Business Trend Watch

September 19, 2019

Biggest Questions About the Court Reporting Industry

Credit: National Court Reporting Firms

Court reporting isn’t rocket science, but some seem to think it is. To those unfamiliar with the line of work, court reporting is seen as an odd part of law probably more involved with journalism than the legal proceedings. In actuality, court reporting is the process of recording what was said, how it was said, and who said it during a deposition or trial. This can be done in realtime, or afterwards through transcription.

Portland court reporting firm, Beovich, Walter & Friend developed a page on their website that answers the top questions people have about court reporting, and the industry as a whole. After being in business for over half a century, it is safe to say that BWF has a solid understanding of the court reporting industry.

Couldn’t a regular person type up what was said as it was said? Absolutely not. According to the BWF FAQ, Court reporters use a specific machine to called a stenograph (or steno-type, or even steno-machine) that is similar in function to a regular keyboard, but is vastly different. Instead of being laid out in the usual QWERTY format, steno keyboards are laid out phonetically. To properly record a word, they must press a number of keys at the same time.

And becoming a court reporter isn’t exactly easy. After going through schooling, court reporter hopefuls must take a certification course that further illustrates the professional’s ability. According to BWF, court reporters must be able to type over 200 words a minute with an accuracy rate of 97.5 percent to pass this rigorous examination.

At the very least, court reporters must past their state exam, or the National Court Reporting Association’s (NCRA) Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) exam. In many states, court reporters must be registered in whichever state (or states) they plan to practice. To be truly competitive, however, BWF Reporters suggest that court reporting professionals further their education and receive additional certifications.

Take firm president, Julie Walter, for instance. Over the course of three decades, Walter has secured three different certifications to make her a stronger asset to her clients. She is a Certified Shorthand Reporter, a Registered Professional Reporter, and a Certified Realtime Reporter. In Oregon and Washington, clients seek out her instantaneous realtime services, as well as her ability to provide same-day rough drafts, expedited delivery, and daily copy on demand.

The most prominent question people have doesn’t involve the technology of reporting, it involves the longevity. With the rise of tech, will court reporters be replaced by recording devices? According to BWF Reporters, this isn’t projected to be a problem. Recording devices have been around since the late 1800s, but court reporters are still a regular part of the courtroom to this day. Recording devices cannot distinguish between accents, terminology, who said what, and they certainly cannot format the proceedings in digital and text formats.

Court reporting is here to stay. When you need a court reporting service, make sure you are scheduling the best of the best professionals. In the Pacific Northwest, those professionals come from Beovich, Walter & Friend.

For more information call (503) 228-7201, email info@bwfreporters.com ,or visit their offices.

1000 SW Broadway, Suite 1660 Portland, OR 97205

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019

Litigation Support Firms That Offer More than Just Court Reporting

Credit: Planet Depos

Perhaps, back in the day, it was standard to expect a litigation support firm to do one thing: court report. In fairness, when court reporting first became a standard part of legal proceedings in the 19 century, technology wasn’t as advanced. Attorneys didn’t need all the resources and tools they would now. All they needed was a qualified professional who could accurately record what was said, who said what, and how it was said.

Times have changed. These days, it’s common for attorneys to need court reporters, videographers, trial presentation specialists, and much more for their deposition or trial. They don’t have time to schedule a service from this and that firm—it cuts into the limited, precious time they have to work on their case. So, litigation support firms that offer nothing but court reporting are pushed to the wayside.

This can be a difficult thing for firms to accept. Even in central Florida, home to populous hubs like Orlando, many court reporting firms struggle to keep up with the changing tides. It has to be as frustrating to these businesses as it is to their would-be clients.

“For some reason, many businesses aren’t as in-tune with their clients as they should be,” Jasel Patel, CEO of NGOTechnologies says. “It pays to listen to the needs of your clients—literally and figuratively.”

However, there is one standout firm that attorneys and paralegals in central Florida can rely on time and time again: Ryan Reporting. Since 1970—nearly 50 years of business—Ryan Reporting has served the Orlando area with dignity and dedication. Equally as importantly, Ryan Reporting offers far more than just court reporting.

Ryan Reporting offers not one, not two, but over 12 litigation services to fulfill each and every one of their client’s needs. Attorneys can book Ryan’s top of the line court reporting professionals just as easily as they can book translators, mediation scheduling, notary services, and conference rooms.

These Orlando court reporters specialize their services even further. While a timely, accurate, and effective court reporter is highly important to the health of a case, there can be issues if that court reporter is not knowledgeable of the field in with their attorney practices. At Ryan Reporting, that is not a problem. Their staff specializes in over a dozen areas of practice—from real estate law to education law—so to ensure they have the best understanding of the difficult terminology and nuances that come along with the field.

Everything Ryan Reporting does is with their clients’ needs in mind. A happy client is a returning client, yes, but Ryan Reporting cares about their clients beyond that. They want these hardworking attorneys to be successful and are honored to be a part of that success.

For more information on Ryan Reporting, call (321) 636-4450, email info@ryanreporting.com, or visit their office.

1670 South Fiske Blvd, Rockledge, Florida 32955

September 5, 2019

Keeping Up With the Court Reporting Industry

Credit: Viking Mergers and Acquisitions

What has changed about the world of court reporting? Many professionals can agree on one aspect: everything. Over the past half century, just about everything has changed about the world of court reporting— the technologies used, what is expected from the professionals, and what is expected from the firm itself.

Court reporters should be able to type around 200 words per minute. They should be knowledgeable about the industry they are reporting for. They should have an accuracy rate of well over 90 percent. It is a tall order to fill for a good chunk of professionals, and unfortunately, businesses suffer as a result- that is, if they can even keep up in the first place.

