Tag: attorneys

The 12 Most Common Questions from Attorneys and Paralegals About Court Reporting — Answered by PRI Court Reporting

The 12 Most Common Questions from Attorneys and Paralegals About Court Reporting — Answered by PRI Court Reporting

For more than 45 years, PRI Court Reporting has been trusted by law firms, corporations, and courts across Ohio and the Midwest for precise, professional, and reliable record-taking. Over the years, we’ve heard many of the same questions from attorneys, paralegals, and clients — about our process, our technology, and what makes this profession so vital to the justice system.

We’ve gathered the answers to the most frequently asked questions about court reporting — drawn from our experience and expertise. Whether you’re a longtime client or simply curious about what we do, this guide offers a behind-the-scenes look at the work we do that ensures every word counts.

1. Is Court Reporting Being Replaced by Artificial Intelligence?

While technology supports our work, it cannot replace it. AI lacks the context, accuracy, and impartiality that certified court reporters provide. At PRI, we use technology to enhance our service — never to replace the human expertise that defines it.

2. What’s the Difference Between a Stenographic Court Reporter and a Digital Court Recorder?

A stenographic court reporter captures testimony live, in real time, using a stenographic machine or voice-writing equipment. A digital court recorder typically records the proceedings and after the proceedings, a transcriptionist produces a transcript from the recording. Every PRI transcript is produced and certified by a trained stenographic court reporter — ensuring it’s admissible, accurate, and complete.

3. Is There a Shortage of Court Reporters?

Not necessarily a shortage, but as veteran reporters retire, the demand for skilled reporters continues to rise nationwide. It’s one reason PRI invests in supporting and retaining experienced professionals. Our clients benefit from PRI’s longstanding relationships and reputation for stability.

4. How Long Does It Take to Get a Transcript?

Turnaround times depend on your needs. PRI offers standard delivery for most transcripts, which is 10 business days, along with expedited and daily copy services when time is critical. Every transcript is reviewed for accuracy and formatted to our transcript specifications — ensuring quality never takes a back seat to speed.

5. What Is Realtime Reporting?

Realtime reporting allows attorneys to view the transcript as it’s being written — word for word — during the proceeding. It’s invaluable for strategy, review, and note-taking. PRI’s Certified Realtime Reporters provide this service seamlessly, both in person and remotely.

6. Do You Offer Remote or Hybrid Depositions?

Yes. PRI was among the first in Central Ohio to adopt secure, reliable remote deposition technology. Whether your case involves local witnesses or participants across the country, our team handles every detail — from virtual exhibits to realtime streaming — with the same professionalism you expect in person.

7. Can I Get a Rough Draft Transcript the Same Day?

Absolutely. When strategy can’t wait, PRI offers rough drafts delivered within hours of your proceeding. Our reporters use advanced realtime software to assist in producing accurate drafts quickly, allowing you to review testimony and prepare for the next day’s session with confidence.

8. Do You Provide Videography or Legal Video Services?

Certainly.  PRI can schedule legal videographers who work seamlessly alongside our court reporters to create a synchronized record of both testimony and demeanor. We also provide video-text synchronization for trial presentation, formatted to your specifications.

9. Are Your Court Reporters Certified?

Yes, PRI’s reporters are highly trained and experienced professionals holding state and national certifications such as Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), and Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR). We also have reporters certified in California, Illinois, and Michigan.  Certification ensures our reporters meet the highest standards for speed, accuracy, and ethics.

10. How Does PRI Handle Depositions That Run Long or Get Rescheduled?

We understand that legal proceedings can change quickly. Our scheduling team remains flexible and responsive, adjusting to extensions, cancellations, or new start times with professionalism and courtesy.

11. How Can I Schedule a Deposition with PRI?

We make scheduling simple. You can schedule online at priohio.com, call our scheduling team, or email directly. Whether your proceeding is in person, remote, or hybrid, PRI coordinates every detail so you can focus on your case — not logistics.

12. Why Choose PRI Court Reporting?

Because experience matters. For over 45 years, PRI has partnered with attorneys, firms, and courts who value reliability and excellence. From realtime reporting to secure file management, we provide complete, client-focused solutions tailored to your needs.  Every transcript, every proceeding, every client receives the full measure of our attention and expertise. We’re not just capturing words — we’re preserving accuracy, trust, and the integrity of the record.

