It’s Time To Shine! Court Reporting & Captioning Week 2024.

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February 3rd to the 10th marks the 12th annual Court Reporting and Captioning Week where people, companies, and organizations come together to showcase the skills and talents of the steno world. Veritext is again proud to do our part to support and shine a light on our amazing reporters.

We have always enjoyed showcasing amazing talents like the Wilde sisters, or Mikayla on our blog. We have also continued our pledge to support educational opportunities with schools like NAIT to distribute scholarships to 30 steno and transcription students over the next five years. Specifics of some of the awards include:

  • Veritext Legal Solutions Canada Court Transcription Scholarship
    • Available to two students each year enrolled in the Court Transcription program. These scholarships are awarded based on excellent academic achievement in the program.
  • Veritext Legal Solutions Canada Captioning and Court Reporting Scholarship 
    • Available to two students each year enrolled in the Captioning and Court Reporting program. These scholarships are awarded based on excellent academic achievement in the program.
  • Veritext Legal Solutions Canada Entrance Bursary 
    • Available to two students each year entering the Court Transcription or Captioning and Court Reporting program. These scholarships are awarded on the demonstrated financial need and satisfactory academic achievement to enter the program.

Visit Veritext.com to learn more about the resources and opportunities available. And don’t forget to post throughout the week on social media using #CRCW24 #VeritextCares for a chance to win a raffle prize!

Veritext Legal Solutions Supports the 12th Annual Court Reporting and Captioning Week

Meet the Wilde Sisters

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Once again, we see that steno is indeed a family affair. Meet the Wilde sisters – Lucy & Ellie. Not only NAIT CCR graduates but amazing athletes too! We asked them both to share some thoughts on their program and career choices.

Can you tell us what drew you to the industry of court reporting and brought you to the Captioning and Court Reporting program at NAIT in the first place?

Lucy: I was actually playing basketball at NAIT for a year prior and was trying to figure out what program I wanted to be in, and that’s when I found Captioning and Court Reporting! I was very fascinated with the machine and writing shorthand as I had never seen a machine like that before. But once I learned more about the career and gained a better understanding of what it was from people in my hometown that were court reporters, it seemed like such a good fit for me and my life, and I’m so happy I did!

Ellie: To be honest I was struggling about what I wanted to take in school. I was already at NAIT playing on the women’s basketball team, and my mom was googling programs there and found this one. It was such a different career than anything I had ever heard of, and that intrigued me so much. 

What kept me drawn to the program was hearing about the flexibility of the job. I had talked to quite a few moms who are court reporters, and they said it was such a good mom job, and that’s what I always wanted! There is lots of flexibility in the career and different ways to go with it as well. There is something for everyone. 

What advice do you have for anyone looking for a new career and who may be looking at the Captioning and Court Reporting Program?

Lucy: My advice would be that if you’re thinking of entering the program and not afraid to work hard, do it. It’s a rewarding, flexible career, and the court reporters that I have talked to are very supportive, so I would suggest finding a good firm that gives you that support. I haven’t been working very long, but so far it’s been great!

Ellie: My advice would be that if you’re going to do the program, you need to be 100 percent committed because it’s no joke. If you’re not, it would be too easy to fall behind. But also to not be afraid of the work! It’s a great job and the two years fly by. I don’t regret the work I put in for a second because the options in this career are endless, and they are all in your control! How hard you want to work. And I think that is awesome. Some other advice I would give is to never hesitate to reach out to current court reporters. I talked to a bunch before the program, and they helped me so much in getting a grasp of the career and schooling. I continued to talk to some throughout school and even now I still do. Never be afraid to ask questions! And I’m always happy to help in any way because I know how beneficial it was for me. 

If you know anyone who would be a great fit for the program, they can learn more at the 2024 workshops at NAIT in the new year. A great way to see if steno is the right choice!

Meet Mikayela Robbins, PSR

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We are thrilled to welcome Mikayela Robbins to the Veritext family. Not only is she a NAIT Captioning & Court Reporting program grad but has a strong family connection to the school. Her father graduated from the school and her grandfather was recruited from SAIT to come up and help open the Electrical Apprentices program when NAIT opened.  He retired as the Department Head for Electrical Apprentices!

We asked Mikayela what drew her to the industry of court reporting and brought her to the Captioning and Court Reporting program at NAIT in the first place.

I knew my grandfather (Archie Robbins) helped open NAIT and my father graduated from NAIT, so I knew it would be a great school to attend. During Grade 12, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do going forward, so I went to the NAIT Open House.  I saw the Captioning and Court Reporting program, and I was immediately drawn in. I then did Discover Steno, and from that moment on, I knew it was the perfect fit for me!

What advice do you have for anyone looking for a new career and who may be looking at the Captioning and Court Reporting Program?

