The World of Legal Depositions with Connie Snow
Spotlight on Technology
The World of Legal Depositions with Connie Snow
IST Management’s Director of Operations for Court Reporting, Connie Snow, is deeply rooted in the court reporting industry. Having thirteen years of experience with the operational aspects of client requests, billing, and opening offices in Atlanta for competitors, Connie has built a robust national contact base for court reporters, videographers, and others within the industry. Connie’s extensive experience provides her with the knowledge to navigate any changes in court reporting.
While there is a national shortage of court reporters that impacts everyone, there are key locations where the impact is felt more significantly, such as Texas and California. Our goal at
IST Management
is to continue bringing on qualified court reporters and do that by verifying their certifications, asking for references, and requesting sample transcripts. Court Reporters at IST have become certified in multiple states, which will enable them to take on more depositions remotely to help alleviate some of the shortage pressure.
Evolving Ways
Though the pandemic made many industries develop quick ways to function remotely, remote depositions were already in play with court reporting firms for years before things shut down. The technology just wasn't being utilized. Before the pandemic, many states required the court reporter to be physically there to verify the testimony. However, since the pandemic, court reporting has had no choice but to operate within the remote setting. In the beginning, it had its challenges trying to get clients on board, not just for IST but for all court reporting firms alike. Many clients were stalling their depositions because they hoped normality would return in 30, 60, 90 days, hoping they wouldn't have to embrace this remote technology. However, attorneys had no choice but to embrace the technology. IST finds value in remote depositions and is looking for ways to keep the option in place permanently.
IST provides demos to our clients to train them on using these tools, effectively introduces exhibits to clients, and ensures that you're following the proper state parameters regarding swearing in a witness. There has been much more adjustment for clients than for the court reporting firms. IST has stepped in to educate our clients and help them understand how this will work best for them and make their deposition more successful.
There is no one perfect platform when it comes to court reporting. The tool needed to complete the particular job depends on the client and the type of deposition they're doing. Many would prefer Zoom. It's cost-effective but lacks the tools to allow clients to introduce and mark exhibits in real-time. However, for complex litigations such as construction defects, contract disputes, or even medical malpractice, clients need a tool that offers the ability to introduce and mark exhibits in real-time. One of the platforms IST utilizes is LiveLitigation, which offers more robust tools, providing the client the availability to upload their exhibits ahead of time and keep them secure and private until they're ready to introduce them. LiveLitigation allows you to have that security until you're ready to present it. Once introduced, the attorney has the tools to mark it, highlight it, draw attention to it and ultimately put that exhibit sticker on it. It can then be introduced into the record for the court reporter to have later and produced within the transcript.
Clients and deponents can count on Connie's team for support. Technology can be set up to make it easier for deponents and clients. With any new procedure comes challenges that have to be corrected. Virtual depositions come with an automatic pro, which cuts down on travel costs for the clients. What we're hoping in the future is if the states permit it, attorneys are going to want to utilize it more versus going out of town. Pre-pandemic, attorneys who had to travel would bill into the settlement cost. Now, by embracing the remote technology that has been around for years, they can alleviate their travel costs, and in turn, alleviate time in traffic as well.. With a shortage of court reporters, remote depositions have opened up more time for reporters to be on other depositions.
Like many industries over the past two years, court reporting was forced to pivot to a new working standard. With so many procedures already in place, IST makes it an integral part of our services to help our clients navigate difficult changes so they don't lose time or money.
Contact Info
IST Management Services, Inc.
1341 Moreland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316