Closing Thoughts

Court reporting is more than a profession — it’s a commitment to the preservation of the legal record. At PRI, we’ve built our reputation on that commitment for over four decades. Whether you’re an attorney, paralegal, or client, you can count on us to deliver clarity, confidentiality, and excellence on every page.

PRI Court Reporting — Experience. Precision. Integrity.
Visit us at priohio.com to schedule your next proceeding or learn more about our services.

Last Minute Holiday Tips

Last Minute Holiday Tips

(Let me just clarify, I know this photo has nothing to do with a healthyChristmas palm trees
lifestyle, but it’s got a holiday feeling and they’re palm trees –
what’s more relaxing than seeing those in your inbox?!?)

There are some “holiday tips” that can be used year round.  The challenge is trying to remember them on a regular basis!  This blog post features some tips we gained at a luncheon seminar put on by the Women Lawyers of Franklin County which featured a presentation by two Columbus attorneys, Stephanie Hanna (OSBA) and Simi Botic (health coach).

Stephanie and Simi offered simple tips to start a practice of self-care in three areas of our lives that can wreak havoc on our health, our diet, and our sanity!  Here are just a few of their great tips:

Relationships

Career

Health

With the holidays on top of us, everyone’s life gets a little more hectic, so don’t try to make a lot of changes all at once.  Pick one or two of these to focus on at a time and then gradually add another.  Thinking you need to change many habits all at once will set you up for failure.  One of my favorite messages is, “Forgive yourself for your inability to be perfect.”  Perfection cannot be achieved, but, rather, setting a goal to make yourself better than you were the day before is manageable.

You can find many more inspirational posts on Simi’s blog.

My wish for you is that you enjoy the holidays, enjoy the people in your life, and take the time to nourish your spirit!

Angie sigt 2.jpg

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

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Would You Jeopardize Your Case?

Would You Jeopardize Your Case?

 

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Many attorneys and paralegals across the country get calls, e-mails, solicitations from large court reporting firms with an offer of great perks if the attorney will agree to allow that firm to cover all of their depositions.  Perhaps you personally have been the recipient of these efforts.  Your client, whether a large corporation or insurance company, may also be the recipient of these efforts.  These offers always sound beneficial in one way or another.  It may be a reduced rate on the transcript order.  It may be a waived appearance fee.  It may be gift cards to restaurants, iPads, bottles of wine.  All of these can be enticing and may be persuasive in your decision to switch court reporting firms.

However, there are several reasons this practice is not in your best interest or that of your client, the most important of which is the risks this could mean to your case.  Many states have adopted rules prohibiting certain contractual arrangements for court reporting services, including Ohio.

The Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure, specifically Rule 28(D), state that, “(1) Any blanket contract for private court reporting services, not related to a particular case or reporting incident, shall be prohibited between a private court reporter or any other person with whom a private court reporter has a principal and agency relationship, and any attorney, party to an action, party having a financial interest in an action, or any entity providing the services of a shorthand reporter. (2) “Blanket contract” means a contract under which a court reporter, court recorder, or court reporting firm agrees to perform all court reporting or court recording services for a client for two or more cases at a rate of compensation fixed in the contract.”

The Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure also state, “This prohibition is enforceable by the court in which the underlying action is pending. Enforceability is implicitly recognized by Civ. R. 32(D)(2), which requires reasonable diligence of a party in raising a disqualification issue.”  Rule 32(D)(2) states, “Objection to taking a deposition because of disqualification of the officer before whom it is to be taken is waived unless made before the taking of the deposition begins or as soon thereafter as the disqualification becomes known or could be discovered with reasonable diligence.”  This leaves the burden of discovering any reasons for disqualification on the attorneys in the case, one of which could be the violation of Rule 28(D) by the court reporter or court reporting firm.

So the question is: Would you want to risk your case, or your client’s goodwill and reputation, for a few cents per page, a bottle of wine, or restaurant gift cards?

