Digital court reporters are working around the country to record and preserve the record of important legal proceedings, depositions and examinations under oath. Many of these professionals rely on Verbit to perform their job efficiently and effectively.
Although Verbit’s tools are a daily part of some court reporters’ work, there are members of the legal community who misunderstand the company’s role. Read these misconceptions and learn more about how Verbit actually supports the legal profession.
Misconception One: Verbit Sends Court Reporters
Verbit is not a court reporting agency. Legal administrators in need of court reporting services do not call Verbit to schedule coverage. Instead, Verbit offers reliable backend support and technology that digital court reporters use to capture the spoken word. Clients can also request that one of Verbit’s certified stenographers provide proofing and certification services for their transcripts.
Some court reporters use Verbit’s transcription technology, and others use different tools to carry out their tasks. In almost every case, clients who hire court reporters will not even know that the reporter is using Verbit, especially since Verbit offers white-labeling of its services.
Moreover, digital court reporters who use Verbit choose to do so for various reasons, including the ability to get clients their transcripts faster, decrease back-end expenses to increase margins, and format transcripts at scale to fit their client’s specifications.
Misconception Two: Verbit Only Works with Digital Court Reporters
Digital court reporters do rely on Verbit, but so do other court reporters, including stenographers. Verbit offers post-production support for stenographers, from scoping to the final transcript, to help them maximize their time and margins.
When a stenographer uses Verbit for these tasks, they streamline their workflow and take on more clients. Stenographers who leverage Verbit’s services are less likely to find themselves turning away jobs because they are overwhelmed with their work volume. In today’s busy market, where many states face backlogs of cases, the ability to take on more jobs is a critical competitive advantage for court reporting practices of every size.
Misconception Three: Verbit is Taking Jobs from Stenographers
There is a general fear of technology overtaking human jobs, and many in the court reporting industry have voiced that same concern. As mentioned, Verbit works with stenographers and provides backend support for digital court reporters. Verbit’s tools offer court reporters an opportunity to improve efficiency and make more money. They do not and cannot replace people.
Court reporting still requires a human presence. Court reporters often hold official roles, swear in witnesses, notarize documents, and certify transcripts. Also, technology alone cannot meet the accuracy demands of the legal industry, so court reporters must ensure that a transcript is correct and that they deliver a high-quality final product.
Additionally, stenography schools are not turning out enough new graduates. These programs are extremely difficult to complete and have low graduation rates, contributing to the well-documented stenography shortage. There is plenty of work for stenographers, but there aren’t enough stenographers to cover all jobs with the highest level of client service.
Thus, digital court reporters are filling a need in the market, not taking work from stenographers. Like so many industries, court reporting workflows and tasks are changing because of new and innovative technology. Whether a court reporter uses a stenograph machine or digital tools, Verbit saves time, makes workflows more efficient, maximizes margins, and allows court reporters to serve their clients better.
Verbit offers transcription, scoping and proofing services that support court reporters. Contact Verbit to learn more about how our tools help court reporters improve their efficiency and build their businesses.