Credit: Legal Support World
A person who records the events of a court room or deposition is not a new job to be filled. For centuries, there has always been someone nearby with a documentation of court proceeding in order to help the legal process flow a little more smoothly. In the late 19-century, the first stenotype machine was invented, and the vision of court reporters many of us have was developed.
As technology has grown and advanced, so has the court reporting industry. With the invention of computer-aided transcription, reporters no longer had to write up their transcripts by hand. Court reporters have also become a main resource for providing closed captions for televised court broadcasts.
Fulfilling Client Expectations
But in recent years, court reporting firms have become far more than what the title leads one to assume. With the needs of attorneys and paralegals seemingly growing by the minute, court reporting companies need to keep up with the growing demands in order to not only be a competitive business, but a resource legal professionals will turn to again and again. These firms offer the traditional court reporting options, as well as videography, videoconferencing, trial presentation, and more.
As one of the nation’s oldest court reporting firm and a founding member of the National Network Reporting Company, Anderson Reporting knows a thing or two about the nuances and changes the court reporting industry has undergone over the past several decades. The Columbus court reporters offer a full list of litigation services in order to assure that each and every one of their clients’ needs are met.
But what exactly are these new standards of business court reporting firms are being expected to uphold? In today’s day and age, they are more important than one might think.
Court Reporting in the Modern World
Despite the enhancements of recording technologies, court reporters are still utilized in court proceedings across the world. They provide insight a computer could not. Nowadays, court reporting firms and their professionals are expected to fulfil a wide breadth of needs.
With the technology available, many court reporting professionals extend their services to not only a national, but international level. It has become a standard to provide daily copies and even same-day rough-drafts. Realtime reporting takes all this to the next level. Having a working transcription of the proceedings in a case the moment they happen is crucial to managing a courtroom. It allows for transcripts to be marked up and highlighted when necessary.
To help things move along as quickly as possible, these documents should be sent over email in a PDF. This not only increases speed of delivery, but helps keep these firms green. Comprehensive word indexing, exhibits scanning, and online scheduling are also a must for many.
Legal Videography
Videos of depositions and court proceedings have become increasingly important over the years. Many use these videos to judge the actions of opposing counsel and study their next move. Recordings of depositions can prove to be excellent resources for building a strong case.
The Houston court reporters at Hanna & Hanna boast their certified court reporting staff and video specialists alike. Their specialists are certified through the NCRA, a national organization that assures legal videography quality, as expertise in videography can be more difficult to achieve than one might think.
These videographers are to assure the room is properly lighted in order to best see everyone on camera. The equipment must be working properly and taped in a place where audio feedback will not interfere with the sound. Often, by the next day, files of the proceedings are expected to be delivered in whatever format necessary. At times, synchronized text and video can be provided.
Finding These Resources in One Location
An attorney or paralegal could easily spend hours looking for each individual resource from individual firms that specialize in these areas and more. But upon seeing the rise in litigation needs, many court reporting firms decided it was in their best interest to bring clients each and every one of these resources. Knowing if each and every one is quality, however, can be tricky.
This is a question the National Court Reporting Company (NNRC) has taken upon themselves to answer. The NNRC is a court reporting owned and operated firm that assures the quality of court reporting firms, so that clients can easily locate one whose services can be trusted through and through. Each of the above listed firms are NNRC members—so whether a client was to book a court reporting or trial presentation service, their quality can be guaranteed.
The NNRC offers a variety of booking options. Clients can go to the firm’s website and book there, certainly, but they can also fill out the NNRC’s online scheduling form and search for their firm by name, by region, or even by court reporter.