As officers of the court, court reporters have a responsibility to be fair and impartial toward each participant in all aspects of reported proceedings and be alert to situations that are conflicts of interest or that may give the appearance of a conflict of interest.  We should also guard against not only the fact but the appearance of impropriety. (NCRA, 2017)

Sarah Nageotte, Executive Director of the Ohio Court Reporters Association and a Past President of the National Court Reporters Association, indicates that “Court reporters have long been held as the guardians of the record.  Litigants, the Bar, and the public must have confidence and trust in the process, and it is vital that the court reporting community fulfills its role impartially and above reproach.”

The National Court Reporters Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics and Board of Directors have adopted the following language, stating that members, “Refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift or anything of value to attorneys or their staff, other clients or their staff, or any other persons or entities associated with any litigation, which exceeds $150 in the aggregate per recipient each year.   Nothing offered in exchange for future work is permissible, regardless of its value. “

Protect yourself and your client. Hire a reporter based on skill and experience who puts ethics first.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck, RDR/CRR/CRC, is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. She is an NCRA member and an NCRA Ethics First member.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

My Experience with Jury Duty – by Rhonda Lawrence

My Experience with Jury Duty – by Rhonda Lawrence

16140571199_fddf693906_z (1)I have been called to jury duty twice, and both times I was released immediately for the mere fact that I am a court reporter, being told I know too much about the legal process and know too many attorneys.  So you can imagine my excitement when I was asked to be a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) provider for a hearing-impaired juror.  Not only was it my first opportunity to sit with a jury, but it was also my first murder trial.  Working as a freelance reporter, generally all of my work is civil in nature.

The trial went about as any typical trial does.  Having been an official reporter, I know the things that go on outside of the jury’s presence.  This time, since I was sitting with the juror and none of that was presented to “us,” I found myself envious of the official reporter.  I wanted to hear the bench conferences; I wanted to know why someone in the gallery was asked to leave; I wanted to know why certain witnesses and evidence was not presented; I wanted to know what both sides said about the jury instructions; I wanted to know the “history” of the case.  All things I otherwise would have known as the official reporter.

The case was closed and the time came for deliberations, which is what I was most excited about.  Having not been the CART provider for this particular voir dire selection, I did not know the background of any of the jurors.  I found myself intrigued by all of the different perspectives everyone had, wondering what their background is for them to hold the opinions they did, questioning in my mind why they thought certain things were or weren’t important to the case, and speculating on evidence that was not presented.  It was interesting that everyone heard such different testimony from the same witness.  It was very difficult for me, when they would argue over what was or wasn’t said, to not be able to just pull it up on the screen and show them, as I would do in a deposition setting.

As a freelance reporter, I usually only get to hear one side of the story and I never know the outcome of a case.  So you can imagine my frustration when the outcome ended up being a hung jury!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rhonda Lawrence is a court reporter with PRI Court Reporting, LLC, in Columbus, Ohio.  You can learn more about Rhonda here.  You can also follow PRI Court Reporting on Twitter and Facebook.

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An Interview with Columbus Court Reporter – Andrea Crago

An Interview with Columbus Court Reporter – Andrea Crago

PRI Court Reporting is lucky enough to have a very talented and experienced team of employees.  Andrea Crago is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio and she has been with PRI for 23 years.  While Andrea has concentrated her work in the CART setting for many years, she also has deposition experience as well.  Andrea is very professional, knowledgeable, and talented.  You may have met her at a deposition or CART job, so here’s a chance to get to know her a little better.

How long have you been a court reporter?
I have been a reporter for over 35 years, but took six years off (consecutive) during that time to have two children and to get them started in preschool.

How long have you been working at PRI?
I was hired by PRI in July of ’92, following my six-year hiatus from work. By the time I came back, the court reporting business had gone completely CAT (computer-assisted transcription), so I had a lot of ramping up to do, especially since I wanted to specialize in CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation). After five months of homework to build my computerized dictionary and building up my writing speed again, I went out on my first job in November of ’92. And I have been with PRI now for over 23 years.

Did you have other court reporting experience prior to joining PRI?
Yes, I have six years’ full-time experience in deposition work, trial work, and conference/meetings work, over four different states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (my husband was in computer sales, and his job took us to four states over five years), but I never had any trouble getting a job with a freelance firm wherever we lived.