These days, court reporting firms are expected to double as full-service litigation firms. The staff should have top-tier videographers at hand, offer streaming services, and so much more. When a company is unable to provide these (now considered) baseline services, can they really be expected to serve their clients with the respect they deserve?

In Houston, Texas—the largest city in one of the largest states in America—a court reporting professional that holds all these qualities is invaluable, yet seemingly hard to find. Attorneys and paralegals who have been in the legal industry for years know that there isn’t another court reporting firm to look towards than Hanna & Hanna Reporting.

Hanna & Hanna checks every box off. For decades, the name “Hanna Reporting” has been synonymous with quality customer service, mind-blowing speed, and unparalleled accuracy in reporting. The firm has worked cases big and small across dozens of areas of practice, and no matter the size, the staff at Hanna Reporting treat each client as if they are the only client—a sort of dedication that brings people back time and time again.

The firm proudly offers a variety of litigation services. Realtime reporters can be booked with a few clicks or easy call. Certified legal video specialists record crystal clear video and audio, and synch the transcript to the tape before returning it. They also provide realtime streaming, so that attorneys can connect with their legal team without leaving Houston.

“There aren’t better court reporters in Houston,” Julie Rehberg of Omaha, Nebraska says. “They work around the clock to make sure their clients have everything they need when they need it.”

Attorneys and paralegals can connect with Hanna Reporting easily. By calling (713) 840-8484, emailing the firm, or filling out this contact firm, clients can hear from Hanna in a matter of minutes. If a last-minute accident happens (and Hanna knows they do), clients can email afterhours@hannareporting.com at any time of day to receive a prompt call or email or call in return. It really is that simple.

8582 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77024

August 28, 2019August 29, 2019

Being a Destination Rabbi

Credit: Destination Wedding Details

According to a 2012 Knot survey, the average destination wedding will cost the bride and groom around $20,000. While there isn’t a figure for 2019 at the moment, it is safe to say that the number has only gone up in the past seven years. With every service that has to be booked, it makes sense—the food should be good, the venue should be spotless, everything shipped over should have arrived precisely the way it was meant to. The couple and their planner have so much work ahead of them, it can easily make heads spin, and this doesn’t even cover a major point of contention—who will officiate the wedding?

An officiant can make or break a wedding. They can bring an audience to tears, or bore an audience to sleep. An officiant is always a crucial part of one’s wedding, but doubly so for a destination wedding. Unless the couple is frequent visitors to said destination, more likely than not, they will be unfamiliar with the professionals in that area. That makes booking an officiant an unsteady path to tread.

In Cancun, the Yucatan peninsula, and all of southeast Mexico, there is one wedding officiant couples can count on. Rabbi Stephen Spiegel is known for making Jewish and Jewish Interfaith destination weddings absolutely magical. He produces a reputation of warm, personal, and inclusive wedding ceremonies that accurately reflect the couple.

Some ceremonies seem like a cut-and-paste template. This is never the case with Rabbi Steve. Over email, phone, or Skype, Rabbi Steve works to truly know both sides of the couple. Upon meeting, this instills a feeling of old-time friends as opposed to strangers (as many often experience during their destination weddings), and creates a warm, passionate ceremony. He injects details and anecdotes about the couple, adding a touch of personalization that will tug at the heartstrings.

With Rabbi Steve, couples can count on a ceremony they will never forget. As one of the most sought after rabbis in one of the most beautiful places in the world, a wedding with Rabbi Steve will turn out to be the most magical night of a couple’s relationship.

For more information, call (888) 593-8486, email rabbisteve@mexicorabbi.com, or fill out this contact form.

August 15, 2019

Miami’s Legal Industry is Nothing Without This Court Reporting Firm

Credit: Gracious Legal Services

Miami’s legal scene is among the most active in the country simply due to the diverse population that lives there. Construction workers hurt on the job may need an attorney for worker’s compensation. Artists whose work has been stolen might need a copyright lawyer. Massive corporations need a team of employment lawyers to make sure everyone is treated properly. The list could go on and on.

Each of these busy attorneys need a legal team they know they can count on. Their team should be fluent in the terminology that comes with the area of practice, and familiar with the nuances that can make or break a case. This trickles down to the temporary members of their team—court reporters. When a court reporter doesn’t understand the who’s, what’s, when’s, where’s, and why’s of an area of practice, the case can suffer. Attorneys can’t afford to be weighed down by an incompetent court reporter.

That is why the best attorneys in Miami book their court reporters, and all of their necessary litigation services, through Laws Reporting. For nearly 45 years, Laws Reporting has been a staple of south Florida’s legal industry. These legal specialists have been a part of major and minor cases alike. It doesn’t matter if an attorney needs them for one day, or one year—the staff treats each and every case like their only case. Every single one of their clients is their most important client.

“Laws Reporting offers a level of service and dedication that is unparalleled in Miami,” NGOTechnologies CEO, Jasel Patel, says. “The staff never does a half-baked job. They don’t abandon a case once their portion of the work is done. Each case they work is seen through to completion, so to ensure their clients don’t need an unexpected service. That is something few professionals are willing to do, and it really puts them over the edge with quality and professionalism.”

Other Miami court reporters don’t put in the work that the staff at Laws Reporting does. This is why attorneys in the area have learned to turn to Laws and Laws alone whenever they need a court reporter they can rely on. Their standard of speed, efficiency, and accuracy is what brings attorneys and paralegals back time and time again for years to come, and what cemented them as the only court reporting firm to turn to in Miami.

To find out how you can schedule a service with Laws Reporting, call (954) 581-4010, email laws@lawsreporting.com, or visit their offices.

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