Huseby Inc. Court Reporting Blog | Nationwide Court Reporters

A Leader in Real Time Technology & Computerized Litigation Services

Huseby Inc. Is Proud to Launch New Website Redesign

February 4, 2010 – 4:56 pm

Here at Huseby Inc., we are proud to launch our new website redesign. We hope that our new scheduling form on the front page and our simplified navigation will make the site easier to access.

We’re also happy to announce our initiative to “go green” and reduce our carbon footprint. With our new environmental transcript package, counsel will receive an e-transcript, a condensed transcript hardcopy, 24/7 online access to exhibits and transcripts, and more. Feel free to browse the new features of our site and find out more information on the wasy we’re trying to conserve resources!

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Time Management Tips For Court Reporters At Home

January 27, 2010 – 3:53 pm

It takes a special type of person to be able to successfully work from home. Many of our court reporters do it every day. This is something we have discussed before on our court reporter blog. While it has its advantages and disadvantages, time management skills and self-discipline are absolutely necessary in order to make it work for the firm, court stenographer and client.

Seclusion

Set up an office in a quiet place with a door and no distractions. When it is time to work, no one else should be in that room. During non-working hours, recreational activities should not be allowed in the work space to avoid misplacing things or breaking equipment.

No Time For TV

Television junkies might try working in a room without a clock. Focusing strictly on work, you won’t be tempted to quit when it’s time for that favorite talk show to come on. Hide the clock display on your computer and work until you can’t do any more.

Office Hours

For those who need a little structure, set a specific time to “report to work” when there is no job scheduled. Use a timer or alarm clock to signify lunchtime or when you must leave for a late morning or afternoon job assignment.

Working Parents

Producing transcripts during a child’s nap time or after the baby has been put down to bed leaves enough time for family and business. Create a schedule around other grown-ups that can supervise or spend time with older children while you are in the other room working.

Absentee Boss

Some people need to be kept on task by others. If you are not a self-starter and need help getting motivated, try finding a court reporting agency that has office space and required hours to keep you honest. The more you work, the more money you will make.

Separation

Sometimes transcripts are calling, even when it’s time to relax and spend time with your family or you should be in bed. Allowing work to consume all of your time will eventually cause burn-out and create unnecessary tension.

No Calls

The telephone can be the most disruptive part of working at home. Many reporters use caller ID or screen calls with an answering machine to avoid telemarketers, well-meaning friends or bored family members. Otherwise, the day may be filled with back-to-back phone calls and no work accomplished.

By admin | Posted in Court Reporters | Comments (2)

Preparing For A Day Of Court Reporting

January 21, 2010 – 3:46 pm

Huseby court reporter services cover depositions as well as court hearings and trials. For our reporters, each day is different. The location, attorneys, witnesses and cases change daily. Sometimes, a court reporter covers more than one assignment per day.

Each morning, our stenographers must plan for the day, being ready for the unknown, even armed with assignment information given to them the evening before.

When a Huseby employee is not assigned to a specific job, they are often asked to be prepared and available in case something pops up at the last minute. At any given moment, a call may come in to the firm for an unscheduled job and the court reporter at home is launched to hustle to a certain place and time, often with little or no time to spare before they must leave.

Like Boy Scouts, our court reporters must always be prepared. Many have a mental checklist they go through the night before or first thing after they wake up in the morning. Never knowing how long a job may last, from a few minutes to several hours, little necessities must be considered  and resolved before leaving the house for the day.

What to Pack

A steno machine case with wheels and a long handle similar to those for flight attendants works nicely with a smaller separate bag full of necessities nestled on top.

Items to put inside the extra bag might include the following:

Several packs of steno machine paper should be tucked into a corner where they won’t be ripped or wrinkled.

Those using tape recorders should bring plenty of blank tapes and a new package of batteries.

A bottle of aspirin always comes in handy.

A quick snack that requires no cooking and leaves no mess is helpful when attorneys forget to take a lunch break or there’s no time to eat breakfast before scooting out the door.

Change for tolls and meters should be stashed in a discreet pocket.

