Board brief, Summer 2008 (Aug. 2008)

BOARD OF COURT REPORTING OF THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL OF GEORGIA

Board Brief

Issue 3

Summer 2008

George William Abel, Jr. Judge Harry J. Altman, II Judge Linda S. Cowen, Chair John K. Larkins, Jr. Kerry McFadden Vickey E. Riggins Marilyn C. Roe Derrick White Vickie Wiechec

Inside This Issue:

New Members

2

Monrovia, Liberia

3

Thank You to Judge

Anne Workman

3

Important Dates

4

2008 Suspension and

Revocation List

4

Special Notice

4

Public Disciplinary

Sanctions

5

2008 LEAP Seminar

6

GCCRA Annual CE

Seminar

6

New Changes for 2009 7

Alert

7

What can NVRA do for you? 8

User Groups and State

Associations: Why

You Should Join

9

Fee Schedule

10

Continuing Education 10

A Message from the Chair

"TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS"
There are four very important business matters that all court reporters must attend to in order to remain licensed in this State:
FIRST, paying yearly dues by April 1st of each year.
SECOND, obtaining and reporting the required number of continuing education hours by December 31st each year.
THIRD, keeping abreast of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Court Reporting.
FOURTH, producing accurate transcripts in a reasonable period of time.
The first two issues are "no brainers", right? Well, unfortunately, there are a significant number of reporters who fail to attend to those two simple tasks each year, and who end up suspended as a result. Some even eventually get revoked. This should never happen!
In the past, the Board sent a written dues reminder with the necessary renewal form to all reporters each year. This year, the Board decided to go "high-tech," and sent a reminder postcard to all reporters to renew online. Amazingly, 208 reporters missed the deadline of April 1st, apparently because they did not get the form in the mail. While many reporters called to blame the Board for their lack of attention to their obligation to pay dues by April 1st this is something that the reporter should take care of each year. So, be aware! Reporters will not be sent a renewal form in the mail in 2009,

but will be sent a postcard with a reminder to renew online. Do not wait for the reminder! Go online after January, (you cannot renew early), and pay your dues and renew your license for 2009.
New reporters must attend the first LEAP Seminar that is offered after they are licensed. Others must attend at least 10 hours of continuing education each year, and report those hours to the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education. The Court Reporters Training Council and ICJE do an excellent job of approving programs and tracking hours. Each reporter has the Continuing Education Manual from CRTC. If you do not have a current edition, you can download it at the Board's web site, www.georgiacourts.org/agencies/bcr. ICJE posts the number of hours that they have reported for each reporter online. You can check your status at www.uga.edu/icje (click on "Court Reporters"). There is no excuse for failing to attend and/or submit your continuing education hours!
The third issue, keeping up with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Court Reporting, is important, although most reporters do not seem to take a look unless they are in trouble. New Rules and Regulations were adopted this year. Download the Rules at www.georgiacourts.org/agencies/bcr and put them in your Handbook. Read them!
The fourth issue, producing an accurate transcript in a reasonable time, will save you enormous anxiety and stress. The Board processed nine (9) Complaints from February 22, 2008 through July 10, 2008. Most of them involved the complaint that a reporter had failed to provide a transcript, despite repeated requests and payment. A reporter should communicate with all parties waiting on a transcript, if there is a
continued pg 2

Hard copies of this publication are available upon request.

Page 2

New Members

The Honorable Harry J. Altman, II, joined the Derek White joined the Board of Court Reporting

Board of Court Reporting in July 2008 as a represen- also in July 2008 as a representative from the State

tative from the

Bar of Georgia. Mr. White

Judiciary.

Judge

is in private practice and an

Altman has served as

active member of the State

a judge in the Superior

Bar of Georgia, the

Court of the Southern

American Bar Association,

Judicial District since

the Savannah Bar

1994. Judge Altman is

Association, the Georgia

currently a member of

Trial Lawyers Association,

the State Bar of

Savannah Trial Lawyers,

Georgia, the Council

and the United States

of Superior Court Judge Harry J. Altman, II, Judge John C. Carbo, and Mr. Derrick Judges Court Auto- White.

