Hutchings Mentor Program - Beginning Its 19th Year!

submitted by Hillary Sackett, Hutchings Mentor Program Coordinator

Hutchings Court Reporters' Mentor Program is designed to give southern California students an exciting opportunity to receive practical and professional advice along with priority treatment for deposition apprentice hours. The program complements the instruction of court reporting schools.

Over 550 court reporting students from the following southern California schools have participated in Hutchings Mentor Program over the past 18 years: Cypress College, Cerritos College, Sage College, South Coast College, Downey Adult School, Tri-Community College and Bryan College.

Hutchings' 2012 Perpetual Calendars Now Available

The much-loved Hutchings Calendar is here.  Download it now.  Or ask for a hard copy to be sent to your office.   Hutchings' self-adhesive computer monitor/keyboard calendars are also available.  Office deliveries to begin last week of September.

Apple iPhone App Features U.S. District Court System

Alexandria, Va., June 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/

Intellectual property law firm Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier &Neustadt, L.L.P., has launched an Apple iPhone application that features the U.S. district court system and offers many resources to assist and inform the firm's clients about current IP news and court decisions.

The iPhone app, "Oblon, Spivak's Guide to the U.S. District Courts" available as a free download on the iTunes application store, features interactive maps of the U.S. district court system and information on individual courts. It includes a national map and separate maps of each of the 11 U.S. court circuits, as well as state-level maps and district-level maps. Users can select a U.S. court circuit, view a map of that circuit, select a specific state and see all the U.S. district courts in that state. Selecting a specific court then provides details of that court, including its physical address, phone numbers, website address and judges and clerks. A similar resource can be found here on the firm's website.

Bank of America Agrees to Settlement in Fees Lawsuit

Bank of America has agreed to a $410 million settlement for their part in a broad class-action lawsuit filed by consumers against excessive overdraft fees. The lawsuit accuses many of the nation's banks of "manipulating debit transactions to maximize the fees they could charge customers who exceeded the balance in their accounts." Other defendants in the lawsuit include JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and Citibank Andrew Martin, The New York Times 05/23/2011

Read Article: The New York Times

First 'Skype Booth' Opens at Estonian Airport as Company Reaches 30 Million Simultaneous Users

By Vlad Savov posted Mar 30th 2011 2:57AM

Phone booths are old hat, we know that much for sure. But Skype booths? Tallinn Airport in Estonia's capital has become the first site to host a dedicated Skype station, which allows you to video chat with your friends or call them on their phones using Skype credit, exactly as you might do on your computer at home. There's a 22-inch touchscreen up front and a headset nearby, only thing you'll need are some actual friends you want to communicate with. The idea's being put into action by three Estonian companies, all of whom are quite happy to remind us Skype originated in their fine Northern European nation, and the plan is to roll the futuristic-looking booths out to other airports, hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, and the like. In the meantime, Skype usage keeps growing and the company recently recorded 30 million simultaneous users online, breaking its previous record by a trivial three million extra souls.

Honda Civics Recalled for Potential Fuel Leak

Automaker Honda has issued a recall of 1,156 Civics due to a problem with the vehicle's gas line that can pose a fire hazard. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that a misalignment with the car's O-ring may lead to a fuel leak. The recall affects 2012 model year two-door and four-door Civics. Staff Report, United Press International 05/23/2011

Read Article: United Press International

Largest California False Claims Lawsuit Settled

Medical lab services provider Quest Diagnostics Inc. has agreed to a $241 million settlement in a whistle-blower lawsuit filed against the company over fraudulent Medi-Cal charges. The settlement was the largest in the state's history under the California False Claims Act. On top of the fraudulent charges, the lawsuit also alleges Quest "paid illegal kickbacks to doctors, hospitals and clinics that sent patients their way." Marc Lifsher, LA Times 05/20/2011

Read Article: LA Times

How Valuable is Your Data?

Some of it is critical

    o those digital pictures you’ve always intended to print but never got around to

    o those emails from family and friends

    o those documents you created and saved

Let’s think worst case

    o What would happen if disaster struck?

    o Your hard drive dies?

    o Your computer gets stolen?
    o A natural disaster strikes?

How would you feel if all of that data were to go away and never come back? If that strikes a little fear to the heart, you need to consider a backup solution.

Bill Jimenez, IT Director at Hutchings Court Reporters shares his suggestions for backing up your data.

