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Celebrate Certification Month for Court Reporters

May 9, 2018 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

NCRA has designated May as Celebrate Certification Month. The month-long campaign is a way for its members to show pride in the certifications they have earned, are working to earn, or are intending to earn. It is also designed to help encourage those who haven’t considered earning one of the Association’s many nationally recognized certifications to rethink their decisions. The campaign offers members the opportunity to share with their clients and potential customers the reasons why choosing a professional who holds one or more professional certifications helps guarantee the delivery of high quality products and services.

NCRA is my association! I’ve been a continuous member for over 35 years. It has given me so much over the years, and I can’t imagine not being a member and holder of several certificates I’ve earned through their testing.

This past weekend I attended and worked with fellow colleagues on the NCRA Written Knowledge Test Committee at NCRA headquarters. What an awesome experience for me, both professionally and personally, to be in Washington, DC! The sites around the city were truly inspiring — just to think and reflect on all the amazing minds of history that walked the very same steps I did and to recall all that they accomplished is astounding.

As I am reflecting on my long weekend and the work my colleagues and I completed, I am ever grateful and thankful to be a court reporter! The single most important step I took at the beginning of my career was to join my professional association — the NCRA. I am also a member of the Tennessee Court Reporters Association and have developed even deeper bonds with my court reporter colleagues in my home state. There are so many benefits of joining a professional organization.

professional development
education
seminars and conferences
support system with colleagues
network opportunities
find your passion and motivation
mentoring opportunities
strength in numbers

I am committed to professional and educational development in my goal to be the ultimate in professional reporting. The commitment to education and certification by testing ensures our clients that the highest level of professionalism is consistently met. Court reporting has pushed me to soar and reach that next certification (RPR, RMR, RDR, CRR, FAPR). I have grown and evolved because of this profession and the amazing people I’ve met during my career. It has helped me conquer my fear of putting myself out there when meeting new people. My colleagues make it fun to learn together and grow together by finding new and better ways to write short, sharing realtime tips, technology and gadget advice, and much more.

What are your goals for certification? Leave a comment and share your story. #NCRAInMay

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Lessons Court Reporters Can Learn from Olympians

February 14, 2018 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

It’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week 2018!

As I’m reflecting this week on this important time for all court reporters across the nation, I am distracted by another important event for the world — the 2018 Olympic Winter Games! As of the writing of this post, the United States has a total of six medals: three gold, one silver, and three bronze. All of these young athletes have much to be proud of, for sure!

We court reporters and future court reporters can learn some very valuable lessons and habits from our Olympic athletes when it comes to our daily reporting functions, duties, and success.

Approach both success and failure thoughtfully. A court reporter’s job is a strenuous one. Each day we face something new and unexpected. Of course, that is probably the top reason why I still love this profession today. There is never a boring day for the freelance reporter. There are the lows, though, that we face at times: the fast talkers, the interrupters, the realtime fear of imperfection, the realtime mistrans, and others. Athletes accept their success and/or failures with an eye toward looking at what matters most and not one single event. They more often than not critique their performances in a very constructive way and state how their performance could be improved upon. Be kind to yourself and don’t be overcritical when we face those small “failures” from time to time. Remember, we are providing an extremely valuable service to the legal professionals and their clients.
Never stop learning and be a student for life. Olympic athletes not only train physically to maintain their stamina for competition, but also train their minds to tune out distractions and reduce stress and anxiety. They are diligent about critiquing their performance with their coaches and watching the replays. Every day we produce transcripts for our valuable clients in a timely manner and more often than not on an expedited basis. We should take a hard look at how we can improve our writing and realtime skills so that we can work smarter and not harder to meet the deadlines we are faced with. Realtime is and has been an in-demand service for attorneys for several years now. Court reporters (of all experience levels) need to understand that in order to stay relevant in today’s legal environment, we must maintain and continually hone our skills each and every day. From a previous blog post: Being realtime-capable should be the goal of every court reporter now! My realtime goal is to always strive for 99.8% translation rate on every job. The prep work is essential to maintain or exceed that goal. My writing is constantly evolving (even after 30 years of reporting). Writing short is paramount to the success of my translation rate, for keeping up with the fast talkers, and also being kind to my body — specifically my back and hands. You can read more here to learn some secrets to memorizing brief forms.
Be tenacious. Athletes never give up on their goals and keep moving forward without regard to obstacles that present at times. We court reporters should invest in our careers and have attainable goals for moving forward in our profession. What is your next step to move forward? Is it that new NCRA certification? Being realtime capable? Writing shorter? Starting your own firm? The steps and path toward these goals may be time-consuming and difficult but so worth it in the end. Additionally, we have so many resources and colleagues to help when needed for advice, technology tips, realtime tips, and general help. I’ve found that court reporters are an extremely giving community; one just needs to ask for assistance.
Embrace your passion. The official slogan of the 2018 Olympics is “Passion. Connected.” The games are all about bringing everyone together for their shared passion of the winter sports. Passion is important for court reporters too. Technology is my passion! The field of court reporting has changed from when I was a student so many years ago. It should be noted that there are some fantastic tools available to assist court reporters to be more productive, efficient, and valuable to attorney clients and legal professionals. Court reporters should keep in mind that in order to be effective and stay relevant, we must keep abreast of technology, embrace it, and never be skeptical of the newest innovations.