Professional Teaching Registry. Mr. White has

mation Committee, and the Council of Superior served as the Past President of the State Bar Young

Court Judges Nomination Committee. He has Lawyers Division, Special Master for the Supreme

served as the Past Chair of the Council of Superior Court of Georgia, on the Board of Governors, and

Court Judges Mandatory Continuing Judicial numerous legal and civic organizations. Derek

Education, a member of the State Ethics White received his J.D. from Walter F. George Law

Commission, and State Board of Governors. Judge School at Mercer University.

Altman received his Juris Doctorate from the

University of Georgia. Judge Altman recently

joined the Board in July 2008.

Serving Georgia's Courts...
Board Brief

ALERT!!! ALERT!!! ALERT!!!

Have you received any email communication regarding official court reporting positions, continuing education opportunities, or license renewal reminders? If not, then the Board encourages all certified court reporters and registered court reporting firms to join its listserv. The listserv is a vital tool for the Board to communicate updates, renewal reminders, continuing

education classes, urgent announcements, and other important information.
To join the listserv or update your email address, please visit www.georgiacourts.org/ agencies/bcr. Click on the link, "Forms" and download "Change of Address" form. Please note, your email address will be used for Board-related purposes only, and will not be sold or given to a second party.

A Message from the Chair cont.

delay. This includes pro se litigants. The Board has seen a disturbing pattern of ignoring the pro se litigant, as if their needs are not important. It should not matter to the reporter if an attorney or a party has requested a transcript. If you are having trouble producing a transcript for personal reasons (illness, divorce, family stress, or other similar issues), get help! Join GCCRA and/or GSRA, or ask other reporters to assist you in your time of

need. Do not wait to get a Complaint, and then produce the transcript only when the Board asks you to respond.
If court reporters will take care of these four issues, their license will never be in jeopardy, and the profession will remain one that you can continue to be proud a part of. Please, take care of business!!

Issue 3

Page 3

Monrovia, Liberia

By: Kerry McFadden

Yesterday I took down the most pages I ever have in one day of depositions: 450. Can you imagine, in a court of record, not even getting 450 pages in one month? This is the situation for "court reporters" in Monrovia, Liberia, in West Africa, a country trying to rebuild the integrity of their courts: judges, attorneys, and one day soon a court reporter.
In June 2008, I was part of the launching of the James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute in Monrovia, the capitol city of the Republic of Liberia. A court reporter from Atlanta, Georgia, I was in attendance to demonstrate to the country how a high-tech courtroom operates. This undertaking is part of a visionary plan to rebuild the infrastructure in Liberia, a civil-war-torn country, only five

years post their most recent civil war. Liberia has no public electricity
nor does it supply water for its people. Any air conditioning and lights we had available to us were produced
from a generator. And because our venue was the Supreme Court, fifth floor of the Temple of Justice, the generators were on full time. But when I visited a county court on the first floor of the Temple of Justice, it resembled all of the county courts in the country:

hot (no air conditioning), humid (Liberia is located just above the equator), and a court reporter typing on a manual typewriter.
Listening to the judge in the county court charge the jury with instructions brought back painful memories of sitting in my 60 wpm class in court reporting school. Only here the judge broke his sentences up in segments. Imagine being on the jury and listening to an entire trial like that. At least there is no expectation to get attorneys
and witnesses down when they're talking all over each other. The attorneys and witnesses know when they can speak next, when the ticking of the typewriter has ceased.

Thank you to Judge Anne Workman Retiring Member, Board of Court Reporting

Honorable Anne Workman, Judge of the Superior Court of DeKalb County, complet-

ing has helped to improve the integrity of the profession in Georgia courts.
Judge Workman's careful review

ed two terms as the

of each Complaint and Response

Superior Court

helped to insure

Judge representa-

that justice was

tive on the Board of

done in each

Court Reporting on

instance. She once

June 30, 2008.

participated in a

Judge Workman

decision

that

has been a great

helped to further

asset to the Board.

develop

court

Her sharp legal

reporting practices

mind has helped

in one particular

make sure that all On June 3, 2008, the Judicial Council of Georgia recog- Georgia Circuit.

