Sustainable Legal Tech Practices

Going Paperless: The Future of the Legal Industry

/in , , , , /by

In recent years, the legal industry has seen a significant shift towards digitization and the adoption of paperless practices.  Covid protocols and the rising trend of hybrid and remote work have certainly sped up that trend.

Advancements made in the fast digital distribution of files — through encrypted hyperlinks — have become the more superior, more sustainable, and more secure solutions for transcript and exhibit delivery.  With paperless legal services, law firms and courts can significantly reduce their paper consumption and the associated costs, such as printing, storage, and secure disposal. 

It will come as no surprise that the legal industry is a significant consumer of paper.  From bankers’ boxes full of files to legal binders and correspondence… the list goes on. By adopting paperless practices and utilizing digital technologies, legal services can reduce their environmental impact and improve the efficiency and accessibility of the legal industry.  The benefits of going paperless in the legal sector are many.  First and foremost, it is a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach.  According to the American Bar Association, an average case with a duration of a year can generate between 20,000 to 100,000 sheets of paper including motions, discoveries, transcripts, exhibits, and other legal documents. The statistics in Canada will no doubt be similar.  That’s a lot of trees.  

Another advantage of going paperless is improving access to justice.  Today we can ensure that legal documents and information are easily accessible to authorized parties while maintaining a high level of security and confidentiality.  In 2019, the Ministry of the Attorney General of BC published a ‘roadmap’ to their digital transformation.   You can read the report here.  The comprehensive report looks at the inevitable transformation of the legal industry into a digital model and how that impacts our legal system. BC and Court systems across Canada – including the Supreme Court – and the United States have developed comprehensive electronic filing systems that allow users to upload multiple documents per case to be used for all filings (with some exceptions).

Veritext has a long-standing commitment to sustainability. Our technological orientation is central to mitigating our environmental impact and we invite you to read more about our sustainability practices and strategies to lessen our own environmental impact in this comprehensive report.

Our commitment to building a more sustainable industry is why our standard transcript deliverables are via secure and encrypted electronic hyperlinks — however, we understand the needs of our clients — and hard copies of all your proceedings will continue to be available upon request.  We are dedicated to customizing your experience with our client services, providing cutting-edge solutions, and capturing your desired preferences to deliver the best service tailored to your needs.

Watch Your Inbox!

/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

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!

/in , , , , , /by

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
printing press

Top questions asked and answered by the Veritext Transcription Team!

/in , , /by

Our dedicated legal transcription team oversees every step of the transcription process, and every transcript is thoroughly checked by our dedicated quality control department.

See here what it takes to succeed as a transcriptionist.

Tips to Succeed as a Legal Transcriptionist

The Advocates Society

/in , , , , , , /by

Strengthening the profession through advocacy and mentorship.

This past year, as we’ve expanded to become a Canadian national enterprise, we’ve truly enjoyed fostering new relationships in our various communities while continuing to strengthen others.

For our team at Veritext Canada, supporting the Advocates Society is a natural fit.

With their focus on facilitating mentorship in the coming term, the AS is working to provide an environment that “fosters creativity and provides support” within the legal community.

Recently, we had the pleasure of attending the Advocates Society gala in Calgary and last night we were able to connect once again in Toronto. It was a much-needed chance to celebrate together, and to honour successful careers, and, most importantly, begin to reconnect.

Connection. Isn’t that what it’s really all about?

Advocates Society End of Term Gala Toronto

Clearly, over the past many months our industry has shifted how (and where) we work and like many other professions, our systems and structures have been shaken to the core. Fortunately, our collective passion for justice has remained firmly intact, driving courts to utilize leading-edge solutions and adapt to virtual and hybrid practices to stay productive and connected.

As we emerge from this period of transformation, we also know that the repercussions of this pandemic will be felt for months, even years to come – and so, it becomes a meaningful exercise to hold on to the progress we’ve made and to look for the silver linings in the process.

One such glimmer of hope is the absolute joy of reconnecting with colleagues and friends in the real world, knowing how far we’ve all come!

Thank you to the Advocates Society for inviting our team to these important events and for the part they play in providing mentorship and actively supporting the development of young lawyers across Canada. 

As a growing company, we will continue to align with others whose main goal is to shape the future of our industry in all its facets in a collaborative way. We often mention our focus on community over competition because despite the challenges and hurdles we all face, what remains is the strong foundation upon which our work thrives. Shaky foundations make for precarious futures, so finding the fortitude that remains is not only necessary but absolutely essential.

Reportex Student Awards for the 2021-2022 Academic Year Announcement

/in , , , , /by

Reportex, now part of Veritext Canada, has always supported NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) and their Captioning and Court Reporting Program. Director of Court Reporting, Leanne Kowalyk, RCR, has spoken to the NAIT students in person and online about a career in court reporting, as well as participating in shadowing experiences for career education. We also provide awards for their top students.

