Court Reporter Videoconferencing and Why It Works

Court Reporter Videoconferencing

Constance Lee & Company’s new location gives clients access to videoconferencing facilities and conference rooms all over the country, facilitating long-distance testimony that feel like the real thing. In an effort to gauge just how beneficial and user-friendly videoconferencing is to her clients, Connie sat down for an interview with David Bernardinelli and his paralegal, Gavin Jensen, who recently conducted an international arbitration with witnesses on the other side of the world, in Dubai, UAE, via videoconference.

Since the tools needed to run the videoconference were readily available, David and Gavin were, after a quick set-up, ready to go. David states, “After a couple test runs, I was satisfied that the technology would work, and we knew that we’d have enough time in the schedule if there was any sort of hiccup we would have to deal with.” David also mentioned that he didn’t need to do anything differently in order to prepare for the videoconference, which added to the ease of the entire experience.

 

Getting testimony from a witness that is out of state, or even out of the country, can end up being a huge obstacle to overcome. When you start to factor in travel time and expenses, obtaining testimony can end up causing huge problems for attorneys. With videoconferencing, there’s no jet-lag, no flights, no hotels – just a quick drive to Downtown Pittsburgh. “It was convenient for us because I didn’t have to fly halfway around the world to work for a week straight […] We figured flights there are not cheap. And I would have had to sleep somewhere for a week,” David said.

 

Referring to the technology as “light-years ahead,” (especially compared to the last time he tried a video call, which was several years ago) David discussed how close video conferences can be to the real thing. “You really, surprisingly to me as a lawyer, can read a person and their body motions and their expressions much like they are in the room. I didn’t expect it to be that successful.” Even the quality of the video and audio were surprisingly clear, according to Gavin. “[The witness] was just on his laptop. They have very good Internet.” Being able to really read the witness and clearly hear the tone and inflection in their voice – even when they’re thousands of miles away – is certainly a huge benefit; not to mention being able to record the entire conference for later review or playback.

 

Another luxury of at-home videoconferences: not having to pack up all of the documents and files needed to conduct your examinations. “I could have taken a computer with a bunch of documents with me, but I would have been sort of by myself with them and working at odd hours of the night, whereas here, we at least had access to what we needed, or we could find it in another drawer with us,” David explained. “[If] there had been a deposition and I’d say, ‘Gavin, I need this that says A, B, C, and D. Can you go find it?’ And we were able to do that, whereas if I’m in Dubai, I’m doing the depositions, then I don’t have the ability to do that.” Not only do you have all of your files on hand, but your entire staff is also nearby and fully prepared to assist during the videoconference.

We’ve seen recently how convenient the latest and greatest technology can be when used for deposition and trial testimony. More and more, video and digital trial presentations are helping attorneys gain an advantage on the opposition and sway the jury in their favor. Pittsburgh court reporters Constance Lee & Company are continually adding more services to their repertoire now including court reporting videoconferencing. Please reach out anytime to see how we can assist you.

 

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