STAR CONFERENCE TO BE HELD MARCH 7- 9, 2013

The Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting (STAR) will be having their mid-year conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Linda Fifield, Vice-President, will be attending in her capacity as a STAR board member and member of the Liaison/Technology Committee.

STAR is an organization comprised of court reporters and key vendors, such as Stenograph, who share the common goal of developing and implementing the latest technology to advance the field of court reporting.  In addition to Case CATalsyt training, the conference presents a unique opportunity for working reporters and firm owners to meet with the actual developers of the software they use to produce their transcripts and ancillary litigation support products.  This exchange of information and ideas is directly responsible for the progress reporters have made to date and is critical if the profession is to continue to grow and evolve.

Realtime is always promoted at every court reporting convention, local and national, but providing realtime really takes center stage at STAR conventions.  STAR’s president, Rosalie Kramm, is making realtime the focus of her term.  To be able to provide this service, a reporter not only must possess the talent that comes with practice and experience but needs to know how to connect, serially or wirelessly, with the various devices attorneys bring with them, such as laptops, iPads, or tablets.  Reporters who have earned the coveted CRR, Certified Realtime Reporter, designation are this profession’s elite.  To be able to provide almost error-free, instantaneous voice-to-text translation is our profession’s gold standard.  The National Court Reporters Association and STAR are doing all they can to help more reporters become certified as realtime writers.

This meeting will offer business owners sessions, realtime sessions, Case CATalyst training sessions, networking opportunities, and access to many vendors in the exhibition hall.  If you wish to attend this convention, go to www.staronline.org and register.

iCVNet Training Video now Available for the iPad

Stenograph LLC’s channel on YouTube has a new video available called “Using iCVNet.”  This short video will show you how to securely receive an instant feed wirelessly from the reporter directly to your iPad using Stenograph’s free iCVNet iPad app.  In an easy-to-follow demonstration, the video will teach you how to:

• Connect to a reporter’s WiFi router
• Choose a reporter’s network
• Connect to the realtime server
• View the realtime transcript with Rapid Refresh updates
• Annotate, navigate and save the transcript
• Mark and unmark testimony
• Search for words, phrases and marked lines
• Email the transcript (if you permit) for use with the full CaseViewNet application for saving in a variety of file formats for use with it and other applications.                

When you need a realtime reporter who can provide this service, call 

Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc.  Our seasoned professionals will provide you with the cleanest realtime feeds possible and make your experience a positive one.    

        

 

COURT REPORTING AND CAPTIONING WEEK 2013

The National Court Reporters Association has announced that National Court Reporting and Captioning Week will be celebrated February 17 through 23, 2013. Its purpose will be to recognize the efforts and contributions of its 19,000 members who provide vital services as court reporters, captioners, and CART providers. Court reporters work hard every day in various settings all across the country. They provide lawyers with transcripts and the deaf and hard of hearing with access to education and TV broadcasts. They undergo rigorous training, participate in continuing education conferences, and invest in the latest technology to provide their constituents with the products and services they need.

All of us at Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc., are proud to play such an important role in the judicial process. We are mindful of the great responsibility placed in our hands every day, and we renew our pledge this week to promote our profession in the most positive manner by providing timely transcripts of the highest quality.

Court Reporting is More High Tech than Ever!

Gone are the days when all a court reporter needed to take to an assignment was a steno machine and a pad of paper.  Today if you see a reporter en route to an assignment, you will see the reporter with a large case on wheels along with other ancillary luggage, briefcases and/or back packs.  Technology has its advantages, but it also has increased the load reporters must carry to be able to supply attorneys with the most accurate transcripts possible, sometimes on an instantaneous basis.  Demand for faster delivery has grown, especially on high profile and time-sensitive cases, and so it is the reporter’s job to not only keep his/her skills in top form but also to keep abreast of the latest innovations in this progressive profession.

Computers entered the picture in the early 1980s, and it changed the court reporting field forever.  The technology keeps evolving, and the learning curve continues to climb.  The mantra heard in all other industries rings true with reporters as well:  Embrace technology or be left behind.

