If you’re in the market for a court reporting service but aren’t sure how to choose one, you’ll hear conflicting advice: either you should analyse court reporting services as a whole, or you should evaluate individual court reporters. If you’re in need of a court reporting service and searching for the best way to choose one, you’ll hear two competing schools of thought. We give selection criteria for choosing the best individual court reporter since the quality of the reporter, not the reputation of the court reporting service, will ultimately leave you satisfied or disappointed with your decision to employ. This is because your level of satisfaction with the reporter you hire will determine whether or not you are happy with the court reporting Medford Oregon you chose.
Needed Items
Although different types of judicial proceedings necessitate distinct skill sets from court reporters, all court-reporters must meet a number of requirements, beginning with state certification. Earning a state certification as a court reporter indicates a level of expertise in the field that must be proven through testing. A minimum typing speed of 200 words per minute is another need of this position. A deposition can move along much more swiftly than it might otherwise if the witness speaks quickly and gives lengthy responses. A third requirement is the possession of research and computing skills. Depending on the specifics of your case, you may need a court reporter with specialised knowledge of legal software or research skills that aren’t common amongst the profession’s transcriptionists.
Possessing the capacity for editing and proofreading is very crucial. Reporters often double-check their work through proofreading and editing before sending it off to a customer, to make sure it reads smoothly and contains no errors. It would benefit everyone if learning how to edit and proofread was a required component of a reporter’s formal education. This is because everyone can boast that they are capable of editing and proofreading.
Excellent Competence and a Solid Name in the Field
It’s a prevalent misunderstanding among legal service providers and other businesses that a court reporter’s demeanour and character don’t matter. Reporters may not have much interaction with witnesses, but their demeanour, professionalism, and politeness can make or break a deposition. Court reporters are not immune to prejudice, bias, or adversarial thinking, in the same way that judges and attorneys are not immune to these things. Lackadaisical reporters can be a technical nightmare for the newsroom. These reporters may distort a witness’s nonverbal behaviour, as well as interrupt a witness, sabotage an attorney’s line of inquiry, or misinterpret the witness’s answers.
Unprofessional court reporters have been known to show up to depositions late, in inappropriate attire, and miss deadlines for both their attendance and the delivery of the transcripts. Inquiring into a reporter’s prior experience is preferable than depending just on the agency’s assessment of the reporter’s attitude in order to ascertain whether or not the reporter keeps a professional demeanour on the job.
Conclusion
In contrast, less-than-professional reporters have been known to interrupt and harass a witness, which can undermine the clarity of a witness’ statements as well as their general attitude toward the deposition procedure. A professional court reporter will know to take careful notes on the witness’s facial expressions and body language, and will know not to interrupt while doing so. Top reporting services put a premium on a reporter’s demeanour when deciding on their level of professionalism. Services like these will not hire journalists who give off the wrong vibes, such as rudeness, impatience, bigotry, etc.