What do you like most about working at PRI?
Two things, really. Since I specialize in CART, PRI is the number one freelance firm in the state of Ohio which offers the highest quality CART/captioning writing, so we get some very high profile work, which is interesting and personally challenging. The second reason is PRI’s willingness to be flexible with my work schedule. I really only work part-time, but my availability is all over the place. I have been able to raise three children (yes, we added one more) while still being an “at-home” mom when needed.

Where are you from or where did you grow up?
I was born in Phoenix, AZ, while my dad was in the Air Force. When his tour was over, my parents moved back to Youngstown, Ohio. I was only 2 years old.

Before working as a court reporter, did you have another career or job?  If so, what?
I actually was a secretary for two lawyers in a firm after I graduated high school with clerical training. I was the person who booked the court reporter to come in for depositions. I would talk with them and ask lots of questions, and I thought it was something I would like and could do. Luckily, Youngstown State University offered an Associate’s Degree in court reporting. (They don’t anymore, sadly.) So I went to school at night after work, and three years later, I graduated at the top of my class.

What is one thing you would like our clients to know about court reporting/depositions/CART?
Not to sound flip, but to remember that even though we work with machinery and technology, that we are human – which ultimately makes for a better transcript (versus electronically recorded). But we do need periodic breaks, time for nourishment, and have busy lives outside of the courtroom/boardroom. And I wish we had super human hearing, but we don’t; so if you cannot hear a person talking, chances are we can’t, either.

What is the most unusual deposition/CART situation you’ve found yourself in?
Logistics-wise, having driven into the countryside for a deposition at someone’s home (a hostile witness) and not being able to get out of my car because of the attack dog that was at my window. Ultimately, the lawyer called me on my cell (from his car) and said that the depo was not going to take place.  Content-wise, while I was working in Connecticut, I reported the grand jury indictment proceedings, and there were always strange and unusual stories!

What’s on your iPod?
Oh, boy, I don’t own an iPod. I’m a big fan of listening to NPR on the radio.

What is one thing our clients don’t know about you?
I’m only half Italian.  (French is the other half)

What is your favorite restaurant in Columbus?
Mimi’s Cafe – best salmon.

What is your favorite app?
Google maps with audio directions. The best when driving at night and unfamiliar with the area. Second favorite: GasBuddy — finds the lowest gas prices in the area.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Driving – picking up and dropping off kids.

What is your best tip for balancing work/life/family?
Trusting God, and looking ahead and planning for the next day or two. When the unexpected happens, put a positive spin on it and go with the flow.

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about Andrea.  Look for more interviews with other PRI Court Reporting staff in the future.

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From Baby Boomers to Millenials: Working Side by Side

From Baby Boomers to Millenials: Working Side by Side

Having been a court reporter for over 20 years now, and a Gen Xer, I am starting to notice myself sandwiched between Baby Boomers and Millenials (or Gen Ys) in both deposition and courtroom settings.  While I didn’t know the names of all the generations, nor that there was a name for this phenomenon, I knew that how I interacted with the different generations of lawyers I worked with varied, depending on where they fall on the generational spectrum.

Today, there are three and sometimes four generations working side by side.   This is known as generational diversity.  Understanding what drives each of these generations, their work habits, and general characteristics can help create a productive and fulfilling workplace for everyone.

There are many examples of these differences even in a deposition setting.  I see members of the Traditional Generation appear in suits, and often formally refer to everyone as Mr. and Mrs.  They may work very long hours, and may have been at the same law firm their entire career.  I also see late Gen Xers and Millenials that appear more casually dressed (although still very professionally), who use technology to its fullest extent, and who may even leave the office by 5:00 to work around child care arrangements.  One of the biggest examples of the difference in generations might be seen when it’s time to schedule another deposition and the Baby Boomers get out their hard copy calendar from their jacket pocket, while the Gen Xers get their smartphone out of their pants pocket!

