After working in the legal videography field, I’ve come to experience that videographers are seen as the magic-wielding stepchild of the deposition. Nobody (save maybe the court reporter) seems to understand what we do or why we do it.

Listed below are three ways attorneys and their deponents may better assist in ensuring the video is of the highest quality.

1.)   Consider the videographer as two to five people when booking a room.

This past week I had a deposition at a doctor’s office. The office had multiple desks, tables and chairs positioned throughout the small room. When I came in, all I could think was, “How in the world am I going to set up all of my gear in such a way that I can operate my camera and mixer, yet not violate some fire code and cause tripping hazards?”

A videographer is a single person but it is important to remember that our equipment takes up the space of an additional 1-2 people.  Therefore, if you think you can fit everyone in the room, think about adding two more people next to the videographer and another person or two behind the deponent to allow for space for a backdrop.  If the room will be too cramped, consider moving the deposition to a different one for the safety and comfort of everyone involved. The end result will be a smoother deposition and a calmer witness.

2.)   Tell us your preferred setup before we’re set up.

A few months back I shot a deposition where there were going to be four to six attorneys present in the room, along with the court reporter, the deponent, and myself. I arrived an hour early, as is practice at PohlmanUSA, and set up the room with the camera shooting down the table at the deponent on the other end. Twenty minutes before the start of the deposition, the hiring attorney asked me to change the setup and move my equipment to other end of the table near the witness.

If you have a special request on how you want the room laid out at a deposition, tell us in advance. You can also meet us there in the room an hour beforehand and tell us. It’s far less frustrating for both parties if we are on the same page from the beginning, and minutes wasted reorganizing can be avoided if everything is initially setup correctly.

3.)   Ask the videographer for assistance with the microphone, moving cables, or anything else related to his equipment.

Remember, the videographer is there to assist you. While we may have a job to do, and we may ask for and appreciate you accommodating us, at the end of the day the video is for your use. We are here for you! So if we or our equipment is in the way, let us know.

As stated in my previous blog, the video we are shooting is for you, and our requests are meant to help make the video of the highest possible quality while creating a safe environment for the deposition and minimize stress for all parties in the room. If you do your best to accommodate us and are open about your needs for the deposition, we can better assure a smooth day and an impressive video for you to use in trial.

Frank Holmes is a legal videographer employed by PohlmanUSA Court Reporting where he focuses his experience on the St. Louis, Missouri, metro area. Frank is also a successful trial technician and works in the trial services team at PohlmanUSA.

Our dear friend and colleague Carole A. Bartkowicz departed Earth on Monday, July 18, 2016. Carole was a not just a colleague, she was a friend to many. Her fun-loving spirit, dedication to her profession as a court reporter, and her commitment to live each day to the fullest made her easy to love. Carole will be remembered by those who knew her well as kind, never taking no for an answer, an utmost professional, and a generous person.

Carole was an amazing court reporter who mentored other reporters and provided guidance to many. Carole began her court reporting career in 1968 and was selected in 2014 by the National Court Reporting Agency (NCRA) to be inducted into an elite group of reporters as a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters. Carole remained active in the profession inside and outside of depositions serving on both Triton College and DePaul University’s advisory board. She also held numerous roles within professional organizations.  Among the many professional roles she held were; treasurer and president of the Chicago Exchange Reporters Association, co-founder of the Illinois Court Reporters Association, chairman of the Illinois CSR Licensing Board, and various committee positions with the National Shorthand Reporters Association.  She also published numerous articles and seminars on various topics in court reporting, including co-authoring the Illinois CSR Code of Ethics. Carole’s knowledge and commitment to the advancement of the profession continues on through those that she taught and mentored over the years.

Outside of her professional life Carole was a loving wife, sister, aunt and great-aunt. She was also an avid horseback rider and horse lover.