An extra set of realtime cables will save the day in case of a mishap or equipment malfunction.

Planning Ahead

Before leaving the house, Huseby’s court stenographers will always make sure they are prepared for our clients by taking a few extra minutes to make sure that they know where they are going and will be comfortable during a long day of court or legal depositions.

Some tips include:

Make sure there is plenty of fuel in the car. There may be a location change or last minute call, leaving little or no time to stop.

Get good directions from a reliable source. Verify the location if something sounds unusual.

Have a case name with the proper spelling. Sometimes there is more than one proceeding happening in the same place.

Know the name of the party that scheduled the job and always have a contact number in case of emergency.

Leave the house in plenty of time to allow for traffic jams, flat tires and non-existent parking spaces.

Wear something comfortable for any environment, such as a jacket over a short-sleeved top. The air-conditioner or heating vent may have a mind of its own.

Make sure all battery-powered equipment is charged up and ready to go.

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How Does a Video Affect The Record?

January 19, 2010 – 3:39 pm

Many of our clients videotape depositions of witnesses. While this is a great way to preserve the demeanor of the witness and see exactly what was said, there are a few differences between these and regular depositions.

The videotape will show how the witness answered each question, whether it was quickly and matter-of-fact, or if they sat and squirmed in the chair before being reminded to answer the question. This may give some individuals credibility, while taking it away from others.

During the proceeding, Huseby’s professional legal videographer will monitor the audio and video portions of the record to make sure everything is properly recorded and intact on the video deposition’s record as it should be. In the event that the attorneys wish to go off the record for a discussion, the videographer will announce it before turning off the camera. Sometimes the certified court reporter will stay on the record although the video record has been suspended. This allows certain portions of the conversation to be preserved, but it will not need to be removed from the videotape in the event it is played for a jury during a trial. Video synchronization also allows the video to be searchable, and clips of certain questions and answers can easily be prepared.

Other times both the video and written record will be stopped so that attorneys can discuss important matters. There will not be any record of it, so both parties must agree to do so before it happens.

Court reporters may be at a slight disadvantage during videotape depositions. One of the courtesy rules is that the court stenographer should not interrupt on the video record if he or she did not understand a question or answer. This will interfere with a clean videotaped record. Every time the videographer must edit a recording before court, it costs the attorney a little more money. Edits are charged by the hour. Having a certified court reporter speaking on a video will distract the record. It is generally accepted that the reporter will use a copy of the videographer’s audio file to fill in any gaps or misunderstandings during the transcription process.

The written record must match the video record. This means that every false start and stutter must be recorded on the written portion of the record by the court reporter.  They also must listen to the recording to make sure nothing has been missed or inserted where it does not belong. Sometimes this makes it easier, but it also makes it more time consuming to prepare the transcript.

Some attorneys prefer to use litigation support software that features a streaming written record below the featured videotaped witness. As the audio is playing, the words show up below on a screen. This is called video synchronization, or synching. This is helpful in court when the video is played to a jury. Some courtrooms have terrible acoustics. Additionally, jurors may have difficulty hearing or understanding the words. A visual aid helps.

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Breaking the Language Barrier With Interpreters

January 13, 2010 – 3:38 pm

In some legal cases, witnesses do not have strong English skills. Sometimes they can’t speak the language at all.

In order to communicate effectively, a professional translator may attend a deposition. It is important to have unbiased interpreters that are well-versed in legal protocol. Before a deposition begins, the lawyers should explain a few guidelines for the interpreter and witness to follow which will help things go smoothly and make the court reporter’s job a little bit easier.

Interpreter Guidelines

Many states require that the interpreter be sworn in at the start of the proceedings. The oath to swear in the witness will then be administered by the court reporter and relayed to ensure accurate testimony.

A direct word-for-word translation in English is necessary to preserve the testimony of the witness. All sentences should be spoken in the first person. For example, “I went to the store,” not “He said he went to the store.”

If any word or phrase is unclear in precise meaning, the interpreter should clarify it with the witness before repeating it in English.

