Dale Mercer
When most people get a jury duty notice in the mail, they rarely get chosen to sit on an actual jury. I was chosen twice within the span of four years. The first case was a one-day personal injury case, and the second was a three-week murder case. Perhaps I was chosen because of my knowledge in anatomy and experience working with injured clients as a licensed massage and neuromuscular therapist. Maybe I was just the right demographic at the right time. Whatever the reason, I found everything about each proceeding fascinating and left having an entirely new respect for the court reporter.
I witnessed firsthand just how vital your work is and have the highest respect for what you do as guardians of the record. Your transcript deserves to be looked over with a final set of detail-oriented eyes that care about accountability and readability as much as you do.
Client references upon request.
What I correct
Format
Misspellings
Incorrect words
Incorrect names and dates
Consistent use of terminology and style
Generic vs. brand name drugs/products
Context (indicate phrases that read awkward)
Numbers (correct expression)
Missing or transposed words
Spacing issues
Punctuation
Readability
Reference Materials
Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters
Margie Wakeman Wells’ Bad Grammar / Good Punctuation
The Gregg Reference Manual
Merriam-Webster
Barron’s Dictionary of Legal Terms
And client preferences, of course!