and Andrea Kreutz
In preparation for the Fall CLVS Production Exam, NCRA staff took great measures to ensure the safety and health of everyone attending were at the forefront of planning. Following state COVID guidance, all staff, CLVS Council members, and attendees were required to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and adhere to designated room occupancy loads. In addition, all in attendance were required to sign a personal health self-assessment before entering the NCRA offices. The assessments required attendees to confirm that they had been fever-free for more than 48 hours prior to entering the NCRA offices, that they possessed a face covering, that they washed and or sanitized their hands upon arrival, they were not living or caring for a COVID patient, and they were not sick.
Other safety precautions included mandating that candidates for the exam arrive no earlier than their assigned time, sign a COVID-19 disclosure regarding testing requirements, have their temperatures checked upon check-in, and bring their own headsets. NCRA provided everyone in attendance with latex free gloves.
Thanks to the safety steps taken by NCRA staff, CLVS Council members who attended said they were very comfortable administering the hands-on workshop held prior to the exam as well as administering the exam itself.
“I was very comfortable. Masks were required. We wiped down all tables, chairs, and equipment between each testing candidate. Hand sanitizer was readily available and used often. I never felt that my health was at risk,” said CLVS Council member Andrea Kreutz, CLVS, from Des Moines, Iowa.
“The CLVS Council discussed with our national team the extra personal protection equipment that would be necessary to make sure the CDC guidelines were followed. Once we arrived, we walked through each protocol to verify we knew the best procedures to maintain everyone’s safety,” she added.
“I was perfectly comfortable working at NCRA headquarters. Everyone worked together as a team to sanitize and observe physical distancing protocols,” said CLVS Council member Robert Butcher, CLVS, from Lakewood, Colo.
Butcher, who also holds NCRA’s Trial Presentation Professional certificate, said it was important for him to attend in person because of the opportunity it provides to allow council members to work with and test candidates in a hands-on manner and be able to evaluate them in person.
“I did not hear any safety concerns expressed by any testing candidates,” he added, echoing Kreutz’s belief that the candidates could see the measures taken were to protect everyone attending.
“We also made sure to allow for social distancing within the exam room itself. In years past, the mock deponent and attorneys would sit closely together. This year’s test gave an accurate representation of current COVID distancing in depositions,” Kreutz noted.
“I believe the candidates felt we were taking as many precautions as possible with the hand sanitizer being readily available, along with a fresh mask and getting their temperature taken,” added CLVS Council Chair Mindy Sindiong, CLVS, from Lawrenceburg, Ind. “It all seemed very smooth and organized.”
As for the spring 2021 CLVS Production Exam, members of the CLVS Council agree they will be ready.
According to Kruetz, the council will continue to work diligently with NCRA staff to protect all parties. “We will closely monitor the CDC guidelines as they change and are hopeful that we can provide a safe, comfortable environment for the testing process,” she said.
“Be confident that we are all in this together. The CLVS Council takes safety seriously and we will continue to observe any local restriction and health safety requirements,” Butcher added.
“We have an amazing group of professionals who care about the industry and the CLVS standards we operate by. I am encouraged as we move forward in this new COVID/post-COVID world, that we will find legal video and legal tech services become more critical than ever in the legal process,” he said.
“It is because of this CLVS must rise to the challenge. I am confident as the CLVS Council continues to work together, re-writing study and testing materials, this council will elevate the industry and our standards to the next level, strengthening the industry and our role within the legal process. We must be forward thinking and persevere even in the face of current challenges. We hope to see you in Spring 2021,” Butcher added.
