Connect Series: Meet Reporter Chris Linneman!

Chris has experience in reporting examinations for discovery, cross-examinations, hearings and arbitrations and has transcribed many chambers applications and days of trial proceedings. Chris has a particular interest in family law. When not working, Chris enjoys craft beer, board games, his two cats and most recently his new son, Emmett!


We recently caught up with Chris and asked him a few questions:

What do you like most about being a reporter?

The flexibility. It’s great when jobs end early and you have the rest of the day free! Well, most often I am working on transcripts, but having a five-month-old son, it’s a pleasant surprise when I finish work at 11:00 a.m. and get to spend time with him I wasn’t counting on. It’s also nice to be able to book days off and vacation to suit my lifestyle.


Did you find this career, or did it find you?

I found court reporting, oddly enough, by responding to an ad I saw on the SkyTrain! I had little to no knowledge about the career other than as a former online poker player I thought I would be good at thinking quickly and working in realtime. A few phone calls later (including a very motivational one to Christy) and I was signing up for the program.


At Reportex our core values of team, mentorship, equality, community and industry are central to what we do. Which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

I think I would pick mentorship. It always makes me happy to see new court reporters joining the field as to me it indicates our industry is alive and well. I know how much I appreciated learning from more experienced reporters when I was fresh out of school, and I think it is our responsibility as more senior reporters to offer guidance and encouragement to the newbies. I remember the jitters I had when I was a baby reporter, which was nerve-wracking but also exciting. Even the simplest slip-and-fall case has an air of importance about it in the formality of the legal setting, and I think feeling not only comfortable but at home in this setting is one of the most important hurdles for new reporters to overcome.


Holiday movies: yes or no? (If yes, do you have a favourite? If no, what’s your favourite movie of all time?)

No. My favourite movie has to be Rounders, which is cliché for a former poker player, but the performances of Edward Norton and John Malkovich are top-notch. In truth John Malkovich is always a delight, and I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything I didn’t love. For more John Malkovich I recommend Space Force and Being John Malkovich.


What three items are on your post-COVID bucket list?

First is to take my son to a pool or baby class — something to get him socializing with more people! He was born in the middle of the pandemic and so sadly spends almost all his time with his two parents.

Next is to visit with my mom, who lives in Toronto, who I haven’t seen since before the pandemic and who hasn’t met little Emmett.

Finally as a big fan of board games I have been forced to get my fix from online board-gaming since March, which doesn’t quite have the same appeal. Socializing online just doesn’t cut it for me, so I’m looking forward to the day when we can hang out normally again.

Mindset Series Week 1: Name Your Challenge #WellnessWednesday

By Mary Crayston

“Change can be tough, but I’ve never heard anybody say it wasn’t worth it.” – Carol Dweck

Intro:
Change can feel hard. It can be a problem for some of us. Sure, some people thrive and get energized. For many of us it can be worrisome and tiring. We can get overwhelmed and destabilized. Our work is not to try and make those feelings go away. We have to acknowledge and understand what we are going through and how we are currently reacting to it. From there we can figure out how to optimally orient ourselves to the problem. This approach is a growth mindset approach.

Starting today (and for the next three weeks), I will be covering the four steps on how to navigate change with a growth mindset.

Step 1: Naming – Acknowledge/name the circumstance (perceived problem/change)
You literally can’t take action on an issue/problematic circumstance if you don’t recognize you are in one. Too often we don’t take a beat to realize where our stressful feelings are coming from.

Once you recognize you are in one, however, you can then decide what to do about it.

For example:
Let’s say your company is going through a reorganization and you’re stressed. If you don’t recognize that going through a reorganization is stressing you, you’ll stay stressed.

Ask yourself:

  • What is happening (circumstance)?
  • What is the thing that is causing my stress/anxiety/worry?

Sometimes acknowledging an issue is enough to put an action plan in place, or at the very least it can allow us to be more mindful about our associated thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Pro tip:
Wondering what exactly a growth mindset is? Here are a few resources:

Connect Series: Meet Legal Editor Shawnna Auramenko!

An indispensable part of the Reportex team is our group of legal editors and the vital work they do. Legal editors have the important responsibility of transferring audio recordings from legal proceedings and non-court matters into written documents. As our legal editors work from home, many of their faces may be a little less familiar to some of us. But their accuracy, focus and dedication to their work make our legal editors an essential part of producing the high-quality transcripts and documents we are known for, and we’d like to shine the spotlight on one of them this week.  