I have grown and evolved because of this profession and the amazing people I’ve met during my career. It has pushed me to soar and reach that next certification. It has helped me conquer my fear of putting myself out there when meeting new people. My goal for the coming year will be to continue to strive to be a better reporter each day and will seek inspiration from our amazing Olympians in order to attain that goal!

Top Ten Gadgets of 2017 for Court Reporters

December 14, 2017 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

The holidays are upon us! These awesome gadgets may be just what you’re looking for this year for your favorite court reporter or legal professional. These gifts are just a click away for that favorite person on your list! Whether you’re on the naughty list or the nice list, remember to pick up a little something for yourself while you’re at it.

Some of the following made my list last year, but they’re just so darn awesome that they landed on the list again in 2017. Enjoy!

Automatic Pro Connected Car Adapter: This handy gadget has realtime location data about who’s driving your car. I’ve been using this device since late fall and am absolutely loving it! I am using an app called IFTTT to automatically generate a Google spreadsheet to keep track of my work miles. No more mileage logs for me where I have to handwrite all the data. This adapter plugs into almost any car to provide unlimited monitoring with zero fees. You may even connect your car to your Echo, your smart thermostat, or any other part of your digital life. This product works only in the United States.
DYMO LabelWriter: This labeler is my all-time favorite gadget. Just upload your company logo, add your contact information, and print a professional-looking label for every transcript that heads out the door. My labeler is connected to a dedicated computer. But I have no worries about keeping my contacts up to date, because I utilize Apple’s iCloud. When I effect a change or update in my address book on one computer, it then syncs on all computers, so my contacts are always up to date and available no matter which computer or device I happen to be using. I also have created a customized exhibit sticker with my logo. No more worrying about ordering exhibit stickers because I create them on-the go. The product features of the DYMO labeler are many:◦Create and print address, shipping, file, folder and barcode labels◦Print USPS approved DYMO Stamps postage directly from your desktop – no monthly fee, contracts, or commitments required◦Uses thermal printing technology — no expensive ink or toner needed
The Rocketbook Wave provides the freedom of a traditional pen and paper notebook, while instantly blasting your notes into the cloud using your smartphone. Image processing: In an instant, the Rocketbook app crops and enhances each page so your digital notes are more crisp and vibrant than the real thing. Send your notes to specific locations in the cloud services you already use. My favorites are Evernote, box, and Dropbox. When you use Pilot FriXion pens with the notebook, you can erase your notes using your microwave oven and reuse your notebook.
Anker PowerCore Slim 5000 Portable Charger: This slim battery charging tech is designed for smartphones and offers up to two charges. The design ensures that it will be stowed easily into your pocket or handbag. The silicon shield helps keep your phone scratch-free. This portable charger is a must-have for anyone with long days in court and/or depositions.
Beats Pill Portable Speaker: This handy external speaker is one of my essentials for telephone depositions where a speakerphone is unavailable and I need to utilize my smartphone for the call. I can rest assured the witness will experience the best audio and never miss a word from the questioning attorney. This portable wireless speaker runs on a rechargeable battery and is capable of charging your phone or external device, if needed. It weighs less than a pound and slides into a carrying case complete with a carabiner for easy transport.
PopSockets: This little “gadget” is great for enhancing the grip of your smartphone. You will always be assured you will have a good grip on your device for texting, calling, photos, and selfies. This is compatible with all smartphones and tablets. PopSockets work in landscape and portrait modes for watching videos, web surfing, gaming, FaceTime, and Skype. Another benefit is that it allows your hand to relax while securely holding your phone. The advanced reusable adhesive is repositionable. The adhesive sticks to most devices and cases.