Reporters who provide realtime services to attorneys are at the top of their game, and they have the credentials and experience to prove it.  They have an impressive ability to write long hours almost error-free on a wide variety of topics while under incredible pressure.  As if that weren’t enough, they must be knowledgeable about their software and versed in counsel’s equipment so that successful realtime connections can be made.  Attorneys have different types of devices – laptops, iPads, and tablets -- and there are different ways to provide connections:  serially, USB, or wirelessly.  In this digital age, the amount of information reporters need to absorb is enormous and constantly evolving, so much so that the National Association of Court Reporters has developed a program called TechCon to specifically connect reporters and other professionals in the legal field to discuss current technologies and evaluate growing trends in the marketplace. 

The next time you need a certified court reporter, call us!  Our reporters continue to invest in their skills, education, and equipment to provide the verbatim transcripts you rely on to try your case, and staying abreast of the latest technology is their priority.  Our reporters attend national and regional conferences to keep up with all the latest advancements.  The Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting, or STAR, on which Linda Fifield from this office is a board member, liaisons with software developers who are directly responsible for the programs court reporters use nationwide to edit and produce their transcripts. 

Time and time again research has shown that a certified court reporter bests all other methods of capturing the spoken word.  We are so proud to be a part of this elite group that plays such a vital role in deposition and courtroom settings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM DORIS O. WONG ASSOCIATES, INC.

All of us at Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc., would like to extend our very best wishes to all for 2013!   2012 was a notable year for us, as we marked our 45^th anniversary.  This gave us a chance to reflect on all that has changed in the court reporting field and how much our clients have contributed to our success.  For almost a half a century we have made it our mission to provide the very best in court reporting services, and we appreciate the trust you continually place in us to deliver the transcripts and products you need when you need them.

As we enter 2013, we look forward to the inevitable changes in technology that will affect our industry.  As always, we will continue to keep abreast of the latest products and inform you of their benefits to you in your practice.  And we will also continue to educate ourselves and sharpen our skills so we will be prepared for whatever challenging testimony will come our way.

We are pleased to be working with you, our valued clients, and we look forward to partnering with you again not only in 2013 but for many years to come.

We are sincerely grateful for your business.

Christmas in the City

The holidays are just around the corner and we hear about the hardships many families are facing.  In lieu of giving gifts of appreciation to clients, we decided our gift to them would be to donate to a special, local charity in need.

A few years back we were introduced to Christmas in the City.  It’s a wonderful non-profit organization run by Kennedy Brothers Physical Therapy here in Boston.   Their idea was to collect gifts for homeless children whose mothers have been abused and have sought shelter.  This organization provides a bit of cheer to those families by hosting a huge winter wonderland gathering full of fun games, great food, and, of course, Santa. 

For the second straight year, Doris O. Wong Associates,Inc., has requested names of children that we can sponsor.  The mother writes down three wishes for her child and we purchase a gift.  Gift wrapped with festive ribbons and bows, Santa presents to each child their special something during this party.  What a wonderful way to provide a bright spot in the eyes of a child.

What started out as a party for 165 children and mothers at the State House has now grown into a party for over 3,000 children and parents.  It’s simply amazing that this is run 100% by volunteers.

For more information about this wonderful organization, visit http://christmasinthecity.org/.

Happy Holidays from the reporters and staff at Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc.

HONORING OUR VETERANS - NCRF'S VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT

In 2013 the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) will celebrate its 10^th anniversary in partnership with the Library of Congress on the Veterans History Project.  Reporters from around the country have volunteered to preserve the verbal histories of veterans by transcribing their memories of the conflicts in which they served.  So far over 2,600 veterans’ histories have been preserved and submitted to the Library of Congress where they will remain in perpetuity for the education and benefit of future generations.  The Foundation’s goal is to reach 3,000 submissions by Memorial Day of 2013.

The National Court Reporters Association is honored to play such an important role in the preservation of these invaluable first-hand accounts given by our living heroes to whom we all owe so much. 

We pay homage to all our veterans, past and presently serving, on this Veterans Day and thank them for their service and sacrifice.