Shawnna is a legal secretary of 19 years turned legal editor. When not at work, Shawnna loves spending time with her family (including her furry daughter, Elsie — a dog), shopping at thrift stores, painting furniture and generally puttering around the house with her endless to-do list.


We recently caught up with Shawnna and asked her a few questions. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you learn about legal editing as a career choice?

I was a legal secretary for about 19 years before I joined Reportex, and I always enjoyed doing the transcription part of the job (which, by the way, is nothing like this job). Funnily enough, my husband worked temporarily as a receptionist for Reportex way back in 2000, so when I decided to work from home, it was Reportex I contacted.


What are your top three tips for those just starting/adjusting to working from home?

I’m a homebody anyway, so it was easy for me. I guess I would just say to make sure you have a space where you can close the door and buckle down. If you can see what’s going on around your house, it can be easy to get distracted. Make sure you stay in touch daily with either people from work or friends and family so that you stay social and don’t become a hermit. And just because you work at home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still take care of yourself. I’ve never been one to roll out of bed and into my work chair, but that could become a habit for some. You’re still involved in a professional job, so try to keep a routine, if at all possible. 


What do you like best about working with Reportex?

I love being able to work from home. Plus sometimes it’s a voyeur’s dream job. (Not always, though.)


You recently recommended the book The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life by Piero Ferrucci on Slack. What was the most interesting or unexpected thing you learned from reading this book?

Honestly, I read this book so long ago, but it’s on my reread list. I recommended the book because of these very strange and divided times. I remember it as a very easy read and very uplifting. When you see how little it takes to make a person’s day, it’s a wonder it’s not easier for us to do. The wonder of a small wave when someone lets you into their lane in traffic, for example. Just priceless and so easy!

I remember when I was working in a big law firm downtown, the building manager left a $5 gift card on everybody’s desk to use anywhere in their food court. You would have thought people won the lottery! Everyone was so happy. It’s always stuck with me.


We hear you like to paint furniture. Do you have any projects that you can share with us?

I love painting furniture, but I also love painting, period! I’ve attached a few photos of a dresser I showed at a Port Moody artsy-fartsy event about 10 years ago when I was contemplating whether I could do it full-time. It’s still one of my favourite pieces. I’ve actually done several dressers (because I’ve found so many free ones at the side of the road!). But I’ve also painted nearly every surface in our house as well, and in some instances not just once. I’ve painted our kitchen cabinets, ugly bathroom vanities, every last wall, stair risers, bannisters, doors … Paint is just so versatile, and results are so gratifying! 


You’re at a party and offered a cup of eggnog. What do you do?

a. Immediately excuse yourself from the situation. (Can’t stand the stuff!)
b. Accept it excitedly. (Love the stuff! Where’s the bowl?)
c. Smile and drink it. (Neither love nor hate it.)

Most definitely B. Probably ask for the recipe too! Note: The eggnog they serve at The Listel Hotel in Vancouver is the best on earth. 

A before and after look at Shawnna’s work!

Wellness Wednesday: Finding Your Sweet Spot – Leadership, Growth and Development

By Megan Ejack, Director of Marketing & Communications

It’s no secret that this year has been a time of great perspective and growth. There have been many challenges to face, both personally and professionally, for all of us.

Even before the pandemic hit, our team was entrenched in a massive phase of growth and development. We had just begun to make advancements in our leading-edge legal tech services with the introduction of our e-trials, e-arbitrations and other virtual service platforms, followed by the exciting launches of All-Star by Reportex and now Island by Reportex. In integrating these new partnerships and services our team has nearly tripled in just over a year. It’s been a little wild. There have been hurdles, no doubt (not the least of which has been COVID-19), but as we navigate all the twists and turns of this journey, there is one integral piece of the puzzle: mindset. 

Mindset is everything. It helps hold our focus on days that may feel out of control, and it helps us to try and stick to the big picture of what we are hoping to achieve, even in the face of overwhelm. Learning to cultivate a growth mindset is what has been helping us stay true to the developing Reportex vision.

But with a growth mindset comes accountability. Accountability to our team to provide the structures and support to sustain that growth; a responsibility to our clients to continue to produce a high standard of work and strive for both excellence and accessibility; and a commitment to our industry to continue to work together, create sustainable work and seek out and recruit talented professionals in all sectors of our business. No easy feat.