Wemo Mini Smart Plug: Plug in a Wemo Mini Smart Plug, download the free app, and control your lights and appliances from your phone and your voice through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Only needs WiFi. No hub or subscription required. Schedule automatically. Never come home to a dark house. Schedule the fan to turn on before you arrive. Sync lamps and devices to sunrise, sunset, or pre-set times automatically. Randomize Lights. The Mini Smart Plug protects your home better than a mechanical timer. “Away Mode” will turn your lights on and off randomly to make it look like you’re home even when you’re not. Voice control with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Pair with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built-in devices like Google Home and control your lights and appliances with your voice. Works with Nest. Nest can sync with Wemo for automatic home/away control.
Amazon Echo Dot and carrying case: I received the Echo Dot last year. It truly has a wide variety of uses and can be used throughout your office or home. Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, make calls, send and receive messages, provide information, read the news, set alarms, read audiobooks from Audible, control Amazon Video on Fire TV, and more. When editing my transcripts, I ask Alexa to verify spellings for me so that I don’t have to take my hands off the keyboard; thus, making me much more productive. If a court reporter can keep their hands on the keyboard, it saves time and effort for sure. Other uses for the Echo Dot are as follows: Connects to speakers or headphones through Bluetooth or 3.5 mm stereo cable to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Play music simultaneously across Echo devices and speakers connected via cable with multi-room music. Call or message almost anyone hands-free with your Echo device. Also, instantly connect to other Echo devices in your home using just your voice. Controls lights, fans, TVs, switches, thermostats, garage doors, sprinklers, locks, and more with compatible connected devices from Wemo, Philips Hue, Sony, Samsung SmartThings, Nest, and others. Hears you from across the room with seven microphones for hands-free control, even in noisy environments or while playing music. Includes a built-in speaker so it can work on its own as a smart alarm clock in the bedroom, an assistant in the kitchen, or anywhere you might want a voice-controlled computer.
Bose QuietComfort 35 noise-cancelling headphones: These headphones have been on my wish list for a long time! I finally gifted them to myself. They are life-changing for sure. Love not being tethered to the laptop when I want to get up for a stretch or a snack. Features of these headphones: Connectivity Technology: Wireless. World-class noise cancellation makes quiet sound quieter and music sound better. Plush ear cushions are manufactured from a synthetic protein leather. Volume-optimized EQ for balanced audio performance at any volume. Wireless convenience, with easy Bluetooth and NFC pairing aided by voice prompts. 20-hour battery life per charge; up to 40 hours in wired mode. Noise-rejecting dual-microphone system for clear calls even in windy environments.
Logitech G413 PC Gaming Keyboard: This is my brand-new keyboard. I was in the market for a new keyboard and went shopping with my millennial son. He told me, “Mom, you need this keyboard. It’s really cool.” Now, you can imagine I was a little hesitant to make this purchase, as it’s a gaming keyboard. My first thought was that he wanted to take it over from me. I kept an open mind about its features and touch. Wow! So glad I did. It is a lighted keyboard, which means it’s great for those low-light conditions. The touch is absolutely amazing. Gone are the days of sticky keys and having to redo key strokes. Other features of this keyboard are as follows: The Romer-G™mechanical switch is purpose-built for pro-grade performance, responsiveness, and durability. Romer-G is also purpose-designed for precise and clean lighting through the keycap. Keys are always visible and never distracting, especially during late night gaming sessions. Additional USB cable connects the USB pass-through port to its own input for 100% power throughout and data speed. Plug in a device to charge or plug in a mouse to charge your adversaries

There you have it — my Top Ten Gadgets for the Holidays 2017. Happy gifting! Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a little something for yourself while you’re shopping.

Happy Holidays!

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Rocketbook for Court Reporters

July 18, 2017 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

The 2017 NCRA Convention and Expo in Las Vegas is drawing near, which has me reflecting upon past conventions and the knowledge base I gained from them. The Rocketbook was introduced to me by an awesome court reporter colleague, Lisa Knight, and it has proven to be a valuable productivity tool for me lately.