Gen Xers and Millenials can learn a lot from the Baby Boomers and Traditionalists, but they need to slow down long enough to do so.  They need to respect the seniority and position of these generations.  Baby Boomers can also interact more easily with Gen Xers and Millenials by understanding what shapes them.  Sometimes a Millenial may be texting or e-mailing from their smartphone while chatting with a Baby Boomer.  Baby Boomers may find this disrespectful, but if they understand this is the way Millenials learned to communicate and send and receive information, it helps to understand the Millenials are not doing it to be disrespectful.

Kathleen Brady (Principal of Kanarek & Brady, LLC) has narrowed down three things to keep in mind:

  1. Understand the environment.  Observe how others in your workplace are working, dressing, communicating.  Professionalism and respect are still key, no matter what generation you are a part of.
  2. Understand the impact of technology.  Younger generations are used to getting information quicker than ever.    They are also used to having the “answer at their fingertips.”  They need to slow down, use some independent thinking, and keep professional communication formal and not resort to text-speak.
  3. Display impeccable judgment.  Millenials are used to putting their life and thoughts on display via many social media channels.  Sometimes Baby Boomers may look at this as a lack of judgment.

The keys to successful generational diversity in the workplace is to respect those you are working with, regardless of their generation; celebrate and embrace every generation’s differences; and have an open mind that you could possibly learn a thing or two from someone from a different generation!

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Angie is an NCRA-certified RPR, CRR, CCP, and a proud Gen Xer. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Sources:
Attention Gen Y’s:  Understand Generational Differences in the Workplace by Kathleen Brady, Kanarek & Brady, LLC.
Generational Differences Between Attorneys, by James Kimberly, Sapphire Consulting.
Photo credit:  www.abcya.com

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No Time For Lunch?

No Time For Lunch?

If you often find yourself making excuses to coworkers or yourself about why you can’t get away from your desk for lunch, you’re not alone!  According to a Right Management survey* of 1,023 workers, 28% said they seldom, if ever, take a break for lunch, and 39% of those workers say they do, but usually stay at their desk.

We have partnered with an expert in this field, Kim Cox, health coach at Benefit Wellness in Plain City, Ohio, to shed some light on the drawbacks of this habit and to provide some suggestions on how to break out of this habit to improve your health.

Sitting for too long at a sedentary job can contribute to health problems from head to toe, including heart disease, strained neck and back, tight hips, disk damage, and poor circulation in the legs.  Another downside of skipping lunch is you may be inclined to binge later in the day and make poor food choices for snacks from a vending machine or fast food dinners.

Kim suggests compartmentalizing and building in time for intended breaks and lunch during your work day.

Here are some of the benefits of taking time for yourself and for lunch:

All of these things will lead to improved productivity at work and, more importantly, improve your health.

“The groundwork to all happiness is good health.”  ~Leigh Hun

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Kim Cox is an ACE Health Coach emphasizing fitness, nutrition, and behavior modification.  She is dedicated to helping individuals work towards greater balance, purpose, and well-being.  She is the founder of Benefit Wellness in Plain City, Ohio.  You can connect with Kim on Facebook @Benefit Wellness or www.benefitwellnessonline.com.

*Source for Right Management Survey here.

Photo credit can be found here.

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Steps a Court Reporter Takes to Prepare a Transcript for Production

Steps a Court Reporter Takes to Prepare a Transcript for Production

Do you ever wonder about how a court reporter gets such a great transcript to you after your deposition and the steps she takes to accomplish this?

Imagine this:  You’ve just completed an all-day deposition of the expert witness in your case and you’ve lightened the load in your briefcase by giving all your exhibits to the court reporter.  You’ve told her that you need the transcript expedited.  You’ve been watching the realtime screen all day, so you know how clean the transcript is.  It can’t be that difficult or take that long to get the transcript ready for delivery, right?

While your favorite court reporter is very good at her job – she must be, otherwise you wouldn’t hire her, right? —  producing a transcript isn’t as easy as hitting the print button on her computer.

Here are some of the steps a good court reporter will go through once the deposition is over in order to produce a clean, accurate transcript that will help you and your client:

Depending on the type of deposition and the complexity of the case or the witness, it could take up to two times the length of the deposition for the court reporter to complete the transcript.  So for a four-hour deposition, she could spend eight hours on editing and proofreading that transcript.