As we work together to evolve, it is critical to continue to build our team infrastructure to keep up with the day-to-day challenges, and as the pandemic progresses, the necessity of balancing the emotional impact becomes a major priority. Leadership teams all over the world are navigating new waters in engagement, empathy and understanding. We are all responding to these circumstances in a myriad of ways, and ensuring there is a very personal, human element combined with the professional focus of our business has proven to be crucial. We all need support in different ways. For us, part of this vital support system comes in the form of a powerful, dynamic, magical human — our leadership coach, Mary Crayston

Mary is an executive well-being coach and mindset expert who has been working with our leadership team to develop and implement a big-picture strategy. Through Mary’s guidance we’re committed to this long-term vision through finding balance, setting goals, encouraging accountability and creating team values.

Growth is not an overnight endeavour — I assure you we’re striving to earn our leadership every day — but we’re getting there! Our team is becoming strong and focused, and we’ve invited Mary to partner with us to provide support and continue to foster a culture of development.

Over the next little while Mary will be sharing some of her insight and coaching hacks for Wellness Wednesdays. We hope that her tips and tricks will also help you and your teams to cultivate a growth mindset and that these gems of expertise will contribute to a stronger, healthier industry.

Connect Series: Meet Realtime Court Reporter and CART Provider Lana Allen!

Lana has over 20 years’ experience in both criminal and civil cases and an extensive knowledge base of aboriginal, medical, marine, environmental, construction and engineering-related terminology. She has international experience in reporting proceedings, including court, discoveries, arbitrations, hearings, inquests and depositions involving expert testimony, technical and job-specific legalese and interpreted matters.

Lana is very active and passionate about life, particularly travelling the world and long-distance running in mountains here and abroad.


We recently asked Lana a few questions. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you learn about and become interested in court reporting as a career choice?

It was a fluke, really. A counsellor told me about it in college (to try it), and it worked out. I liked the flexibility and the idea of working for myself the most, so that was a big factor for me to try it and really the most important part of my job to this day.


What is the career highlight you’re most proud of?

I absolutely prefer doing realtime and got my certificate as soon as it was an option. It has allowed me to travel a lot of places to work as a reporter, for which I am grateful as travelling is my number one passion. Working overseas at The Hague at the ICTY war crimes tribunal was a highlight for sure. I also really enjoy CART’ing (Communication Access Realtime Translation) as well, which I do more and more of these days.


At Reportex our core values of team, mentorship, equality, community and industry are central to what we do. Which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

I suppose all of them are equally important to me.


What are your top three favourite things do when you have a day off?

Run, bike or just be outside and not sitting down in front of a laptop!


Ideally how would you spend your birthday?

Definitely not working 😉 and probably either on a mountaintop somewhere or away somewhere warm.

Zoom’s Latest Release: New Features & Enhancements

Zoom recently announced its latest release aimed at improving meeting, chat and phone features.

To access the below features you will need to download the latest version of Zoom Client for Meetings. More information on the items below can be found in Zoom’s release notes.

New Updates to Zoom Client


New and Enhanced Features

General Features

  • Sync subfolders in cloud contacts: When syncing contacts from Office 365, subfolders will now be synced in addition to the main contacts folder.

Meeting/Webinar Features

  • Support for live-streaming to YouTube on mobile: Hosts using Android or iOS can live-stream their meetings and webinars through the YouTube mobile app.
  • Virtual background support for additional CPUs: For Windows users, virtual backgrounds are now supported for i3 5th generation and above, i5/i7/i9 3rd generation and above, all including Y-series. These CPUs will support virtual backgrounds at 15fps and 360p.
  • Scheduling with custom Join Before Host time limit: Users can select a Join Before Host option when scheduling meetings to allow participants to join 5, 10 or 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Meeting Features

  • End-to-end (E2E) encryption: E2E encryption for meetings is now available in technical preview. Account owners and administrators can enable E2E encryption for meetings, providing additional protection when needed. Enabling E2E encryption for meetings requires all meeting participants to join from the Zoom desktop client, mobile app or Zoom Rooms. Users will not be able to join by telephone, SIP/H.323 devices, on-premise configurations or Lync/Skype clients as these end points cannot be encrypted end to end. Zoom web client and third party clients leveraging the Zoom SDK are also not supported at launch. Enabling this setting also disables the following features: Join Before Host, cloud recording, streaming, live transcription, breakout rooms, polling and meeting reactions. This setting is enabled in the Zoom web portal at the account, group and user level and can be locked at the account or group level.
  • Additional share options with Proximity Share for Zoom Rooms: For Windows, macOS and Linux users, Proximity Share now supports sharing specific apps, sharing computer audio and optimizing for full-screen video.
  • Change ringtone for meeting invites and phone calls.
  • Improved experience for saving annotations on mobile (Android and iOS users).
  • Improved pre-assigned breakout room behaviour.