As a freelance court reporter in Memphis, Tennessee, depositions, sworn statements, hearings, and court trials are just a few of the proceedings that my clients need me to take the verbatim proceedings down. For each job I create a job sheet, as most court reporters do I imagine. That job sheet is our bible for each deposition or other verbatim proceedings we need to transcribe at a future date. The job sheets include things like the date, start time, location, attorneys present, witness name, and case caption. Of course I also include any exhibits I marked and any spellings that I asked the witness or client for as well.

In the past, I used a legal pad for my job sheets and, then, filed them away in a storage cabinet. With the Rocketbook, the need for all that paper is a thing of the past! Utilizing the Rocketbook saves me time, boosts my productivity, organization, and gives me flexibility in how I work on the go.

As a busy freelance court reporter, I do travel to different cities across the county when my clients need me. When I do have the occasion to travel, go on vacation, or if I go spend time with my children, of course I take advantage of downtime to work on editing transcripts. Because my job sheets are now digitized, there’s no need to carry the hard-copy job sheets when I’m away from my office.

What is Rocketbook? According to their website:

The Rocketbook Wave provides the freedom of a traditional pen and paper notebook, while instantly blasting your notes into the cloud using your smartphone.

When you use Pilot FriXion pens with the Wave notebook, you can erase your notes using your microwave oven and reuse your notebook. Available in 2 sizes – each book comes with one pen.

There are many cool features of the Rocketbook:

The QR code on the bottom of each page ensures that your pages are always in chronological order.
The image processing is crisp and clean — maybe even better than the original!
The symbols on the bottom of each page lets you send your job sheets to the location you designate within the app: Evernote, box, email, Dropbox, Google Drive, the Cloud, OneNote, Slack.
Works with Pilot FriXion pens only. The pens come in in different colors and different tip styles. Choose one that matches your personality!
The iOS app is always in Airplane Mode, which means if you’re like me you can edit on the go on your airplane travels too! (As of July 2017, Rocketbook’s blog advises that a new and updated iOS app is coming soon.)
You may erase and reuse your Rocketbook five times.
Use your microwave to erase and reuse. You do need a turntable in your microwave. If you have a model like mine with no turntable, just purchase a Nordic Ware Microwave Micro-Go-Round 10 inch for the workaround.

How does one use the Rocketbook?

Purchase the Rocketbook and Pilot FriXion of your choice. I have the Wave and love it! Check out my Gadgets page for a link to purchase on Amazon.
Set up the smartphone app by connecting your email, Evernote, box, Dropbox applications to match the symbols on the bottom of each page.
Start creating your job sheet on the first page of your notebook as you normally would.
After the job and you return to the office, use the smartphone app to scan your page. Place an X on the particular symbol at the bottom of the page in which you wish to store your job sheet.
Next, select Scan within the app and place your smartphone on top of your page within the grid lines. Wait for the app to auto-focus and the app will automatically take a pic.
Now tap on the scan of the page and it will become larger. At the bottom of the scan, you will see the symbol that you selected earlier is green.
Tap on the green symbol and all your connected cloud accounts and connected email will display.
You may choose at this time to select all of your connected accounts if you wish by tapping next to each option.
Then select Sync All.
The next screen allows you the option to give your job sheet a special file name before it syncs. Do so now.
Finally, tap Send and you’re done!

I would love to hear if anyone else is using this digital notebook and your experiences with it. This is so easy to use. All you need to do is CREATE, SCAN, and ERASE!

Technology is great!

Top Ten Gadgets for the Holidays 2016 for Court Reporters

December 15, 2016 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

The holidays are upon us! Gift giving can be stressful sometimes for your favorite court reporter or legal professional. Luckily, I have my top picks you can choose from to ease the burden of coming up with a great gift for that favorite person on your list. It’s just a click away!

