helping hands

Walking the talk: Community over Competition

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Student Legal Assistance (SLA) is a registered charitable organization that is staffed primarily by law students at the University of Calgary. Under the guidance of an Executive Director and a team of advising lawyers, student caseworkers provide access to justice for low-income Albertans.

Every year, over 100 law students volunteer their time providing civil, criminal, and family law help to individuals across Alberta who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. SLA’s work improves the functioning of the Courts by providing clients with representation and ensuring they have the legal information necessary to make sound decisions inside and outside of the courtroom.

Each year in July, SLA hosts a charity golf tournament at Sirocco Golf Club. Funds raised through the tournament support their ongoing operations and expenses. We were very happy to sign up to be a sponsor for this year’s tournament, but that’s not where our participation ended.

One area of legal assistance the organization provides help with is their residential tenancy dispute resolution. 

Their residential tenancy dispute resolution service offers landlords and tenants an alternative to arguing their dispute in court. Using an RTDRS can allow a person to resolve their tenancy issue faster and more affordably than if filing an application at Provincial Court. 

The matter is then heard before a Tenancy Dispute Officer who is authorized to make binding decisions on claims up to $50,000. This decision of the Tenancy Dispute Officer is binding on all parties. 

The SLA had taken on a case of a First Nations woman who – after 20 years of peaceful residency – was facing an eviction notice. The appeal could not be made without a transcript. In Alberta, many court transcription services have been subsumed by the province, whereas RTDRS hearings have not. In this case, the SLA’s client could not afford the usual transcription fees, so the transcription team at Veritext was happy to step up and transcribe the one hour of audio files the students had recorded for their client – at no charge – as our way of supporting access to justice for all.

We were thrilled to hear that just in time for Truth and Reconciliation Day, the appeal was granted for their client and the woman and her family are now allowed to stay in their home.

Christy Pratt, RCR, RPR, CLR and Regional Vice President, Canada has long had an interest in aboriginal litigation. special interest in Aboriginal rights and title cases and Charter challenge cases.

She has reported several landmark trials (including Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia and Conseil-scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique v. British Columbia (Education)), and she is currently reporting the Cambie Surgeries Corp. v. British Columbia (Medical Services Commission) trial before the Honourable Mr. Justice Steeves.

This special interest in Aboriginal rights was why we stepped up to support the SLA with their transcription needs.  Access to justice for all people, no matter where they live, who they are, or what their circumstances are, lies at the heart of our view of the future of legal technology and the ability to provide legal services to all people no matter where they live.

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.

Welcome back, Toronto

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It’s been a long road to get here, but on Tuesday, August 2nd, we are officially re-opening our Toronto office for in-person proceedings.

Same great team (and a fantastic candy bar) that you know and love!

Things may have changed slightly, but you’ll see many of the same faces from Neesons you have missed over the past two and a half years ready to help. While we will continue to offer remote and hybrid services, we couldn’t be more excited to see some of you again in real life.

All of our offices across Canada adhere to the best practices set out by provincial and federal health authorities. We are committed to ensuring our staff and clients always feel safe and fully supported. 

Book now! 

For more information, please contact us or call 416-413-7755

Upcoming Webinars for Court Reporters

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Here in Canada and across the United States, Veritext has always supported the continued growth and education of our court reporters. One way we do this is through NCRA CEU accredited webinars.

One such webinar that may be of interest to you is this one (link in image):

You can learn more about our other educational opportunities at our partner portal.

Please refer to your NCRA or association membership cycle before attending our webinars for CEU credit. 

In the News: Veritext CEO Pledges Leadership and Action for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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You may have seen an announcement that our CEO, Nancy Josephs has joined CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, a unique collaborative of over 2,000 CEOs from some of the world’s leading companies and organizations who have pledged to take action to cultivate a workplace environment where diverse experiences and perspectives are welcomed and where employees feel comfortable and empowered.

The collective of over 2,000 signatories has already shared more than 1,400+ best practices, exchanging tangible learning opportunities and creating collaborative conversations via the initiative’s unified hub, CEOAction.com.

“At Veritext we believe that diverse perspectives and inclusive collaboration yield exponential value for all of our stakeholders – clients, independent contractors and, of course, employees. We’re committed to strengthening our organization and the communities we serve by cultivating an inclusive environment that celebrates and values individuals representing a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, their unique perspectives, needs and potential,” shares Josephs. “As an employer, we strive to create a culture of learning and growth and a workplace where our employees feel satisfied and engaged through intentional focus and expansion on practices that foster diversity, equity and inclusion.“

Nancy Josephs, CEO

Vertitext pledges:

  • To continue to cultivate an environment that supports open dialogue on complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations.
  • To continue to make unconscious bias-education available to everyone at Veritext
  • To share best-known programs and initiatives — as well as those that have been unsuccessful
  • And to create and share strategic plans with our stakeholders as a way to prioritize diversity and inclusion and drive accountability in our organization.

