Long-time court reporters Early Langley, RMR, and Gail Inghram Verbano, RDR, CRR, presented an informative e-seminar titled What I didn’t learn in court reporting school. During the presentation, they discussed how important it is to be prepared before, during, and after an assignment.
They started the e-seminar by providing tips on how to make any job a success. Langley shared what’s in her bag and everything she carries to an assignment. Langley said that it’s all about planning for anything. Verbano mentioned how she also carries an emergency bag. She added, “You can’t go home just because you don’t feel good. So I bring Advil, cough drops, and a few medical supplies. [I even] bring my own hotspot so I can always get on the Internet.”
Later in the e-seminar, Verbano reviewed social media no-no’s. “Don’t post anything to jeopardize you or your firm or your client’s reputation. Don’t leak firm’s future business leads. It can get back to the client or attorney, and your license could be in jeopardy,” Verbano said.
Both offered great tips on how to handle situations that arise in the workplace. For example, sometimes court reporters might be given the wrong time to arrive and it’s even possible that another court reporter will show up for the same assignment. They stateed that, if this happens, always be friendly and explain the situation to the attorney who can work it out. In fact, many things could happen in the courtroom that court reporters need to know how to handle, such as when a witness talks too fast, when an attorney asks a court reporter to go off the record, and even how to handle exhibits and tips on how to mark and name them. In detail, they review these and other situations.
Langley and Verbano ended the discussion with how to prepare after the job takes place, including tips and tricks for editing, preparing a good transcript, and finally, what needs to be done before turning in the transcript.
This is the perfect seminar for students, professionals just starting out, or court reporters looking for tips on how to make every assignment a success.
This e-seminar is now available in NCRA’s online collection.