Board decisions nized Judge Anne Workman, Stone Mountain Judicial Other noteworthy

were just and com- Circuit, for her efforts and achievements during her years credits include per-

plete.

of service to the Board of Court Reporting. Chief Justice Her care Leah Ward Sears presented the plaque to Judge

suading the Board

about the profes- Workman at the Judicial Council's meeting at the DeSoto to hold a hearing

sion of court report- Hilton in Savannah, GA.

on an inmate's

Complaint, which resulted in the correction and reduction to that inmate's sentence. It turned out that the typewritten sentence did not match what the Court pronounced. The inmate could not obtain the transcript of his sentence until the Board intervened.
Judge Workman will be retiring from the bench at the end of 2008. DeKalb County will lose an extraordinary jurist. Thank you, Judge Workman!

Page 4

IMPORTANT DATES
September 20 October 17 December 31

April 1, 2009

TIPS for the Test
Certification Exam
Deadline to cure suspension status for non-payment of License Renewal
Deadline for submission of CE Credit
Application for Renewal of Certificate

2008 Suspension and Revocation Lists

The Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia publicly lists court reporters who fail to renew by April 1st of each year or meet the mandatory continuing education requirements. Though every effort is made to provide an accurate list of suspended or revoked court reporters, it is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up-to-date. This listing is for convenience purposes only

and is not intended to be an official record of the current status of court reporting licenses. It is recommended that you contact the Board of Court Reporting for verification of information and not rely solely on the information of the listing.
A list of suspended and revoked court reporters can be found on the Board of Court Reporting website, www.georgiacourts.org/agencies/bcr. Please note suspension is effective

immediately upon noncompliance, not upon receipt of notice. A suspended certificate may be reinstated by curing the cause of the suspension prior to December 31 of the year in which the suspension occurs. If the suspension is not cured by December 31 of the year in which the suspension occurs, the certificate is automatically revoked.

SPECIAL NOTICE *** SPECIAL NOTICE

Effective January 1, 2009, the Board of Court Reporting expects to require testing by national court reporter organizations for all applicants for certification in Georgia. This new policy will not affect currently licensed Certified Court Reporters in Georgia.
The October 2008 Georgia examination will be administered by the Board of Court Reporting as planned and will not be affected by this policy change.

Fall 2008 is the last time the Board of Court Reporting will administer the Georgia CCR exam in its current format. Beginning in 2009, to obtain a Georgia Certified Court Reporter certification, one must take either the National Court Reporters Association exam and obtain your RPR or take the National Verbatim Reporters Association exam and obtain your CVR. You then must apply to the Board of Court Reporting to acquire your Georgia CCR.

Both the NCRA and NVRA tests will be held in Georgia, but you may take the exam wherever it is offered. Go to www.ncraonline.org or www.nvra.org and click on the testing links for more information.
Please note: If a testing applicant passes two of the three legs of the skills test of the Georgia CCR exam given October 2008, that applicant will be given an opportunity to pass the third leg before the end of 2008.

Board Brief

Issue 3

Public Disciplinary Sanctions

Renee Tomlinson, C.C.R, d/b/a Advanced Reporting Services, (Albany, Georgia)
The Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia, pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-14-33(c)(2), after a hearing and consideration of all the evidence in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board, hereby publically reprimands Renee Tomlinson, C.C.R., of Albany, Georgia, for events that resulted in Formal Complaint 2008-01 to the Board by a Georgia inmate.
Ms. Tomlinson performed as an official court reporter and took down the inmate's habeas corpus proceeding on July 18, 2007; where the judge ordered the inmate and the State to submit proposed orders within thirty (30) days of receiving the transcript of the hearing. In taking down the inmate's habeas corpus proceeding, Ms. Tomlinson also took possession of the original notes of the inmate. In 2007, the inmate wrote Ms. Tomlinson a letter inquiring about the status of the transcript. After receiving notice of the Formal Complaint on February 8, 2008, Ms. Tomlinson returned the original notes of the inmate to the inmate on or about February 9, 2008, and filed the transcript, with a copy to the inmate, within five (5) days of June, 27, 2008, the date of the Formal Complaint hearing. Without the transcript, the inmate was inhibited from submitting a proposed order for the resolution of the inmate's habeas corpus matter.
The Board found that the eleven (11) month delay by Ms. Tomlinson in filing the transcript of the inmate's habeas corpus proceeding was unreasonable, and that the failure of Ms. Tomlinson to respond to the inmate's inquiries was unprofessional and unethical. Such an inordinate and unnecessary delay in the preparation of a habeas corpus transcript,