Another View: In Real Life, Court Reporters Count!

From The Sacramento Bee - Published Sunday, May 1, 2011

Re: Court Reporters' Monopoly Must Come to an End" (Editorial, April 26)

The Bee's editorial sounds good on first blush: We are told California could save $100 million a year by switching from certified shorthand court reporters to electronic recording. Electronic recording works well for the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal. Why not our trial courts too?

The answer is simple: There is a world of difference between appellate and trial courts. In appellate courts, attorneys stand at a podium and give formal arguments, one person talking at a time. Factual findings were already made in the trial courts, where it is not unusual for several people to be talking at once.

The trial lawyer is not finished with her question but the witness is already answering; while opposing counsel interposes an objection. This happens every day.

Taking a Deposition for the First Time

It’s easy to remember or imagine how stressful it can be to take a witness’s deposition for the first time. It has to be worse than making a moot court argument in law school or conducting a mock deposition where the witness is one of your buddies. 

Here is an article by Media, PA lawyer Michael Davey offering some tips to the first timer. It comes from “At Issue,” the online publication of the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The issue also offers an article by Drew Rothman on presenting and defending discovery motions. Thank you Legal Skills Prof Blog.

Comic Relief -- Carol Burnett Portrays a Court Reporter

There aren't many court reporters portrayed on television...but Carole Burnett must have had fun with this one!

Earth Day 2011

Marking its 41st anniversary on Friday, April 22, 2011, Earth Day will be celebrated by millions around the world. I know my community has quite a few activities planned on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23 to increase awareness about recycling and energy efficiency. Living in a coastal town, we also have creek and beach clean-ups.

Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day.

OMG! LOL: Internet Slang Added to Oxford English Dictionary

By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld Mar 26, 2011 5:59 AM

Time-saving online abbreviations like LOL, OMG, and IMHO are now part of the official English language. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) announced the addition of several acronyms to its dictionary, adding some interesting trivia behind the origins of these Internet-associated expressions.

OED explained that although “initialisms” like OMG (Oh My God), LOL (Laughing Out Loud) and IMHO (In My Humble/Honest Opinion) are strongly associated with the language of electronic communications, their origins are surprisingly predating the Internet era.

For example, OED found a quotation for OMG in a personal letter from 1917, and FYI (For Your Information) originated in the language of memoranda in 1941. Also, apparently the LOL expression had a previous life, starting in 1960, denoting an elderly woman (Little Old Lady).

OED notes that some expressions like OMG and LOL are used outside electronic communication contexts as well, including print and spoken use, in the form of more than a simple abbreviation:

“The intention is usually to signal an informal, gossipy mode of expression, and perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse, while at the same time marking oneself as an ‘insider’ au fait with the forms of expression associated with the latest technology.”

If you’re not familiar with the online slang, you can always check out this Internet slang dictionary and translator. Just enter the text slang you want to translate and you’re done. TTYL

We Are In the Business of Words...

submitted by Martha Hutchings

I was told about the Washington Post's Style Invitational and couldn't resist sharing some of the winners. Court reporters love this!! I'm guessing the reporters accepting assignments from Hutchings could create lists of their own too!

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
3. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
4. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
5. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
6. Flibido: All talk and no action.
7. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

2011 Legal Market Expense Management Survey - Your Input is Needed

A new study commissioned by Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) with participation from professionals in the legal market of Los Angeles and Orange County, California, is open for participation from February 7 to midnight (PST) on February 21st, 2011. The survey is being conducted, analyzed, compiled, and will be published by Integrated Solution Design (ISD).

Let your voice be heard by responding to this survey, which only takes about 5 minutes to complete. Your input is vital. Please do not delay. Survey link: http://www.legalexpensesurvey.com.

From the answers received, "How the Legal Market Works with Expense Management Reduction" will be published March 1, 2011. Survey participants will be among the first to receive it!

About Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA)
Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA), founded in 1992 and privately owned, is based in Carlsbad, California. Since its inception, ERA has grown to include 30 countries and performed more than 14,000 successful cost-reduction projects, and helped find an average savings of 20% in non-core expenses. ERA continues in confidence to serve a broad range of industries: professional services, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, non-profits, education and government. ERA and ISD are SoCalPROS members. http://expensereduction.com/

Welcome to Hutchings New Blog!

Hutchings Court Reporters is excited to be able to use this Blog as a means to share the latest news, technology tools and resources with the legal community.