The National Court Reporters Association is composed of various committees and task forces dedicated to carrying out specific duties. One of the most-relied upon groups is the Proofreading Advisory Council (PAC). Every week members of the Council are asked to review the JCR Weekly and the occasional special document or sometimes are asked for quotes to help pull the curtain back and shed some insight on how they consistently deliver timely, considerate revisions. In honor of National Grammar Day, which takes place on March 4, we asked members of the Council to share their tricks and tips on how they prefer to review materials for the Association.
Aimee Suhie, a freelance court reporter from Candlewood Isle, Conn., stated that having a hard copy makes all the difference. “My biggest help was always printing the job in hard copy to proof, circling the line number as well as marking the correction, and putting pages needing correction face down in one pile and clean pages in another to speed up the process of putting in corrections on the computer.”
When Karen Tyler, RDR, CRR, CRC, of Shreveport, La., saw Suhie’s response on the Council’s listserv, she replied that she too prefers having a hard copy but also has started to “…use an iPad and iAnnotate to proofread.”
Oregonian Shellene L. Iverson, RPR, also uses iAnnotate, stating she also proofs out loud. “I find that if I stumble while reading, which is less likely when I read to myself, chances are it’s an area that needs another look.”
One of the lesser-known tactics for proofing has been to read the material backwards, something one of the Council’s members replied that they would do occasionally. “I was taught in school to read backwards to check for misspellings but don’t do it anymore since most are caught in spellcheck.”
Official court reporter Susan Horak, FAPR, RDR, CRR (Ret.), shared the following: “I started proofing on a tablet a few years ago and found it easier than reading on paper. I can easily make the font bigger or darker without affecting the transcript.”
The NCRA Proofreading Advisory Council is comprised of the following members:
- Janine A. Ferren, RMR, CRR, Fishers, IN
- Susan M. Horak, FAPR, RDR, CRR, Columbus, OH
- Shellene L. Iverson, RPR, Portland, OR
- Kinda Lenberg, Colorado Springs, CO
- Kathleen McHugh, RPR, CRR, Audubon, NJ
- Traci Mertens, RDR, CRR, CRC, Alexandria, VA
- Renee J. Ogden, RPR, Livonia, MI
- Aimee M. Suhie, New Fairfield, CT
- Karen L. Tyler, RDR, CRR, CRC, Shreveport, LA
- Kelli Ann Willis, RPR, CRR, Addison, TX
- Carol Yannucci, Monument Beach, MA
Board Liaison
Cindy L. Isaacsen, RPR, Shawnee, KS
Staff Liaisons
- Ellen I. Goff, Senior Marketing Manager, Reston, VA
- Colin Brehm, Content Manager, Reston, VA