and failure to respond to an inquiry from the public, be it a judge, attorney, or inmate, is a departure from or failure to confirm to minimal reasonable standards of acceptable and prevailing practices of court reporting in Georgia. Regarding making use of an inmate's notes in preparation of a transcript, the Board found the better practice is to make copies of the notes instantaneously with the return of the originals to the inmate; however, if instantaneous copying is not possible, then copies should be made at least by the following business day with the originals also returned to the inmate in person or via certified mail on that following business day.
Renee Tomlinson, C.C.R, d/b/a Advanced Reporting Services, (Albany, Georgia) The Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia, pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-14-33(c)(2), after a hearing and consideration of all the evidence in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board, hereby publically reprimands Renee Tomlinson, C.C.R., of Albany, Georgia, for events that resulted in Formal Complaint 2008-06 to the Board by a Georgia inmate.
Ms. Tomlinson performed as an official court reporter and took down the inmate's habeas corpus proceeding on July 18, 2007; where the judge ordered the inmate and the State to submit proposed orders within thirty (30) days of the date of the hearing. On August 14, 2007, the inmate wrote Ms. Tomlinson a letter inquiring about the status of the transcript, and sent another letter to Ms. Tomlinson on December 3, 2007, inquiring about the same. After receiving notice of the Formal Complaint on April 1, 2008, Ms. Tomlinson responded to the inmate on June 4, 2008, with a status update on the transcript, where the inmate received a copy of the

transcript on June 23, 2008. Nevertheless, without benefit of the transcript, the inmate presented a proposed order to judge on August 14, 2007, the State presented a proposed order to the judge on December 10, 2007, and the judge made ruling on the inmate's habeas corpus petition by signing the State's proposed order on December 19, 2007; where the inmate was inhibited from filing an appeal on the ruling until completion of the transcript in June 2008.
The Board found that the eleven (11) month delay by Ms. Tomlinson in filing the transcript of the inmate's habeas corpus proceeding was unreasonable, and that the failure of Ms. Tomlinson to respond to the inmate's inquiries was unprofessional and unethical. Such an inordinate and unnecessary delay in the preparation of a habeas corpus transcript, and failure to respond to an inquiry from the public, be it a judge, attorney, or inmate, is a departure from or failure to confirm to minimal reasonable standards of acceptable and prevailing practices of court reporting in Georgia.
Susan Bowen Willis, C.C.R. (Cairo, Georgia) The Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia, pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-14-33(c)(2), after a hearing and consideration of all the evidence in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board, hereby publically reprimands Susan Bowen Willis, C.C.R., of Cairo, Georgia, for events that resulted in Formal Complaint 2007-19 to the Board by a Georgia inmate.
Ms. Willis performed as an official court reporter and took down the inmate's guilty plea proceeding on March 8, 1989. On September 6, 2006,
continued pg 6

Page 5

Page 6
2008 LEAP SEMINAR

GCCRA Annual Continuing Education Seminar

OCTOBER 4, 2008 The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center & Hotel

Plans are underway for GCCRA's annual continuing education seminar. Make plans to network, earn continuing education credits, and learn something new.