When a witness does not understand the specific meaning of the question, the attorneys should be told immediately and the question rephrased. It is not up to the language professional to interpret what the lawyers mean by their questions, but to transfer the question into another language.

The witness should be informed very clearly before taking the oath that everything they say in another language bears repeating, even personal comments to the interpreter or observations about the other people in the room.

Is a Professional Interpreter Really Necessary?

For witnesses that have a basic understanding of English but are not fluent, they may choose under the advice of their lawyer to answer their own questions in English with the translator present should they need assistance in unusual or technical words. This speeds up the process without infringing on the rights of the witness.

Court cases are sensitive subjects and often reveal personal information about the lives of those involved in the lawsuit. A language professional knows to be discreet and keep all information confidential after leaving the room.

When a witness provides the interpreter, the translator may be a biased friend or relative that could provide an inaccurate translation due to lack of language skills or by “trying to help” clarify testimony.

Professional Interpreters are well-versed in both languages. “Bringing a friend” to the legal deposition does not account for level of depth in either one or both languages. Someone claiming to be fluent in English may struggle as much as the witness.

By admin | Posted in Depositions | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Work for Huseby from the Comfort of Your Home

December 15, 2009 – 2:17 pm

It may surprise you to know that many of our court reporters don’t work in traditional office settings. You can work out of your home performing legal transcription services or as a legal videographer.

Home Based Legal Transcription Services

When attorneys interview witnesses before questioning them in court, they need legal transcription services to provide an official record of the conversation. Court reporters document these interviews as an unbiased witness, transcribing the conversation as it happens.

Many of our specialists in legal transcription services work out of their homes. In some cases they have to travel to the deposition site to create the transcript, but often they can work remotely. They watch the deposition on live web video or listen to it over the phone and transcribe it from a home office.

Legal transcription services may not involve doing live transcriptions. Other work at home opportunities for reporters include transcribing video depositions or working with another court reporter to create a final transcript.

Recording Video Depositions

Any video intended for evidence is likely to be challenged by the opposing attorney. A legal videographer is a person who can record a video as an unbiased observer, creating a record that will stand up in court. A video deposition recorded in this manner can allow witnesses to provide evidence in a case being tried hundreds of miles away without having to travel to the courtroom.

Typically, legal videographers don’t have as much opportunity to work out of their homes as a transcriptionist. They record the video at locations such as an attorney’s office or video conferencing studio. However, much of the post-deposition work involved in preparing the final video can be done at home. They have some flexibility regarding scheduling, making it a good choice for people with other commitments.

How Huseby Helps Your Career

Working with a court reporting agency like Huseby allows you to retain your independence and flexibility but also benefit from our experience and professional contacts. You decide how many jobs you want and in many cases can continue to work out of a home office. However you no longer have to worry about tasks like promoting your business or collecting from stubborn clients.

Your affiliation with a well-respected court reporting agency opens up a list of clients you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. Huseby has many clients, large and small, who are always looking for skilled reporters to provide deposition services. If you are a legal videographer, you will appreciate our state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities.

Telecommuting is rapidly growing in popularity and some experts predict it will be the norm rather than the exception in the future. In some fields such as court reporting, it is growing faster than the average. With Huseby on your side, you get the benefits of working with a large company and owning your own business.

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How Much Do Huseby Court Reporters Make?

December 11, 2009 – 5:15 pm

It is perfectly reasonable to want to know how much you can earn working as a court reporter, however be careful when reviewing salary surveys to be sure you are comparing apples to apples. For example, we recently came across an article that claimed California court reporters have potential earnings of over $100,000 per year. Can Huseby reporters make that much?

The Difference Between Compensation and Salary

The important phrase in the previous paragraph is “potential earnings.” You have the potential for a six-figure salary in nearly any career if you work enough hours. The question is how likely is it?

A median salary for court reporters in the Los Angeles area is closer to $50,000 per year. However these salaries are for people working in traditional settings such as courtrooms where they work a standard shift. Their employment includes benefits such as medical insurance and paid vacation and that is part of their total compensation.

