President's Message Lyn Yard, Stanislaus County As Kelly McCarthy told you last fall, she didn’t expect to become the President of COCRA within her brief, six-year career. She also didn’t expect a death penalty case with a four-week estimate to turn into a year-long career trial — a daunting daily copy experience for any reporter, in addition to her duties running a statewide reporters’ organization and negotiating the transcript

increase legislation. As the ever faithful, yet unexpectant deputy, I also didn’t expect to be stepping into the boots the “new sheriff in town.” But what I lack in expectation, I’m confident in reporting experience.

I’ve been reporting my entire adult life. I’ve been a CSR since 1978 – yes, that’s almost 30 years! When I began reporting, the per diem was a meager $55 per day – a paltry $27.50 if you finished before noon. At that time we dictated from our paper notes into Stenorette reel-to-reel Dictaphones. Stay-at-home moms picked up the tapes and transcribed them at their kitchen tables on then-state-of-the-art IBM Selectric typewriters, producing about 10 pages per hour on erasable bond with carbon paper. (Do your kids even know what carbon paper is?)

My first CAT experience was around 1980. Disks were as big as your steering wheel and the systems were dedicated, proprietary mega centers that were as big as a small SUV. Since then, I’ve beta tested software (with various size disks, including 8" and the ever-unpopular 5¼”) for vendor development with Windows and participated in forums to stimulate the reporter industry. I’m on my third stand-alone PC-based system and still work on perfecting my realtime skills.

In 1978, most reporters were independent contractors and worked without benefits, yet my heart has always been in the courtroom. I have worked in Muni Court reporting prelims, in Superior Court reporting death penalty trials, and even labored on the civil law and motion calendar. Last year, I worked on my first nationwide civil class action case.

Recently, I began the first set of motions in phase one of a death penalty trial. In addition to that, I am the Supervising Court Reporter in charge of scheduling and training 20 reporters and act as the management-reporter liaison.

I have found myself in places I didn’t expect: In the capitol alongside our union lobbyists opposing expansion of Electronic Recording and hammering out new reporter-favorable legislation, at the AOC headquarters on employee committees, and even negotiating my court’s local contract. I became enveloped in reporter issues as a COCRA district representative.

 

The simple point is, we’ve developed as reporters along with the evolution in the court system. No one used to allow us to weigh in on issues related to reporters. COCRA has been there every step.

 

We’ve also developed and morphed with the reporter technology: Today our CAT systems (which were only a theory when I was in reporting school!) have artificial
intelligence. We write on paperless writers to Smart Digital and Compact Flash cards, which communicate via wireless technology to our laptops for realtime display viewed in browser litigation support software capable of annotation. We store our notes to third-party web-based electronic servers. We upload transcripts to other online internet repositories for immediate download by litigants via credit card. We email electronic transcripts in ASCII format with built-in search engines and alphabetic concordance reference and can provide rough ASCIIs before leaving the courtroom.

 

That’s a lot of change in one career.

 

So what have I learned over three decades that I can share with our members, the official reporters of this state? What do you need to know in today’s reporting industry?
I only know the basic principles that have worked for 30 years and still hold true today.

Know it! Be informed. Know the statutes, rules of court, and code sections that relate to reporting and transcripts. Have them at your fingertips for ready reference when
needed. Be able to quote them and utilize them.

 

The COCRA Manual is available both in an organized binder or CD format. Updates reflecting the new Rules of Court are available now.

Develop it! Technology is your marketability. Develop, know, understand, and embrace the products available for your usage.

See our COCRA newsletter for the newest products in the reporting industry and latest tech-tips. Go to our website for more information.

Get involved! This is your profession, your career. Know what’s happening and know what’s coming, from the Court Reporters Board to the Adminstrative Offices of the
Court.

COCRA monitors, interacts, responds, and keeps you informed. You will know what is coming with standardization and continuing education and other issues unique to the official reporters in California’s courtrooms.

 

Work it! Get to know your union representatives. Most court employees are represented by unions throughout the state. Representation is one of the most valuable tools provided to us through our court employment. Your union reps know your rights, help to negotiate contracts, interact with public officials, and provide lobbying services within the Legislature to maintain and improve your positions.

COCRA supports all lobbying efforts by the union lobbyists, as well as employs the outstanding firm of Broad & Gusman, LLP to represent the specific interests of official reporters.

Keep it! Stay informed. Let your membership work for you. Network with fellow professionals. Be aware of what’s happening locally and statewide. COCRA provides fun professional seminars, as well as provides opportunities to interact and network. We bring information to you and provide you the resources you need via our newsletters, seminars, labor statistics database, and up-to-the-minute information on our extensive website.

Support it! When a reporter group or organization is working for you, support it. Back them up. Give them the information they need to look out for your best interests. Once legislation has been launched, its success is dependent upon member support, financial and informational.

Last year COCRA drafted and introduced AB2302, laying the groundwork for the current transcript increase legislation. We are in Sacramento supporting AB582, which will provide the only raise official reporters have seen in transcript rates since 1991. We need member support to make this legislation a reality! Show it! Get yourself recognized. No one knows what you do best but you. Show them your reporter-only
skills. As a reporter, you must be willing to inform your judicial staff and administration of your capabilities, provide services for the hearing impaired, arrange realtime demonstrations for counsel, and provide expedited transcript when needed. Show off with what you can do!

Oh, yeah, and what I tell every new reporter: READ, READ, READ – everything from the classic American novel to the Wall Street Journal. All of it adds to your base of knowledge. Knowledge is power. And LISTEN to everything — radio broadcasts, stock reports, medical breakthroughs and sports scores. It all helps to make you the best reporter you can be. We report best what we know and understand.

What you need to know and what you need to understand today is at COCRA.