This year we are proud to share the announcement about two award recipients.

Karina Cox received $1,000 for the Reportex Award of Excellence in Technology.

This award is available to students enrolled in the third semester of the Captioning and Court Reporting program at NAIT. Awarded on the basis of top marks on the comprehensive Computer-Aided Transcription (CAT) exam developed by the CACR program. The recipient must demonstrate excellence in technical skills in the first year of the program and have successfully completed all first-year course requirements.

Karina is a second-year student in the Captioning And Court Reporting program. Congratulations, Karina!

Karen Collis received $1,000 for the Reportex Captioning and Court Reporting Scholarship.

This scholarship is available to students enrolled in the second year of the Captioning and Court Reporting program at NAIT. Awarded on the basis of top academic achievement in the first year of the program with preference being given to a student who has relocated from British Columbia to attend the Captioning and Court Reporting program at NAIT.

You may have seen Karen’s name mentioned here before, as both her sister, Laura Collis here in Vancouver, and her mother, Diana Halvorsen at ACE in Edmonton, are court reporters. Keeping it in the family is a strong tradition in this industry.

Veritext Canada promises to maintain its goals of promoting and supporting Captioning and Court Reporting careers and education through institutions like NAIT. Congratulations to Karen and Karina and their fellow students for choosing such a dynamic and in-demand career!

Connect Series: Meet Britney Rumbaugh, Medicolegal Editor/Proofer

/in , , , , , /by

One of our key service areas that is not related to court reporting is independent medical examination (IME) transcription. This is a rather large umbrella term that covers the many aspects of medicolegal transcription services that are required by the medical and legal fields. We are proud of the experts we retain to review these transcripts to the exacting standards of quality and accuracy that we expect in all our work. 

Britney Rumbaugh is one of our editors and proofers with a passion and interest in medicolegal documentation. She took some time to share why she loves this field of work.

Could you tell us in your own words what a medicolegal editor/proofer does?

The medicolegal editor/proofer is a medical language specialist and skilled researcher with the ability to analyze lengthy, complex medicolegal documentation while checking for ambiguities, inflammatory language (as seen in the court), conflicting information, incongruency of facts, false information, missing information, grammatical errors, formatting errors, spelling/typos, etc.

I edit and/or proof reports that have been received straight from an expert or have gone through our in-house transcription services. These types of reports include (but are not limited to) independent medical examinations (IMEs), supplementation reports, cost of future care (COFC) reports, functional ability assessments (FAAs), future cost of care (FCC) reports, functional capacity evaluations (FCEs), medicolegal reports and addendums.

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

I have always had a passion for biology and a thirst for knowledge. I feel that the position I have found myself in is exactly where I need to be, and I feel that the decisions I have made along the way have put me here. I enjoy what I do as well as enjoy the flexibility to be able to work from home — something that is not easily obtained in the medical world.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

There is a great sense of pride in being able to continually expand one’s knowledge while simultaneously helping experts in the field.

What has surprised you the most?

How passionate I am about helping deliver high-quality reports.

As technology continues to change how we all work, can you look into your crystal ball and tell us your vision of the future of the medicolegal transcription/editing industry?

As I have been in this industry for over a decade now, I have been able to watch the major shift in technology. There are many programs on the market that will attempt to do the job of a medical transcriptionist, but in my opinion they fall short. Most often these programs are “trained” to the speaker, and after time (and usually much frustration) they are eventually able to produce a document of subpar standards. Unfortunately, most experts will need to edit the produced document to some degree after it is churned out — and many professionals do not have the extra time to do this.

I feel that good medicolegal transcriptionists and medicolegal editors are irreplaceable, and the demand for our services will only increase as we see a transition into more multidisciplinary approaches to care and recovery (occupational therapy combined with physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, psychology, etc.).

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?

I feel that all of Veritext’s listed values resonate strongly with me. They seem to work in unison — but if I have to choose one, I think respect should be foremost. I feel that respect is a key component in a healthy workplace culture and would allow for strong values across the board.

We talk quite a bit about wellness and self-care on our blog and internally through our Teams channels. Do you have a favourite way to recharge or any tips for staying healthy mentally and physically?

I love to “make old new again.” I enjoy refinishing old furniture. The before and after is always a big driver for me, and the whole process is very therapeutic.

I think the biggest thing for our mental health is to remember to make time for those closest to us as well as for ourselves! Find something that motivates you outside. My family and I enjoy many outside activities and are always on the go. Do what makes you happy!

Bridging the Gap – Court Bridge Solution

/in , , , , , , /by

Something is happening…

Much like the Second Industrial Revolution, a phase of massive development largely based on technological advancements and a new worldwide connection, our (R)evolution is marked by a similar tone.

“Technology is best when it brings people together.” — Matt Mullenweg

The justice system may sometimes be criticized for its notoriously slow pace and often strained resources, but legal technology is one area that is providing some major support to the courts through continued exploration and development.