Court reporters rarely make six-figure salaries in these kinds of settings however the value of their total compensation package may well approach that range. However it is certainly possible to earn $100,000 or more per year as a court reporter.

Striking Out On Your Own

The court reporters who make the big salaries are taking control of their careers. They are going out and picking up extra work such as captioning video for hearing impaired viewers, doing non-legal (not to be confused with illegal) transcription jobs, or working as scopists for other reporters. They can significantly increase their earning by working nights and weekends on these other projects.

For pure money making potential, the best option for court reporters is to work as independent contractors. In that case they have no benefits and their cash compensation is greater to compensate. Hard working and experienced reporters who are willing to put in long hours can certainly make that amount, but they must be fast, reliable, and accurate at a level well above their peers.

Work With Huseby and Choose Your Path

When you become one of our court reporters, you can decide how much you work and therefore how much you make. We are happy to provide all the work you can handle. Do some of our reporters make six figures per year? Yes, but not many. If you want to be part of this elite salary range, you need to be prepared to work for it. It’s not as much a matter of how much you make per project as it is the number of projects you do in a year.

This is the advantage of working with a court reporting agency like Huseby instead of on your own. We handle the details of finding projects so you can focus on the work. Our California court reporters can find the right balance between earning money and having a life. It’s up to you when you become part of the Huseby team.

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Using I-DEP for your Legal Video Conferencing Needs

November 24, 2009 – 1:33 pm

Video conferencing is an exciting technology that has made it much easier for attorneys to get legal depositions from witnesses in other cities or states. At Huseby, we have many years of experience using I-DEP to provide the deposition services you need over web video.

How Does Video Conferencing Help You?

When one of your witnesses lives hundreds of miles away, depositions are a challenge. Do you depend on a deposition taken without your direct involvement? Or do you expect the witness to travel to your office so you can attend the deposition in person? Neither option is ideal.

Huseby’s video conferencing services make it easy for you, the witness, the opposing attorney and one of our certified court reporters all to attend the deposition even if each of you is in a different location. This allows witnesses to give statements without traveling and permits attorneys to attend all legal depositions no matter where the deponent is located.

Standard video conferencing solutions are used in legal depositions more and more frequently, but they don’t have the features needed for the best final product. At Huseby we use I-DEP, a dedicated legal video conferencing application, to give the full deposition experience over the web.

Why Use I-DEP Video Conferencing?

Legal video conferencing products offer features that cannot be found in standard video chat products. In addition to streaming video and text chat capabilities, Huseby’s services offer features needed for an accurate and complete deposition.

The transcript being generated by our court reporters during video conferencing is displayed on the screen in real time, allowing any observer or participant to consult it as needed. Security features ensure only authorized participants are able to monitor the video feed. Text messages can be sent either publically to all participants or privately for off-the-record whispers.

When the deposition is completed, we provide a DVD that contains the audio, video and a copy of the transcript. The transcript is keyed to the video so it displays in real time as the deposition is reviewed later.

Take Advantage of Our Video Experience

The I-DEP video conferencing software has been designed to be easy to install and use. Even non-technical users can get the application running in no time, but we recommend you let us handle your I-DEP needs. Accurate video depositions require more than turning on the camera.

The Huseby court reporting agency has been using I-DEP software for many years and we know how to set it up quickly, use it efficiently, and create better video depositions than an inexperienced user can manage. We have on-site video conferencing locations throughout the world, meaning that your witnesses are never far from one of our cameras. Our real-time reporters have experience providing legal transcription services for video transcripts.

The explosive growth of fast internet connections means video conferencing is quickly becoming a necessity rather than an option. Huseby can provide all your legal video needs as well as traditional transcription services.

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Huseby’s Court Reporting Services Offers Accessibility Solutions

November 20, 2009 – 11:51 am

Years ago, Maryland court reporters did their jobs only in the state’s courtrooms. While that is still a common venue, court reporting in Baltimore and other cities has expanded out of the realm of legal depositions. At Huseby we are proud of how our services have improved accessibility in local businesses for people with disabilities.

