How to choose a certified court reporter from an agency
Today, the choices for court reporting firms and contract court reporters is not limited and one might feel overwhelmed with the choices available but then the most important problem arises – choosing the right agency and certified court reporter. As attorneys, we evaluate the strength of our cases based on all the information available but we often forget the support system through which the information passes and here the most important is a court reporter. Today most of the attorneys examine court reporters just like they examine their witness. But that may or may not be the right way. So here’s what you can do to select your certified court reporter from a good agency.
Screen References: Remember certified court reporting is someone with the right certifications. But sometimes there may be not so pleasant experience so it’s not a wise decision to always test your reporter based on certification. Here, one way is to rigorously screen references, particularly non-listed references. A good court reporting agency will screen a reporter’s references, but a better one would ask for more that won’t be listed on reporter’s resume. When you screen references, you can easily make out if the reporter will fit in your project or not.
Technical Abilities: Today, just like any other occupation, court reporting today is become increasingly defined by technical practices. Most importantly real time reporting and video reporting. So if you need these abilities in your court reporter it won’t be difficult to locate the reporters that posses them. However, it would be difficult time discerning how proficient a reporter is in your particular reporting needs. Therefore the best thing to do is always hire only those court reporting agencies that test their reporters' skills instead of judging their skills by their certifications.
Personality: Though this may sound strange, the third step to choose a correct certified court reporter is to screen them on the basis of their personality. Remember though court reporters are silent and sedentary during their assignments, their personalities have more than to do with how they present themselves during depositions; the way they react to deponents in terms of the deposition manuscript. A reporter that is easily bored, prejudiced or reacts angrily to certain topics could product a transcript that is untrue or highly flawed in terms of the deponent's non-verbal reactions. Therefore, always screen your reporters personality to choose the best.
Remember choosing a right court reporter and a court reporting firm matters a lot. All court reporters provide the same service, however, there always a difference in the quality. Remember not all court reporters are like, some may be extra ordinary but won’t be suitable for your case while some may not be that great but would be perfect for your need. Therefore, it is very important to choose a court reporter according to your needs and requirements.