A schedule and announcements will be posted on the GCCRA website as they come available at GCCRA.org

Public Disciplinary Sanctions cont.

the inmate sent a letter to Ms. Willis seeking a copy of the transcript of the guilty plea proceeding. The inmate again wrote Ms. Willis on October 4, 2006, seeking the same. Ms. Willis responded to the inmate on November 25, 2006, with payment instructions. On January 6, 2007, the inmate, through his family, paid Ms. Willis to receive a transcription of the guilty plea proceeding. On April 22, 2007, having not received the transcript nor any other response from Ms. Willis since making the payment, the inmate sent a letter to Ms. Willis

inquiring about the status of the transcript. On May 6, 2007, the inmate again wrote Ms. Willis seeking the same. After intervention by the chief judge of the judicial circuit, Ms. Willis provided the transcript to the inmate on October 11, 2007.
The Board found that the ten (10) month delay by Ms. Willis in providing the inmate with the transcription of the inmate's guilty plea proceeding was unreasonable, and that the failure of Ms. Willis' untimely, and in several instances a complete failure of, response to the inmate's inquiries

was unprofessional and unethical. Such an inordinate and unnecessary delay in the preparation of the transcript, and failure to respond to inquiries from the public, be it from a judge, attorney, or inmate, is a departure from or failure to confirm to minimal reasonable standards of acceptable and prevailing practices of court reporting in Georgia.

Board Brief

Issue 3

IMPORTANT ANNOUCEMENT New Changes for 2009!

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-1431, every certified court reporter and registered court reporting firm eligible for renewal shall submit their annual fees established by the Board on or before April 1st of each year. Effective

January 1, 2009, the Board of Court Reporting adopted the Renewal of Certificate fee of $125.00 for certified court reporters, and the renewal fee of $200.00 for court reporting firms. Delinquent fees are assessed for failure to renew the certificate or registration by April 1. The late fee

assessments are $200.00 for certified court reporters and $250.00 for registered court reporting firms.
Remember, failure to renew by April 1 shall result in automatic suspension of certificate or registration.

Page 7

ALERT!!! ALERT!!! ALERT!!!

In response to an inquiry by Georgia certified court reporters, the Board of Court Reporting, by majority vote of the Board, publicly issues the following opinion:
Formal Opinion BCR 2008-1
Application of the Code of Professional Ethics To Court Reporting Firms
On April 17, 1994, the Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia adopted the Board of Court Reporting Code of Professional Ethics. Upon review by the Judicial Council, the Code of Professional Ethics came into enforcement in June 1994 by the Board.
It is the opinion of the Board of Court Reporting that the Code of Professional Ethics applies equally to both Georgia certified court reporters and court reporting firms that are registered with the Board pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-14-37(d).
As with individual court reporters, court reporting firms perform court reporting services and have relationships with the public, the bench, and the bar. Therefore, by obvious necessity and practical implication, court reporting firms are subject to the

same ethical standards as individual court reporters in the maintenance of the profession at the highest level in Georgia.
REFERENCES: O.C.G.A. 15-1437(d)-(g) (2008); Board of Court Reporting Code of Professional Ethics, Georgia Certified Court Reporter's Handbook; Advisory Opinion of the Board of Court Reporting, BCR 01-02, Guidelines for What Constitutes Contracting, June 2001.
COMMENTS:
[1] The definition of "year" referenced in the Code of Professional Ethics is that of a calendar year.
[2] Paragraph H of the Code of Professional Ethics applies to court reporting firms that are registered with the Board pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-14-37(d). Therefore, a court reporting firm shall refrain from giving, directly or indirectly, any gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to attorneys, clients, or their representatives or agents, except for nominal items that do not exceed $50.00 in the aggregate per recipient each year.
Moreover, if a court reporting firm cannot provide a gift, incentive,

reward or anything of value to an attorney, client, or their representatives or agents, without exceeding the said $50.00 limit, an individual court reporter employed by the court reporting firm for services on behalf of the court reporting firm should not provide a gift, incentive, reward or anything of value to the attorney, client, or their representatives or agents, in connection with the court reporter's services on behalf of the court reporting firm. In other words, limitations applicable to the court reporting firm should not be evaded by allowing an individual court reporter employed by the court reporting firm to be the grantor of a gift that the court reporting firm would be prohibited in making, where likewise limitations applicable to the court reporter should not be evaded by allowing a court reporting firm that employs the court reporter to be the grantor of a gift that the court reporter would be prohibited in making.
SO PUBLISHED, this 5th day of September 2008.
/s/ Judge Linda S. Cowen, Chair

Page 8

What can National Verbatim Reporters Association do for you?

