Tips for Handling Workplace Discrimination

Depositions play a key role in gathering evidence and establishing timelines for both civil and criminal cases. In order to ensure that the information gathered during a deposition can be reviewed in the future, a court reporter is often called upon to create a transcript of the deposition. Working with court reporters can be beneficial, but there are some rules of etiquette that must be followed to ensure the experience is a positive one for all parties involved.

Here are three rules to remember as you work with court reporters to record your depositions in the future.

1. Speak at a moderate pace.

When conducting a deposition, it's imperative that you take the time to speak at a moderate pace. With the help of a stenography machine a court reporter can type up to 200 words per minute, so you may think that you don't need to adjust your speech pattern to accommodate the needs of the reporter.

Even with their incredible speed, court reporters can easily become overwhelmed when transcribing a conversation that takes place too quickly. By speaking at a moderate pace you ensure the reporter is able to accurately record all the information provided in a deposition, which can only help you more effectively establish your case in the future.

2. Always communicate verbally.

One of the easiest ways to frustrate a court reporter is to make a habit of communicating using non-verbal cues. If you rely on hand gestures, facial expressions, or other non-verbal actions to get your message across, your court reporter may have difficulty recording your deposition accurately.

The reporter can only record information that is transmitted verbally, so before you enter a deposition be sure that you are prepared to communicate using words to reinforce your message.

3. Provide a spelling cheat-sheet for case-specific terminology.

Many legal cases involve matters that have their own terminology. While you might be familiar with the terms used to describe certain aspects of your case, the court reporter will likely be unfamiliar with industry-specific terms.

Providing a cheat-sheet with the proper spelling for any case-specific terms you feel might be used during the deposition will help your court reporter do his or her job more effectively.

Working in partnership with your court reporter to accurately record depositions can be a vital component in any successful case. Maintaining proper etiquette as you rely on a court reporter for assistance will increase the ease with which a reporter can capture vital information during your future depositions. To contact a court reporting service, check out a company like L & L Reporting Service, Inc.