Chat Features

  • Search in Channel option added to the Channel Info panel for mobile (Android and iOS users).
  • Search starred messages (Windows, macOS and Linux users).

Phone Features

  • Bootstrap mode for nomadic emergency services: If bootstrap mode is enabled by an account owner or administrator, phone users can report their current locations as company locations and/or report underlying network data for existing company locations. User-reported location and network data must be approved by administrators before it becomes actively part of defined company locations. These operations will send email notifications to administrators (at most one email per day).
  • Call notifications for busy call queue members: If enabled, call queue members can receive call queue calls when they are busy on a call.
  • Opt out of specific call queues: Users who are members of multiple call queues can opt out of specific call queues to disable call notifications from those call queues.

Connect Series: Meet Zach Bragg, Our Virtual Proceedings Coordinator!

One of the newest members of the Reportex family is Zach Bragg. Zach serves as our virtual proceedings coordinator and works out of our Island by Reportex office.

Zach grew up in Oakville, Ontario, and graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in English language and literature. In 2010 he made a move west to Banff, Alberta, where he began working at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. In six years Zach worked within the hotel in a variety of different capacities and studied at the University of Calgary. It was 2016 when Zach transferred to the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria and fell in love with everything that Victoria and the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Zach is an avid hockey player and fan. He also loves reading, golfing and hiking. On most days, though, you can find Zach spending time with his family.


We recently asked Zach a few questions. Here’s what he had to say:

You are relatively new to the Reportex family. How are you finding things so far? Is there something you like best?

From the very first day I started I have really been impressed by how positive things are at Reportex. There is great culture and energy here, and that has really allowed me to have the confidence to hit the ground running. I have only been here for about one month, but it feels much longer than that (in a good way!). I find the work very interesting, and I look forward to learning new things and developing new skills every day, but my favourite thing is definitely the people. Despite the fact that I haven’t met most people in person, I have felt very welcomed and comfortable with everyone. A big thank you to everyone for the warm welcome!


What are your top three favourite things to do in Victoria?

  1. Taking beach walks alongside the ocean with my wife and two-year-old son, Bruce. I grew up in Ontario, so the ability to live near and walk alongside the ocean is just the best.
  2. Reading a Stephen King book in any of the awesome cafes and bakeries in Victoria.
  3. Not Victoria-specific, but I love playing in my hockey league every week.

At Reportex our core values of team, mentorship, equality, community and industry are central to what we do. Which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

Jacques Plante, the legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie, once said this in an interview:

“How would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?”

I like to think that Jacques never would have won six Stanley Cups and changed the game of hockey forever without the support and trust of his team. The one core value that resonates most strongly with me is team. I think that the idea of fostering a positive team dynamic is essential to the foundation of a thriving business. I think that the word “team” can also be used as an umbrella term for communication, support and accountability. I grew up playing a variety of competitive sports, and I know how essential a healthy and positive team dynamic can be to personal and collective success. Functioning as a team and collaborating and connecting is especially important in such an uncertain and physically distant time.


You are offered a plate of sushi or a plate of tacos. Which do you take?

I love this question. Definitely tacos. I love tacos. Lots of sour cream.


What is the single best day on the calendar?

My son’s birthday. He turns three in February. The excitement he has to blow out birthday candles on the cake is just unbelievable — so much so that we have to have practice birthday parties throughout the year just so he can practice blowing the candles out. So there is obviously a lot of anticipation for the actual day. He is slightly interested in the presents, but it really is all about the candles!