So remember, after your all-day deposition is over and you’ve expedited that transcript for overnight delivery, your favorite court reporter will be up for hours that night reading, editing, and proofreading in order to provide you with the great service and accurate transcript you’ve become accustomed to.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

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Court Reporting Ethics: Incentive Gifts to Attorneys

Court Reporting Ethics: Incentive Gifts to Attorneys

Does your court reporting firm offer you, your assistant, or your paralegal, gifts of money, gift cards, or products in exchange for scheduling your depositions with them?  Over the years, some court reporting firms have participated in a disturbing practice of offering “rewards programs” for attorneys and their law firms whereby the scheduler of depositions earns points or gifts every time they schedule with that court reporting firm.

This can be a dangerous practice for court reporting firms as well as the attorneys and their clients.  As keepers of the record and officers of the court, court reporters should maintain impartiality and neutrality in order to protect the integrity of our profession.

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Code of Professional Ethics states that members shall, “Refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift or anything of value to attorneys or their staff, other clients or their staff, or any other persons or entities associated with any litigation, which exceeds $150 in the aggregate per recipient each year.  Nothing offered in exchange for future work is permissible, regardless of its value.”  NCRA has further distinguished between “thank you” gifts (such as pens, coffee mugs, and other marketing materials), and “incentive” gifts, which are given in exchange for the promise of future work.

NCRA has formed Ethics First, which is a “voluntary…public awareness program that seeks to positively educate court reporters, colleagues, firms, and in particular, their clients and consumers,” about why the impartiality and neutrality of the court reporter is so important in maintaining our legal system.  If you would like to help maintain an unbiased legal system, please consider using a court reporting firm that is an Ethics First member, and one that doesn’t use gifting as a way to increase their business.

While the court reporter’s concern about impartiality is of utmost importance to them, attorneys and law firms should also be concerned about their participation in “rewards programs.”  Here are some things to think about:

So when scheduling your depositions, whether locally or nationally, don’t hesitate to ask the firm if they are an Ethics First participant.  Consider using a firm with qualified, experienced court reporters so you know you’ll receive the best services for your client, and don’t be fooled by the gifts!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Angie is an individual participant in NCRA Ethics First, and PRI Court Reporting is a proud Ethics First firm participant.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Photo credit here.

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Video Deposition Tips for Attorneys and Their Witnesses

Video Deposition Tips for Attorneys and Their Witnesses

Video depositions can be very helpful to your case and they are sometimes even necessary to be used during trial.  For these reasons, it would be to your benefit to make sure you get the best quality video you can.  Here are a few key things court reporters and videographers have learned over the years that will help with this and hopefully keep your video off YouTube with the search term “worst video deposition”!

1.  Reserve a conference room with adequate space to accommodate all the parties and the addition of a videographer and his/her equipment.

2.  Make sure all parties are aware the videographer will need access to the conference room one hour prior to the start of the deposition so they can set up and test all equipment.

3.  The sound quality is best when the microphone is placed in the center of the shirt, about three inches below the chin.  Some attorneys place their microphone too low on their tie and this will affect audio quality and tends to add background noises, like paper shuffling or the microphone hitting the table.

4.  Please provide the videographer a copy of the notice prior to the start of the deposition.  This will give them helpful information to include at the beginning of the video to identify the case and parties.

5.  Remember to state clearly and loudly when you want to go off the record and confirm that the court reporter and videographer heard you; otherwise, they will continue recording the conversation.

6.  Always remove your microphone when standing up to leave the table or the room. Forgetting to do so can result in damage to the microphones as well as recording conversations you may not want on the video.

7.  As in any deposition, please speak one at a time.  This is especially important during a video deposition because court reporters try to interrupt as little as possible so they don’t leave you with a video for a jury that is full of unnecessary colloquy or that requires a lot of editing.

These tips should be helpful in ensuring your video deposition is valuable to your client and their case and one you would be pleased with presenting to a jury.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angie Starbuck is a court reporter in Columbus, Ohio, and the owner of PRI Court Reporting, LLC. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.

Photo courtesy of NCRA.  Also, thanks to Matt Aurigema with Gema Video for his videography tips.

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