what you share with everyone in your life because not every skill on your resume is developed through professional experience; sometimes it’s what you learn outside the office that’s meaningful to others, especially when mentorship opportunities come your way.

Unexpected is Often the Best

When I met the man who is now my husband neither of us was looking for love. We were spending time with a friend we had in common when we discovered we really liked being with each other. That can happen with mentorship opportunities as well.

  • You meet someone at a social event and they’re looking for a new career.
  • A member of a LinkedIn group for freelancers asks a question about how to manage their time and you offer your best practices.
  • A friend calls and asks how you’re able to work from home and you tell them how you schedule your days, weeks, and months so you can work while also taking care of home and family.

These are all unexpected opportunities to mentor others. Mentoring another court reporter doesn’t have to be a formal program. It can be answering questions in a Facebook group or sharing your experience via blog post. Whether you know it or not, you’re probably a mentor. To that I say, keep up the good work!

In Arizona, let our stellar team of leaders serve your court reporting needs. Contact us via phone at 480-481-0649.

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Mentor Clone

Court Reporter Survival Guide

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Mentor Clone

Mentor Clone

Did you start as a clone of an excellent leader from your past?  We all have that one mentor that completely changed the landscape of our career path.  Have you run with that assistance and become an average or excellent leader?  Which do you believe will bring you the most success?  What defines the two?  Quickly the conversation turns to mentoring.  

Excellent team members, (future leaders) are no accident.  They are also not the result of being led by tyrants, bullies or self-serving misogynists.  The strongest team members are groomed by those who take the time to be excellent leaders.     

Rising stars are rarely created by senior leadership that is too vested in barking out directives, duties and deadlines week after week, but rather by superiors who invest the time to engage in an interpersonal relationship with a team member’s professional success.   You’ve seen it time after time, a leader that rules without positive reinforcement and coaching falls short of his peers, is unliked, and often miserable.

If your objective is to lead a dynamic team of successful rising stars, like yourself, start with the objective to clone yourself, one person at a time.  Define your own strengths and gifts, what you bring to the table, as well as the pitfalls that you’ve had to maneuver through to get to where you are today.  Focused talent development is an efficient and effective tool to drill down on each teammate’s strengths, and takes a selfless leader, willing to care about those he is charged with leading.

In Arizona, let our stellar team of leaders serve your court reporting needs.  www.CourtReportersAZ.com or call: 480-481-0649

Bringing 35 years/4000+ proceedings to your team:
Marty Herder, CSR, CCR,
President
Herder & Associates, Inc

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Our deepest Appreciation to Each and Every One of Those Who Served

freedom-isnt-free-line-of-duty

My big brother Bob enlisted at 17 and served our country in Vietnam.  Eagerly walking in his shadow, I remember him being tall, broad shouldered and, like all the other kids, admired his athleticism, leadership, and how he was always there for the little guy.  Bob left home like most of our heroes:  eager, patriotic and humorous. He spent two honorable tours in combat as a teenager, then a young man, before becoming morbidly sick with malaria and typhoid, and other unknown illnesses. He was not supposed to survive. But through prayer, luck, and dedicated medical staff, he came out of a coma, removed his yet undated toe tag, and was shipped home weighing only 130 pounds, his yellow skin hanging off his skeleton. It was hideous.

Bob returned, but the brother we knew was gone, replaced by a shell of a man.  He now was the shadow.

It took my brother many years to recover, and he has had to endure an entire lifetime of life-threatening physical maladies and multiple system failures from his exposure to Agent Orange, disease, and combat. We as a family cannot remember a time that Bob hasn’t been sick or suffering physically or emotionally since his service to our country four decades ago. His duty assignment today is battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as he still endures the psychological scars of kills and destruction.

Bob has never given up, but he has struggled to integrate into a society that four decades ago spit on him, and that scoffs at the challenges he and other veterans face.  He like many of our heroes struggles with a government that laboriously rations out benefits, medical treatments and procedures, as if he was begging for something unearned.

Sometimes we lose our heroes in one tragic moment. Other times we lose them slowly and tortuously over time. Let us never forget their sacrifice.

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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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Mentorship: Cloning Your Work Ethic, Vision and Values

Mentor

Leadership: Building Leaders of Tomorrow

Did you start as a clone of an excellent leader from your past?  We all have that one mentor that completely changed the landscape of our career path.  Have you run with that assistance and become an average or excellent leader?  Which do you believe will bring you the most success?  What defines the two?  Quickly the conversation turns to mentoring.

Excellent team members, (future leaders) are no accident.  They are also not the result of being led by tyrants, bullies or self-serving misogynists.  The strongest team members are groomed by those who take the time to be excellent leaders.

Rising stars are rarely created by senior leadership that is too vested in barking out directives, duties and deadlines week after week, but rather by superiors who invest the time to engage in an interpersonal relationship with a team member’s professional success.   You’ve seen it time after time, a leader that rules without positive reinforcement and coaching falls short of his peers, is unliked, and often miserable.

If your objective is to lead a dynamic team of successful rising stars, like yourself, start with the objective to clone yourself, one person at a time.  Define your own strengths and gifts, what you bring to the table, as well as the pitfalls that you’ve had to maneuver through to get to where you are today.  Focused talent development is an efficient and effective tool to drill down on each teammate’s strengths, and takes a selfless leader, willing to care about those he is charged with leading.

Bringing 35 years/4000+ proceedings to your team: Marty Herder, CSR, CCR,

President Az Litigation Support, LLC.  [email protected]

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POTUS Delivers 6th SOTU. Thanks Official Court Reporter For His Service

President Obama used his sixth State of the Union address before Congress to reiterate his call for political compromise. 

Reactions to the SOTU were predictably partisan and non-productive.  

It is difficult for the American people to see where anyone on either side of the aisle is listening to “We The People.”

The 10% extreme fringe of each side of the political spectrum continues to drown out the majority in the middle.

To quote Dave Ramsey, “If you are waiting on the President or Congress to fix your life, your life will continue to suck.”

For a full transcript of tonight’s 2015 SOTU address, go to:
http://www.cnn.com/…/state-of-the-union-2015-tra…/index.html

Provided live in real-time, thanks to professional court reporter Ed Johnson, RPR, CRR, U.S. House of Representatives.

SOTU 2015 Realtime reporter thanked by President Obama

SOTU 2015 Realtime reporter thanked by President Obama

U.S. House of Representatives Official Court Reporter, Ed Johnson, RPR, CRR, being thanked by President Obama

U.S. House of Representatives Official Court Reporter, Ed Johnson, RPR, CRR, being thanked by President Obama

Court Reporting:  Moving forward with technology, not backwards.

 

 

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