Helping the Hearing Impaired

It is common to hire a sign language interpreter at conferences for any attendees who might be hearing impaired. However not all hearing impaired people know sign language. A number of auditory disorders may not substantially interfere with normal conversation but could make it impossible for someone to understand a speaker at a conference.

Many companies use Huseby’s court reporting services as an alternative or a supplement to a sign language interpreter. Our reporters create transcripts in real time, which can be displayed on a screen exactly as close captioning is used for live television broadcasts such as the news. Some of our clients have the captions displayed on a screen visible to the entire audience while others have them fed to individual screens for hearing impaired employees.

Communicating with Remote Employees

Telecommuting is a growing employment option used by today’s businesses. Most telecommuters choose the arrangement so they can care for their families, and in this case coming into the office for a meeting is inconvenient. For others, they work remotely because of disabilities. There are any number of medical conditions that may force a worker to be homebound, making attending company functions not just inconvenient but impossible.

We can send our court reporting transcripts over the web to the telecommuting worker. This allows remote employees to be included into the meeting, an important element of retaining a team atmosphere when not all workers are in the same location. Huseby also offers video conferencing services so remote workers can observe company events over streaming video.

Huseby’s Other Court Reporting Services

While improving accessibility is a valuable service in its own right, our court reporting services offer much more. Many organizations want written records of proceedings and may use a company secretary to make notes on the meeting. The problem with these documents is they carry little weight. If anyone challenges what is written, it can quickly become a problem as everyone remembers events differently.

Huseby court reporters are more than simply transcriptionists; they are professional witnesses. Our experience is in producing transcripts designed to stand up in court. While you may not need this service for a meeting about this month’s company birthday cake, there are a number of encounters that will benefit from an unbiased accounting of what occurred.

Huseby offers court reporting in Baltimore and many other cities nationwide. While we are deeply involved in our nation’s legal system, we are also an essential part of many corporate gatherings as well.

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Tips for Finding Court Reporting Jobs

October 27, 2009 – 2:48 pm

Court reporters who complete their training may be at a loss to find their first court stenography positions. Even those experienced in court reporting sometimes struggle to find that next assignment. There are a number of resources available to aid reporters in their job searches.

Work Your Contacts

In any field, networking is an important element of a job-hunting strategy. The first place to check is with your school. They will have a list of companies hiring for court stenography positions and can provide valuable information on the state of the local job market. Certain employers may have hired many of their graduating in the past. Your teachers are valuable sources of job advice and professional recommendations. Fellow students can pool their information to give everyone a better chance of finding a position.

Court reporting associations are another good source of career guidance. Join the NCRA for their certification programs and networking opportunities and join your state court reporters’ association for regional job listings. The association and the members can put new reporters on the path to local court stenography positions.

Internet Job Searches

Online resources are great if you are looking for court stenography positions outside your local area. You may be planning to move to a new city or be open to positions anywhere in the country. Even if you are looking for local positions, most companies advertise their positions online rather than using other media.

Online job searching should involve more than posting a resume and waiting for a phone call. Check job listings daily and apply for new positions immediately. Tailor every resume to the specific job and research the hiring company so you can customize your application to their organization. A resume written to fit a specific opening stands a much better chance of landing an interview than a generic resume sent to every employer in the city.

Let the Huseby Court Reporting Agency Find the Jobs for You

It’s tough to face the job market alone. Instead of going solo, join the Huseby team and let us work to find you regular court stenography assignments. We have many established clients and a steady flow of work so we are always looking for talented professionals to add to our team.

However don’t let your career aspirations stop with the courtroom. Although most students think of court stenography when they imagine their careers, there is a vast array of positions available to court reporters. Many businesses use court reporters to provide unbiased documentations of meetings, conferences and negotiations. There is a huge demand for close captioning of television, movies and live web broadcasts.

When you work for Huseby, you let us handle the details that get in the way of court reporting. We handle tasks like finding clients and billing for services so you have more time for yourself. You can focus on the work, trusting Huseby to take care of the rest.

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