I would say to go for it! You are never too old to try something new, and it’s worth it. Every job is different, and you can learn something new daily. It’s been an interesting and exciting profession thus far.

Thanks, Mikayela, for taking the time to share your thoughts on Court Reporting as a career.   For those looking for their next career, Veritext proudly provides SIX scholarship opportunities for incoming and ongoing students at NAIT.   We offer two of the following:

 Veritext Legal Solutions Canada Court Transcription Scholarship

  • Available to two students each year enrolled in the Court Transcription program. These scholarships are awarded based on excellent academic achievement in the program.

Veritext Legal Solutions Canada  Captioning and Court Reporting Scholarship 

  • Available to two students each year enrolled in the Captioning and Court Reporting program. These scholarships are awarded based on excellent academic achievement in the program.

Veritext Legal Solutions Canada  Entrance Bursary 

  • Available to two students each year who are entering the Court Transcription or Captioning and Court Reporting program. These scholarships are awarded on the demonstrated financial need and satisfactory academic achievement to enter the program.

You can learn more about applying for these scholarships here.

Depo Talk Pod Cast

WELCOME TO DEPO TALK: Episode 6: “The BS Edition: Bad Situations/Brilliant Solutions”

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Depo Talk | Ep. 6: The BS Edition: Bad Situations/Brilliant Solutions

VERITEXT LEGAL SOLUTIONS RELEASES VIDEO TO PROMOTE THE COURT REPORTING COMMUNITY

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 As a wrap-up of Court Reporting and Captioning Week, we released a new awareness video as part of an overall package of resources to help inspire the next generation of stenographic court reporters.

The company asked court reporters to submit a video of themselves talking about why they love their profession and then created a montage to help attract new talent to the field. Other resources include flyers, social media posts, email signatures and more. All that the current reporter community can use to promote and create awareness of the profession.

“Helping to drive the next generation is very important to us and we will continue to do what we can to assist the community in showcasing this profession to new potential members,” states Nancy Josephs, CEO of Veritext. “Court reporters are critical to the legal process. In addition to the many scholarships and educational programs provided by Veritext, we are continually looking for new ways to support this community, and this video does a great job of featuring real court reporters sharing what they love about their jobs.”

You can see the video here:

IC – I Am a Court Reporter

Face-to-Face with Leanne Kowalyk

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Our very own Leanne Kowalyk, RCR, Director of Court Reporting, Canada, is heading out on the road to take the opportunity to meet you – our favourite court reporters starting with Kamloops on Monday, September 26th. 

After visiting Kamloops, Leanne will be heading across the country and will be hosting reporter events as follows:

Edmonton:  Tuesday, September 27

Calgary: Thursday, September 29

Regina: Monday, October 3

Saskatoon: Tuesday, October 4

Toronto:  Wednesday, October 5 and Thursday, October 6

Vancouver:  Wednesday, October 12

Victoria:  Monday, October 17

The visit to Calgary ties in with the ASRA  Conference in Calgary, September 30-October 2, 2022.  You still have time to register to attend. 

Check your inbox for information about locations and times to meet up with Leanne.

Watch Your Inbox!

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Christy Pratt, Regional Vice President, Veritext Canada

The last year and a half have brought enormous changes for our team.   Our new partnership with Veritext Legal Solutions (Canada) has given us the opportunity to meet the regional teams in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, who were already part of the Veritext Canada organization.  As we undertake our national integration, my vision for what the future of court reporting in Canada will look like is starting to take shape. 

Moving forward, clients will be able to access our services and solutions from anywhere in the country and around the globe, and they will continue to enjoy working with the same local teams of talented professionals they know and trust.  The national scale of our resources supports the regional experience and provides our Canadian client base with seamless access to best-in-class reporting and transcription services and to unparalleled virtual and technical solutions. 

Litigation technology is heavily focused on innovating practical, easy-to-use tools that allow lawyers to prepare for and present their cases as efficiently and effectively as possible, and the court reporting industry is rapidly evolving to complement this objective. 

By partnering with Veritext we now have access to leading IT experts who are continually developing products and services that are specifically designed for lawyers.  This collaborative effort perfectly positions us to lead the effort in sustaining our industry and in shaping its trajectory, which is an incredibly inspiring and satisfying experience. 

Keep an eye on your inbox over the coming weeks for information and updates about new ways to access Veritext Canada online tools, transcripts and other exciting services and solutions. 

But don’t forget – it’s still us, the same local teams who have always supported you and your unique litigation needs.

digital court reporting

Introducing Digital Reporter, Elizabeth Pilbrow!

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Looking for new career ideas? We took a moment to ask Toronto-based digital reporter, Elizabeth Pilbrow about her experience as a ‘DR’ with Veritext. Click below to read the whole article.

Partner Interview | Elizabeth Pilbrow