WHAT CAN NVRA DO FOR YOU?
The answer depends on you. What do you want from NVRA? What you get out of NVRA is directly proportional to what you put in. The greatest benefit of any association is the networking and camaraderie that takes place between its members. But in order to benefit, you must participate with an investment of time and effort in NVRA activities.
WHAT ELSE CAN NVRA DO FOR YOU?
NVRA provides ... Intercommunication Discover new tools and technology available for court reporters, proofreaders/scopists, CART providers, captioners, videographers, and interpreters.
NVRA provides ... Technical Communication NVRA's monthly and quarterly publications, eVoice and The Verbatim Record, provide timely information and articles about court reporting, other voice writing occupations, the practical application of speech recognition technology, and serve as a common arena for discussion by practitioners.
NVRA has ... Special Interest Groups Special interest groups (SIGs) are made up of members who share common interests or specializations within the fields of court reporting, proofreading/scoping, videography, interpreting, CART provision, and captioning.

for State Courts and is an individual member of Intersteno (www.intersteno.org). In addition, NVRA has representatives in Canada and Australia promoting voice writing.
NVRA offers ... a National Certification Program NVRA offers testing for its Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) designation, Certificate of Merit (CM), and Realtime Verbatim Reporter (RVR) at various times during each year, including at its annual convention. In some jurisdictions, the CVR, CM, and RVR certifications entitle a reporter to an increase in pay.
NVRA provides ... a Jobs Database Looking for your next job? Go to the members-only section of the NVRA Web site and search through job openings according to geography and salary range.
NVRA helps you ... build your own professional team NVRA provides you with a strong database of scopists, transcriptionists, proofers, videographers, and interpreters. Prosper by utilizing this beneficial resource.
NVRA hosts ... an NVRA Annual Convention NVRA's annual conference is the nation's largest gathering of voice writing experts and vendors. Among the many highlights of convention are educational sessions, vendor exhibits, displays of speech recognition technology, certification testing, and networking opportunities.

members to participate in international competition.
NVRA offers ... a Dynamic Web site The NVRA Web site (www.nvra.org) offers information about NVRA services as well as an extensive member-only section and information useful to NVRA members. NVRA's Web site has a reporter search feature, classified ads, interactive surveys, members-only forum, testing information, online registration options, and more.
NVRA provides ... Valuable Services NVRA serves all certified reporting professionals by providing continuing education, encouraging high ethical standards, professionalism, and unity. NVRA offers participating members a variety of benefits, including: supply discounts, convention and training discounts, customizable profiles and voting privileges to participating members.
NVRA is ... an Advocate for Your Profession NVRA advocates technological advancement in support of the business and legal communities and promotes court reporting, proofreading/scoping, CART provision, and captioning as indispensable resources to the judicial system and related professional services. We speak for you. NVRA's Legislative Fund Committee oversees all legislative proposals and stays informed on all matters before any legislature which may have a bearing on any aspect of our profession.

NVRA is involved ... in Regional, National, and International Activities NVRA is affiliated with state, national, and international associations which promote technology and continuing education activities. NVRA supports the National Center

NVRA offers ... Competitive Opportunities NVRA Convention features the National Speed Championship, a competitive opportunity to demonstrate and recognize excellence in voice writing at 350 words per minute. As an individual member of Intersteno, NVRA invites its

Promote yourself, your profession, and the entire industry! Become a member NOW at www.nvra.org
"What can National Verbatim Association do for you?" article contributed by Kelly Evans.

