Deposition & Court Reporting Services

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Shari Broussard

Capital Reporting Company Provides Washington DC With A Variety of High Quality Court Reporting Services

Deposition Videography, Videoconferencing, Court Reporting & More

You’ve got a deposition in Washington, DC and you’re looking for a court reporter. Maybe you’re new to the area, maybe you’re coming in from out of town, or maybe you just don’t have a specific court reporter or court reporting agency that you work with regularly. So, what do you do? Where do you look? And with so many options, how do you know which is the best one to choose?

There are several things to consider when you’re looking for a court reporter or court reporting agency. But first and foremost, your court reporting agency should make your job easier. You want to focus on taking a deposition. You don’t want to worry about whether your court reporter is going to show up on time, or where your transcript is. At Capital Reporting Company, we assign a specific Case Manager to your account and his/her primary focus is making sure that you and your staff receive what you need, when you need it. And that commitment shows. Capital Reporting Company consistently receives high marks from its clients on timeliness and accuracy – evidenced by the fact that we were voted the #1 Best Court Reporting Agency by Washington DC attorneys in the 2013 Legal Times survey!

Quality matters and so does your time. Make sure you consider what technology a court reporting agency offers, both at the deposition and afterward. Just because your deposition is in Washington DC, doesn’t mean you gave to be too! Capital Reporting Company offers many technology solutions to help save you time (and your client money!) such as Realtime (including web-based video and text streaming), and the highest quality videography and videoconferencing options. Additionally, Capital offers an entire suite of LitConnect services where you can view your calendar, schedule depositions, and download transcripts from the convenience of your desk, your home, and even your phone.

There are a lot of options to choose from when looking for a court reporter or court reporting agency in Washington DC, so do your due diligence! Make sure the company that you choose places a high premium on quality, accuracy, technology, and – most importantly – you!

Why You Should Invest In A Quality Court Reporting Company

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Court Reporting Company DC | Why A Cheap One Will Lose You a Case

Why would you hire a court reporting company in Washington, DC? If you find yourself involved in litigation, having a skilled court reporter, a capable videographer, and thorough case management services are only a few reasons. If you decide to hire a quality court reporting company, the DC litigation experience is much less likely to be a source of stress. However, if you employ a cheap or under-experienced court reporting agency, DC legal system will make you anxious and tense.

Court Reporting Company DC | Why You Should Invest

It’s simply not worth saving a few bucks by investing in a novice court reporting company in Washington DC. The best agencies in our nation’s capital exhibit most if not all of these characteristics together with offering national and international court reporting services:

  • Approved to engage with government clients
  • Have experience in a wide array of litigation experience
  • Provide court reporters, videographers, and interpreters
  • Incorporate technology to streamline your legal process
  • Submit accurate legal transcripts
  • State-of-the-art videoconferencing systems

Yes, it’s true – these features of a quality court reporting company will still come at a reasonable price. However, it’s very likely that a cheaper or less-experienced court reporting agency won’t provide even half of the above services.

A court reporting company without a range of litigation experience might not have seen your exact type of court case. This may lead to oversights and a lost case.

A court reporting agency that doesn’t incorporate technology will slow down your legal process, an already naturally slow development. This may lead to even more legal fees, not to mention your valuable time.

A court reporting company that doesn’t offer it’s services nationally may not be able to provide you litigation support at the location of your trial. This means the legal backing you’re paying for won’t be of any help when you’re in the courtroom.

Investing in a cheap, inexperienced court reporting company in Washington DC will cause more legal frustration than you think.

Washington DC Court Reporting – What It Takes To Be Successful

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Jill Cohen

How To Become A Washington DC Court Reporter

Skills, Education & Certification Tips For Court Reporters

 

So, you’re interested in becoming a court reporter in Washington DC? Great! Court reporting is an interesting career that can be financially rewarding as well – court reporters make a nice living on their salary, especially those who are highly-qualified. With projected employment of court reporters to grow by 14% from 2010 to 2020 and over 80,000 lawyers in the Washington DC metropolitan area, court reporting is a stable career choice in high demand. But what does it really take to become a court reporter?

 

Skill Set

 

Court reporting requires high-level attention to detail as well as the ability to focus for long periods of time. Additionally, court reporters must have a superior command of the English language (e.g. grammar, spelling, punctuation). Legal professionals often use specialized legal and/or medical jargon during depositions and court hearings, so court reporters must also be well-versed in legal terminology. Not an English scholar or law school grad? Not to worry. As part of their curriculum, most court reporting programs spend a significant amount of time focused on improving students’ grammar and punctuation. These programs also offer courses dedicated to legal and medical terminology as well as anatomy to help expand your working vocabulary.

 

Education

 

While there are no brick and mortar court reporting schools located in Washington DC, there are a large number of online programs available. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has a list of court reporter training programs that have met the General Requirements and Minimum Standards (GRMS) established by the NCRA’s Council on Approved Student Education (CASE), thereby earning a “NCRA Certified” designation.

Programs focusing on mask or digital recording may be as short as 6 months, while programs in which students are taught to use stenotype machines may last 2 to 4 years. Stenography programs may lead to an Associate’s degree and typically cover the principles of machine shorthand writing, instruction using computer-aided transcription (CAT) and RealTime software, and live simulation of deposition and court proceedings.

 

Certification

 

The need for a court reporter to be certified and/or licensed varies by state, but Washington DC is among those that do not require certification for freelance court reporters. However, certification can be a differentiator when seeking employment, as a certified court reporter may be more highly regarded and has the potential to accumulate greater earnings by charging higher per-page rates. But how do you get certified if the state doesn’t require it? The NCRA has been administering a certification program for court reporters since 1937 and those who pass the exam earn a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation. The growth in demand for RealTime reporting has also led to the creation of a Certified RealTime Reporter (CCR) designation, bringing with it the possibility for even further career potential.

Hopefully now you’ve got the information needed to get you started on an exciting career as a court reporter. In the future, should you be seeking employment in the Washington DC area (or nationally) please consider Capital Reporting Company. We’re always looking for new great additions to our team!