Connect Series: Meet Diane Richards

/in , , , , /by

As you know, Richards Reporting is now part of our Veritext Canada team. Led by Diane Richards, they were in operation for over 30 years in the Fraser Valley, servicing clients throughout the mainland of British Columbia with the utmost excellence. We took a brief moment out of Diane’s busy schedule and asked her a few questions about her experience as a Court Reporter.

Can you tell us how you became a court reporter and if there was a trial or experience that made an impact on you and how you view the role of a court reporter?

I was taking several courses and one was a legal assistant. We went on a tour of the courthouse and the court reporter was pointed out. I signed up for the program and it was love at first sight haha.

My very first job was two weeks in court: chambers, pre-trials, Supreme Court. Jumped right into it, although probably not a good idea for new reporters. I loved court ever since. I have worked in a lot of different places. Free-lance, Official Court Reporter in Manitoba, contract reporter in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago High Court, and Senate. Then worked overseas a few times a year: Asia, Emirates, and Europe.

Veritext’s corporate values are respect, ethics, collaboration, accountability, and professionalism. Can you tell us which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

To be a court reporter I believe all those values apply. Court reporters are unique creatures, I think, perfectionists, self-motivated. We must be neutral and juggle our relationships with counsel, despite their antagonism to each other. We are referees when we need to be and know when to keep silent.

Lastly, wellness and self-care are important to our team. Do you have a favourite way to recharge, or can you share any tips for staying healthy mentally and physically, both at work and at home?

I work out a lot. Outside whenever I can (hiking and snowshoeing are my go-to’s) and I have a gym trainer. Trainers are beneficial because there is no thinking, can decompress, and simply follow instructions. They also are a good ear for venting. I go to the gym, even for 30 minutes, when I am stressed or upset about something. Works every time. Traveling is important to me also.

Free Webinar: Unlock the hidden potential of Realtime Court Reporting

/in , /by

Make the most of Realtime reporting. Learn to unlock the hidden potential of CaseViewNet’s free realtime viewing software.

This is a FREE webinar hosted by Reportex, a Veritext Company on May 25 at 12:00 p.m. Plus earn 1 hour of CPD Credits.

Do you know what realtime reporting is? Simply put, it is the instantaneous translation of spoken proceedings directly into text enabling counsel to read and annotate text in realtime during the proceedings anywhere in the world via an encrypted connection using a program called CaseViewNet.


CaseViewNet is a free transcript viewer created by Stenograph. CaseViewNet provides interactive realtime access to testimony through the court reporter’s private wifi network or a wired connection, and it updates all edits during the session.


Realtime court reporting can free lawyers from taking extensive handwritten notes, but that’s not all it can do.
This one-hour webinar will show you:

  • The difference between the desktop, cloud and iPad versions of CaseViewNet
  • What are annotations, marks and notes – and when you should use them
  • How to set up issue codes before court
  • How to use the dynamic index feature
  • How to work with a team – and the court reporter – to ensure the best results

Space is limited. Please click here to reserve your spot!

For These Are Jolly-Good Fellows!

/in , /by

An Interview by Jan Ballman FAPR, RPR, CMRS; Veritext-Minneapolis

He’s a six-time NCRA speed champ; she’s a past NCRA president and the current Executive Director of Project Steno.  He’s an RMR; she’s an RDR.  They’re both CRRs, Fellows in the Academy of Professional Reporters, and recipients of the coveted Distinguished Service Award.  Together, they have a combined 98 years of industry experience.  Meet Ed and Nancy Varallo.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

We Are Not Alone: Why Mental Health Matters

/in , , , , /by

To merely say that Covid-19 has added a fresh layer of stress over whatever else we all deal with daily is probably an enormous understatement.

The last couple of years have been hard on all of us.   We have all been trying to manage our work, our families, and our lives in a constant state of worry.   This goes for everyone – those lucky to have not gotten sick, for those who have battled the illness or frankly for ANYONE who has known ANYONE afflicted by this virus.   The effects of this crisis run deep. Deeper than we may even yet realize.

With the lifting of many mandates and rules across the country, many of us have simply decided that we have had enough of worrying.   However, is it enough to decide? Does it matter? The infection rates are still high – I have three of my family sick with it right now.   The worry is still warranted. 

The term ‘selfcare’ has been thrown around a lot but still seems to be connected mostly to spa days and mediation.   A nice bath, while relaxing, is probably not going to help you very much as you plunge into the next day of worry, compounded by the previous day of worry.   

The theme of this year’s Canadian Mental Health Week is Empathy.   Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and sadly according to a recent study our empathy for others is at an all time low.   As they say, crisis can breed contempt. Out of necessity, we go inward and we tend to focus on our own. The survey conducted by the CMHA found that only 13 per cent of Canadians were feeling empathetic.  This is a drop of 10% since the beginning of the pandemic.

This is not hard to understand.  It is hard to feel for others when we ourselves are struggling.   But empathy does indeed start with us.  It must. If we can truly understand and respect what is happening within ourselves, we can indeed see that same struggle within others.

The first thing to remember is, you do not have to do this alone.  Due to the pandemic, many of us have felt isolated and cut off from our friends and family, even our neighbours and co-workers.  Reach out.  Reach out. Reach out.

If you are fortunate enough that your employee benefit plan may have mental health resources available… use them.  The CMHA website is filled with valuable resources too, like this Mental Health Meter.

Other resources include:

We are not alone and there is nothing shameful about the challenge of mental health issues.   Now, more than ever, be empathetic with yourself – when you take care of yourself first, that care will reflect upon those around you who perhaps are also struggling.