This week was a double opportunity – to speak with prospective litigators in their trial advocacy class and to speak with prospective court reporters in their certification prep class.
So what did I focus on? The integrity of the record. We spoke about court reporters being the ones tasked with this solemn duty and how attorneys can assist in the quality of their record.
The trial advocacy students learned about how reporters do their jobs and how they as attorneys can safeguard the accuracy of the record by clearly enunciating their words, reading from documents with intention and not too fast, by taking breaks regularly, and by ensuring excellent communication throughout the process.
The aspiring reporters were reminded about the need to be well read on a variety of topics so their vocabulary and verbal understanding grows, to develop good customer service skills, to take care of themselves mentally and physically, and above all to continue to perfect their skill and keep striving for better realtime accuracy.
A few years ago, a new lawyer sat in on a deposition with his father and mentioned my session to the court reporter in the room. The reporter said, “You met Tori!” and he’s like, “You know her?” and of course my friend said yes. It’s a small world. Imagine the ripple effect we could have if each of us made this kind of effort!
If you have questions about working with law schools in their advocacy program, please contact me and I can give you some ideas.