Anyone who has been involved in legal tech over the past decade or so can attest to the fact that we have come a very long way in a very short time (especially in legal industry terms). From coast-to-coast new technology is being tested and unveiled in various levels of court in an effort to provide better access and more efficient proceedings. As we continue to explore new ways to innovate, our team is focused on developing legal solutions that ensure better access through tech that connects — no matter where you are.

It’s all about connection.

As we continue to highlight our e-solutions and legal services across the country, next up in our series is our customized court bridge solution, a specialized service that provides authorized virtual access to the courtroom.

The court bridge frees up both time and resources in expediating a court proceeding by setting up videoconferencing for witnesses to attend remotely in a streamlined and supported manner. Not only does it aid in more efficient scheduling, but it also ensures a smoother process as a whole. Our team will handle the details so you can maximize your time.

“Taking care of the facilitation of videoconferencing of remote witnesses to the court allows our clients to free up their valuable time needed for trial prep. We don’t simply just provide SIP dial‑in info, we actually liaise with the court and fill in the necessary paperwork on behalf of our clients. The process can be cumbersome for our clients, so we provide a valuable service in the facilitation of these requests. Our videoconferencing/bridging service has helped to bridge connections between local courts and witnesses as close as Vancouver and as far as Singapore.”

— Zach Bragg, Complex Litigation Manager (Reportex, a Veritext Company)

We invite you to click here to learn more about this service and review the possibilities.

Stay tuned for more e-solutions as our (R)evolution continues to unfold and follow us on social media for more tips and tricks to stay connected! #techthatconnects #therevolutioncampaign

Corporate Boardroom Bookings — Now Available at Reportex!

/in , , , , , , /by

Introducing our new way to save your sanity — meeting and work space for your new normal.

Many of us may have adjusted to working from home, virtual meetings and downsized office space over these past many months, but this doesn’t always work for every situation, and that’s where we come in!

Introducing our new corporate room rental opportunities to help with your professional workplace essentials.   Whether you need a stylish space for an in-person meeting or event, a tech-forward setup to host virtual calls or just a quiet place to work, we can help. 

Our Vancouver offices have over 20,000 square feet of beautiful meeting space and the flexibility to safely accommodate both individuals and groups of up to 30. Our boardrooms are designed to create effective in-person, virtual and hybrid connections, with staff and technical support available — whatever you require.

Supporting our industry as things continue to evolve and change is paramount, and this is one way we can offer some new options to our clients and friends. We’ve been saying it all along — we are in this together.

Visit our new information page to learn more about our professional amenities, custom-designed for your comfort and convenience, or contact our operations manager, Casey Dickinson, to explore your options. Hope to see you soon!

Tools of the Trade When Preparing for an E-Trial

/in , , , , /by

Digital tools were part of legal services across Canada and the US long before COVID-19. Courts, lawyers and mediators have been using digital tools to enhance the entire legal from discovery all the way through to hearings and actual trials. The ability to expand access to court proceedings hampered by distance or scope is now encouraging more people to embrace a wider use of technology across the legal industry.

Adopting technology into the legal world does not come without problems, and not everyone or every place has the ability to adapt to these tools. We have always been aware of this. Technology is a tool that can be made great only when wielded by the right people — and our team is made up of the right people. 

We teamed up with Veritext because they too saw that the future of legal services goes far beyond booking a court reporter. They too focus on the unique needs of each member of a legal team and strive to provide access to the best technology and virtual solutions as well as the highest quality network of reporters and legal videographers, and they pride themselves on providing unmatched expertise in multi-party and complex litigations. Now we can offer our brand of e-solutions expertise to clients across Canada and the US. 

Getting Ready for Your E-Trial

We want you to be eager to adopt our e-solutions, and we are here to help you build your e-trial. Let’s look at the main things to consider when you request a quote:

  • How tech-savvy are you? Will you require technical support, including a courtroom technician available throughout the examinations for discovery and e-trial?
  • Is the courtroom set up to manage the required technology? Is it set up for videoconferencing, and does it have high-speed wifi installed? 
  • Do you need a way to manage your digital documentation in a secure manner? Are exhibits, transcripts and other documents easy to find in a searchable, centralized hub?

The future is here, and the solution to providing fair and equal access to justice for all lies in your ability to welcome new technology and new formats like e-trials.

The technology required to run a successful e-trial is not large or distracting in a courtroom setting.  The basic e-trial equipment comprises a laptop, viewing monitors, a presenter workstation and additional laptops for both the witnesses and the clerk. Additional hardware may include the following:

  • routers to manage both wifi and WLAN networks
  • a wireless device, such as a phone or tablet (for mobile configurations)
  • an all-in-one printer
  • a SMART Board with at least one compatible pen or a tablet with a stylus
  • video cameras and/or external speakers

We also provide a technician to manage the technology throughout the proceedings. 

Talk to us today to learn more about what we can do for you or take our quiz to get you started!