Our thoughts are with those closest to Carole who she left behind including her husband of 46 years, the Honorable Ronald Bartkowicz. You can leave a tribute to Carole at http://www.pietrykafh.com/obituaries/Carole-Bartkowicz/

While our team is taking the day to enjoy with our friends and family it is nice to remember how July 4th became a National holiday. It was back in 1776 when the original thirteen colonies separated from Great Britain during the American Revolution.  On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted on independence from Great Britain.  On July 3, 1776 John Adams wrote, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” (“Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776, ‘Had a Declaration…'”. Adams Family Papers. Massachusetts Historical Society. Retrieved June 28, 2009.).  It was actually on July 4, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence was ratified.  John was a day off in his predication of when the Declaration would be signed but he was correct that it was a day that should be celebrated. And now over 200 years later we take the day to spend with our family and friends, having bar b que’s, pool parties and enjoying the freedoms of being Americans. Happy Independence Day from our team!

Jennifer Yu, Esq, has joined St. Louis, Mo.-based national litigation support firm, PohlmanUSA Court Reporting, as an Account Executive in the Chicago, IL office. Making the announcement was Deborah J. Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer.

In her new position, Jennifer is responsible for sales and marketing activities in the Chicagoland area.  Jennifer will work closely with other members of the sales and marketing team including Director, Carrie Titus, Esq. Jennifer is a passionate, client facing sales executive with over 10 years of experience working with law firms in Chicago, the Midwest and nationally. As a former litigator Jennifer understands and prides herself on providing cutting edge technology solutions and exceptional client support to each of her clients to assist them in creating efficiencies in their cases.

Jennifer dedicates time to organizations aimed at helping bring better knowledge to the legal community. She is a founding member of the Chicago Chapter of Women in eDiscovery.  In her time away from the office Jennifer focuses on helping women and children in need in the community where she lives and spending time with her husband and two children.

Jennifer received her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law and a bachelor of science degree in English language and literature from Arizona State University.

About PohlmanUSA Court Reporting & Litigation Services

Founded in 1990, PohlmanUSA provides law firms across the U.S. with court reporting and advanced litigation support services from offices in St. Louis, Mo., Edwardsville, and Chicago, Ill. Its nearly 60 member staff is complemented by a nationwide network of over 450 partner-contractor court reporters. PohlmanUSA offers a proprietary, online case management program called MyCase™ and a custom solution to eFile and eServe, MyDocFileServe™. PohlmanUSA also has a records collection, management and online distribution service called MyRecordsRetrieval™ and offers Desktop Video Conferencing (DVC) for use in depositions across the country and world-wide. Visit www.pohlmanusa.com for more information. We’re always listening. ®

Two bills have recently been introduced that could impact asbestos litigation. One of those is the Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Database (READ) Act of 2015, introduced in the United States Senate by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wa).

The READ Act is legislation that works towards increasing public awareness of, and decreasing public expose to, asbestos products by making the public aware of where asbestos products are in the community. Due to the current position of the United States to allow asbestos products to be sold unrestricted, the proponents of the READ Act have written the bill to:

• Design and maintain a publically available and searchable database of asbestos-containing products on the EPA’s website;
• Require reporting by every company who manufactured, processed, distributed, sold, imported, transported, or stored an asbestos product to the EPA every year;
• Compel companies to disclose if any of their products containing asbestos were in publicly accessible locations during the previous year; and
• Assess penalties to any company or party who knowingly deals with asbestos products and fails to report their use or who provides false information on the use of asbestos.

Opponents of this bill, including Darren McKinney of the American Tort Reform Association, have stated that the READ Act is redundant to the Asbestos Information Act signed by Ronald Reagan in 1988, which requires one-time reporting of asbestos containing materials and products. Opponents also point out that though the selling of asbestos is still legal in the United States, it is heavily regulated by the EPA and OSHA and that any additional legislation is unnecessary.

To remain up to date on the status of the READ Act visit:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/700/actions

http://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-introduces-bill-to-help-american-workers-families-avoid-asbestos-exposure