Wellness Wednesday: My First-Ever TLABC Women Lawyers Retreat

Intro by Megan Ejack

When we think of bringing more wellness and balance into our lives, it’s common to head straight for the green juice and yoga schedule and call it a day. The effort to cultivate wellness can feel daunting. We’re inundated with options, and no matter where you land on the scale (so to speak), the basic physical aspects of wellness are obvious: eat well; drink all the water; move your body. But wait! There’s more. Don’t forget to also manage your stress, get enough sleep, keep your brain active, build in more rest, meditate, take your vitamins, just breathe, walk to work — why did you eat that?! The search for balance can feel exhausting and sometimes, well, pretty unbalanced.

In our do-it-all, everyday hustle mentality there is another element that can help bring it all together: connection.

Finding connection can be the saving grace in this hectic existence whether it’s with your friends and family, your colleagues or your community. Connection can ease the pressure of overwhelm and provide much-needed perspective and support as we navigate the hills and valleys of our lives. As we have seen especially during the course of this pandemic, connection is a crucial element to our mental, emotional and even physical health.

Recently our business development coordinator, Kiran Deol, had the opportunity to attend the TLABC’s 15th annual women lawyers retreat (WLR) on behalf of Reportex as a gold sponsor. The WLR is the premier women’s event for the BC legal community, and Reportex has been a proud and committed supporter since its inception. This event brings together every one of our core values: mentorship, industry, community, equality and team, and in each of these values there is an element of connection that strengthens the whole.

Here’s what Kiran had to say about her first WLR experience:


I had the honour of attending my first-ever Trial Lawyers Association of BC (TLABC) annual women lawyers mini retreat. This retreat would usually be held at a spa and/or out of town; however, the lovely ladies at TLABC put together a virtual mini retreat.

First, I was surprised with a treasure box filled with goodies. I mean, who doesn’t love mail! The box was filled with everything from a pen, to smores, to a boozy shrub treat. It is fair to say I knew I was in for an interesting weekend. The impatient person that I am opened everything quickly with excitement only to then read the card instructing me to keep the items wrapped until the retreat — oops! I’m sure I was not the only one who peeked! This event was a virtual two-day retreat filled with amazing talks, women and inspiration. With this being my first experience at this retreat I am super excited to share it with you.

On the Friday evening we had a chance to listen to Madame Justice Wendy A. Baker on “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of COVID Advocacy,” and, to say the least, to get a judge’s perspective on how things have been moving along was extremely helpful and interesting to listen to. It was also interesting to find out that places like Nelson held a trial in their local movie theatre in order to follow social distancing regulations. The talk was followed by an hour of networking, allowing me to talk to lawyers outside of their Zoom EFD and mediations in a relaxed environment. To end the night we left off with making a special beverage together (mine was virgin of course!), making smores (using a barbeque lighter and fondue fork), sharing well wishes and saying goodnight.

The second day started at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and although I was super excited to see what these ladies had in store, I was not expecting the day I had. I listened, I laughed and I cried! The lovely Vandana Sood from Rise Women’s Legal Centre introduced herself and the amazing foundation that she works for. That was followed by a strength in adversity presentation and workshop by Rose Keith, Kerri Priddle and Ashley Syer, which was the highlight of my day. They talked about being a woman in a world mainly dominated by men as well as challenges they have faced juggling home life and work life, which we can all relate to on some level. I listened to what they have gone through and are going through in their careers, the lowest points in their lives and how they never let those moments define them as women, as lawyers or as people. They are now thriving in their field and overcame their challenges, loss and doubt.  I can only speak for myself when I say that as a woman I can be way too hard on myself when I am not thriving in all avenues in life, but listening to these women gave me a lot of perspective. These ladies really did make lemonade out of their lemons! This was followed by us breaking into small groups and sharing a challenge in our own lives in a safe space, which, to say the least, was very empowering.

Our weekend appropriately ended with a talk about resiliency by Alyson Jones. She spoke about gratitude and the ability to bounce back from downfalls. What I took most from this talk is that we can continue to develop resiliency throughout our lives, no matter how young or old. This is a skill built over time and can only make you better as life goes on. If you don’t fall, you don’t have a chance to get back up and brush yourself off. In the words of the great Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

I was truly honoured to be able to attend (even virtually) this amazing event led by a group of amazing women. I learned a lot from this mini retreat but also felt that Reportex does exhibit all the values these ladies are pushing in the work world: community, industry, equality, team and mentorship.

I would like to end by expressing my gratitude not only for working with an amazing team but for having the honour of attending this event. Thank you!