Board Brief

Issue 3

User Groups and State Associations: Why You Should Join

By Heywood Waga
It has been said that associations are the lifeblood of all industries, professions, and governments. And so true it is. Just think, 70 percent of all national associations have headquarters in and around our nation's capital -- and for good reason: Regulatory agencies rule on the conduct of our associations and the missions they carry.
At one time, there was a parallel court reporter association called the Associated Stenotypists of America. ASA was a clubby group of incredible business leaders. No challenge was too great for them to conquer. Actually, as I recall, their speed contest's multisyllabic difficulty dwarfed that of NCRA's. Ultimately, ASA merged with NCRA.
With the advent of CAT technology, user groups were formed. The concept was to learn, teach, and meet to keep the vendor honest. I always believed that CAT vendors were inherently honest and priced fairly. After all, CAT was revolutionizing the way we reporters produced our product, and we all had to become accustomed to a new modality of paying for our production. On a personal note, I had great difficulty not working with my notereaders for many years. Notereaders were the backbone of court reporting for many of us.
My intent for writing this article is to highlight user groups, organizations, associations, and (in my case) a society. The genesis of CAT software, on a grand scale, commenced with Baron Data ?Systems, which formed Baron Users Group, or BUG. Years later, through acquisitions, Stenograph absorbed Xscribe and Baron Data Systems. And so there was a SMUG group. Sounds confusing? You bet, Red Rider! There was an amalgamation of all such users

into a new group about five years ago, which ultimately led to the removal of insects and UGs from our user group exposure when STAR, or the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting, was formed.
STAR currently embodies users with any software, not just Stenograph. I hope that every user group member felt as strongly about their group as I do about STAR. Let me explain. STAR concentrates on "networking, technology, and brainstorming." You should see the driving debates on what is better for the industry.
Do you remember your first year on a CAT system -- any CAT system? If you were there at the inception of CAT, as I was, you lived through the nightmares of head crashes and of not knowing what to do when turning out a daily all alone in the office at 11 p.m. Frankly, I called on our consummate salesperson, John Correggio, and abused my friendship for his advice. As a salesman, he knew more about the product than some of the trainers at that time.
At STAR, competitors teach each other how to compete, and we all derive the same education. At STAR, members network business ideas and have open strategy sessions. At STAR, the individual freelance reporter or official court reporter is as welcomed and respected as a large agency owner. STAR members enjoy all aspects of reporting, from a technology and business approach.
One member stood up at the last meeting and said that he has received more than $100,000 per year in additional business from being a member and paying only $105 per year in dues. That member was me! Many other members echoed similar sentiments.
Oh, there's one other thing, maybe two. Members of STAR are

from all over -- from Bangor to Los Angeles, from New York City to New City. And, most importantly, we at STAR are a family. We care for each other, laugh together, and even cry together when we have bad news to share. We congratulate each other and make sure to address issues head-on.
Now, let's not forget our state associations as well. For less than one medium-sized transcript, you can support an organization that has its finger on the pulse for you and represents your professional interests. Come on; don't be cheap and allow others to pay for your free ride. Do what it takes.
I hope your group is as much tech educated, fun, and family for you as STAR is for me. And, if you're one of us, why not become one of us at STAR? Selfishly said, the more members we have, the more I can learn from you. Do I sound motivated? I feel as passionately about my profession and my association life now as I did when I first entered this profession at age 18.
Heywood "Woody" Waga, RMR, CRR, a past NCRA president, is from Florham Park, N.J. Call Tina Kauter at 407-7747880 for membership information to STAR.
New Staff
Matthew Kloiber joined the Board of Court Reporting as its Compliance Coordinator in March 2008. Mr. Kloiber received a Masters in Public Administration from Georgia College and State University. Prior to becoming the Compliance Coordinator for the Board, Matthew interned with the Secretary of State Regulations division.

Page 9

New Fee Schedule

Effective July 1, 2008
The new compensation scale for court reporters appearing in court proceedings is as follows:

Units in Hours Within a 24-hour Period

Compensation in dollars

More Than
0 8 9 or more

But No More Than
8 9

$190.08 $212.85 $228.09

A complete version of the Fee Schedule may be found by accessing www.georgiacourts.org/agencies/bcr

Please Recycle

Board Brief
Board of Court Reporting 244 Washington Street, S.W., Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30334-9015

Don't know where to find Continuing Education classes? Read-On!
New Spring CE classes are available on the ICJE website, www.uga.edu/icje (click "Court Reporters"). You will find great educational topics -- and the opportunity to complete your CE requirement early in the year! New classes are added frequently this time of year, so check back often for updates.
You may check your CE Credit Hour Status at www.uga.edu/icje (click "Court Reporters").This feature will confirm your CE submission to ICJE and monitor your progress toward your annual requirement. CE hours are updated at the beginning of each month.