You can read more about Veritext’s dedication to this program and the ongoing efforts the company has planned.

Reportex Student Awards for the 2021-2022 Academic Year Announcement

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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!

Free Webinar: Unlock the hidden potential of Realtime Court Reporting

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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!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

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April has been a busy month.  Spring is springing, blossoms are blossoming and things are going full tilt at Veritext Canada.

With everything going on, the people in our world keep mentioning that time feels like an illusion right now. Where are the days going?

For our team, the focus continues to be on expanding our presence and client resources across Canada. Our days and weeks have been spent honing in on growth and development, on connecting with our clients and on fostering our team in order to provide a best-in-class experience from coast to coast.

Last weekend, our Director of Reporting, Leanne Kowalyk hosted a webinar with NAIT’s own Janice Plomp on how to use AccelerWriters and Power Defines.  Finding ways to support the professional growth of our reporters is key. A supported team is a successful team, so mentorship and learning are always on our minds. Watch this space for information on upcoming webinars for Reporters in the next few months.

We also want to congratulate Leanne for her new role as a member of the Captioning & Court Reporting Program Advisory Committee at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).  This position enables her to collaborate with the NAIT program leadership and provide input, advice and guidance in the development of their Captioning and Court Reporting Program.

Speaking of NAIT, congratulations to first-year court reporting student Myung Kyu Kim and second-year court reporting student Desislava Kancheva, recipients of the annual Veritext Legal Solutions Court Reporting Student Scholarship for 2022. We can’t wait to see what you achieve in your budding careers!

With restrictions loosening across the country, Megan Ejack, Director of Marketing & Communications, Canada, took the opportunity to head to Alberta this week to meet the teams in Calgary and Edmonton.  She also attended the Advocates Society Annual Gala in Calgary last night with our Regional VP, Christ Pratt and we were proud to be a sponsor of this event.  

Learning the particular nuances of each market across the nation is an important factor in driving how we approach new, innovative solutions for clients and truly understand the needs of each respective region. We’re looking forward to meeting all of our clients over the coming months so we can properly assess the direction we need to go. If you have thoughts, comments or suggestions, please reach out to anyone on our team.

On that note, we want to thank you for your ongoing support of our exciting path forward as we continue to forge a sustainable future for our industry. Though the days may be racing along, we know we’re not alone in wanting to affect change and delve deeper into the needs of our colleagues, associates and clients.

“Community over competition” has become a bit of a mantra for us as we navigate the past, present and future…. Together.

Better Together!

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What’s better than a cold Abbotsford cider on a hot sunny day?

Joining forces with another incredible team!

In the spirit of continuing to build a strong, sustainable court reporting community across Canada, we are thrilled to announce that Richards Reporting is now part of our Veritext Canada team!

As you know, Richards Reporting, led by Diane Richards, has been operating for over 30 years in the Fraser Valley, servicing clients throughout the mainland of British Columbia with the utmost excellence and we’re thrilled to partner with them.

Access to an extended team

Rest assured, you will still be working with the same exceptional team of reporters that you know and love and will have access to more boardrooms, integrated legal technology and efficiencies to enhance your litigation practice. 

Under the Veritext umbrella our Canadian division is able to offer you reporting, transcription and integrated virtual services across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario as well as in the United States for our cross-border clients.

Our focus is always to provide an incomparable experience for clients and this collaboration is incredibly exciting. We look forward to continuing to shape the future of court reporting in Canada, together.

Put Your Best Face Forward For Your Next Virtual Proceeding

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Join us on March 29, 2022, for our FREE Webinar.

Pro Tips for Virtual Proceedings: Tips and tricks for making sure your next presentation leaves the right impression.

Put your best face forward for your next virtual proceeding. There is no doubt that the last two years have changed how people manage themselves and their businesses.  The legal profession has not been untouched as firms and courtrooms adapted quickly to a new digital age. As virtual proceedings pave a new way forward, more legal professionals are exploring tools to enhance their online persona.  First impressions count on and off the digital screen.  

This hour-long CPD webinar is packed with actionable tips for the tech-savvy and the technophobic alike to make sure you are at your professional best when taking the case online. This webinar will answer these five questions and much more: What hardware should I choose, and how do I use it? How do I use filters and virtual backgrounds? How can I ensure clear audio and video? What is the best lighting and camera angle? What can I do to look good on Zoom?

Join us on March 29 at 12:00 p.m. PT via Zoom.

Space IS limited. Register here to attend.