Automatic Pro Connected Car Adapter: This handy gadget has realtime location data about who’s driving your car. I’ve been using this device since late fall and am absolutely loving it! I am using an app called IFTTT to automatically generate a Google spreadsheet to keep track of my work miles. No more mileage logs for me where I have to handwrite all the data. This adapter plugs into almost any car to provide unlimited monitoring with zero fees. You may even connect your car to your Echo, your smart thermostat, or any other part of your digital life. This product works only in the United States.
Tile: Quickly find items that you seem to always misplace with Tile. I have given these as gifts before, and they’ve been a huge hit! Can’t find your car keys? Not sure where you placed your phone? Or what if my equipment gets stolen? Quickly find your lost items using Tile’s Bluetooth tracking device. If your Tile is within the 100-foot Bluetooth range, it will play a loud tune until you find it. Keep the app running in the background, and Tile will automatically remember the last time and place you last had your item so you know where to start looking. Tile is available for both Android and Apple devices! I currently have the Tile Mate. Since last year, they now have the Tile Slim. The Slim is as thin as two credit cards. Easy to stick, slide, or tuck into tight spots like wallets, purses, passports, and more.
Kenu Airframe+ Car Mount for Smartphones: This little gadget is great for mounting in your car when using your GPS app. It can be mounted in the car so it’s stationary. Never worry about glancing down at your phone and being distracted again.
Square: Start accepting credit card payments today! A free credit card reader will be sent to you when you sign up with Square for use on iPhones, iPads, and Android. The account setup process is quick and easy. As mentioned above, as an independent court reporter, I do work in the courtroom. There are occasions when an attorney has forgotten to hire a court reporter and then approaches me to ask if I can cover his matter as well. In the instance where an attorney is not known to you and you are unsure of the payment history, Square comes to the rescue. You have the ability to swipe their credit card on the spot for the attendance fee and never have to worry if you will be paid later.
DYMO LabelWriter: This labeler is my all-time favorite gadget. Just upload your company logo, add your contact information, and print a professional-looking label for every transcript that heads out the door. My labeler is connected to a dedicated computer. But I have no worries about keeping my contacts up to date, because I utilize Apple’s iCloud. When I effect a change or update in my address book on one computer, it then syncs on all computers, so my contacts are always up to date and available no matter which computer or device I happen to be using. I also have created a customized exhibit sticker with my logo. No more worrying about ordering exhibit stickers because I create them on-the go. The product features of the DYMO labeler are many:
- Create and print address, shipping, file, folder and barcode labels
- Print USPS approved DYMO Stamps postage directly from your desktop – no monthly fee, contracts, or commitments required
- Uses thermal printing technology — no expensive ink or toner needed
TUDIA Klips: Without protection from wear and tear, many experience the inconvenience of having their charging cable break in less than six months of use. Once broken, it is not long until the cable is no longer capable of recharging. TUDIA Klip works to stop strain, before wires become exposed and the cable stops working. Rather than buying a new cable, the Klip allows you to preserve your original Apple Lightning or 30-pin cable. The Klip snaps on to your charging cable in seconds. This device keeps your cable functioning longer and helping yo, stay connected, and fully charged.
Sugru: If you already have a cable that’s frayed, use Sugru. Sugru sticks permanently to lots of stuff like ceramics, glass, metal, wood, and most plastics and fabrics. Just push it onto something, then it’s time to build, seal, fix, create, and stick things together. You’ll have 30 minutes to get the job done. Give it 24 hours, and Sugru turns into a durable, flexible silicone rubber that stays stuck (unless you remove it).
TimePorter for Apple Watch: TimePorter for Apple Watch was gifted to me by my sweet husband last year. This is both a case and a stand. TimePorter holds your charging cable, an extra Watch band, your USB charger, and more in a silicone-lined case. Pop your charging disc into the integrated opening in TimePorter and drape Apple Watch across the top to charge. With Apple Watch resting on TimePorter, open the case to the preferred angle and TimePorter transforms into a viewing stand, perfect for viewing notifications and the time. This is awesome! I actually can store several watch bands in this handy case.
Rocketbook: This device was recommended to me by a great court reporter colleague. The Rocketbook Wave provides the freedom of a traditional pen and paper notebook, while instantly blasting your notes into the cloud using your smartphone. Image processing: In an instant, the Rocketbook app crops and enhances each page so your digital notes are more crisp and vibrant than the real thing. Send your notes to specific locations in the cloud services you already use. My favorites are Evernote, box, and Dropbox. When you use Pilot FriXion pens with the notebook, you can erase your notes using your microwave oven and reuse your notebook.
Pilot FriXion Gel Pens: Use these pens with your Rocketbook. Writes smooth, erases clean for a “mistake-free” writing experience. This is perfect for making drafts, edits, lists and notes.

There you have it — my Top Ten Gadgets for the Holidays 2016. Happy gifting! Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a little something for yourself while you’re shopping. You can click on the image below to start shopping now.