Steno Fatigue – Do You Have It?
Lawyers and their support staff could be suffering from steno fatigue and not even know it. It’s easy to miss when you consider that the status quo has been in place for 146 years, long enough that you’ve grown accustomed to business as usual. But, coupled with a well-documented court reporter shortage, reliance on the outdated steno machine has put attorneys in an endless cycle of frustration.
Steno Fatigue – What Is It?
We’ve seen this endless loop of steno fatigue so many times it’s become predictable. You scramble to find a court reporter. On the chance one is available, you spend even more time tracking down opposing counsel to find a time that works for everyone. But it doesn’t stop there. Even after you conduct your deposition, it can be two weeks before you get a certified transcript. Want to speed up the process? Well, that will cost you extra. Want a rough copy to help prepare for your next witness? Extra. Want to try real-time reporting? Again, that’s going to cost you extra. And when you’re finally able to get your hands on the transcript, so much time has passed you find yourself retracing your steps just to prepare your case. A post on Above The Law detailed the lengths attorneys might go to retrace their steps if they choose to wait on a transcript:
“You can, of course, wait to prepare notes until you have a transcript, and then choose from among the many bad choices: Have your six colleagues working on the case all read the transcript. Have a legal assistant prepare a long and unbearable deposition summary, which doesn’t differentiate between the important stuff and the witness’s job history. Read the transcript yourself to write a report, hoping you still remember the things that struck you on the day you were living the deposition. But all of those are second-best alternatives, and none of those are instantaneous.”
That’s a lot of work, time, and energy wasted.
Steno Fatigue – How Can I Break the Cycle?
How do we break this cycle of steno fatigue? Believe it or not, it starts and ends with you. We have the power to break repetitive cycles, even ones that are so ingrained they seem like the only way.
In a 2014 article, psychologist and psychoanalyst Jennifer Kunst placed the power to break repetitive cycles in the hands of the individual:
“[W]hen we realize that we play an active role in our tendency to stay stuck in repetitive cycles then we discover we have more power than we thought we had.”
It’s time to consider the role we play in our frustration. Is steno really worth the headache? We already know the answer—it’s not. So the question you have to ask yourself is simple: Will I change my behavior to break the cycle of steno fatigue?
Steno Fatigue – What’s the Cure?
One way to cure Steno Fatigue is through the use of technologies like real-time reporting, which provides a real-time feed of the transcript during the proceeding.
Readback is a remote service designed to address the problems of outdated steno reporting. Forget the two-week waiting period. Readback’s flagship service, Active Reporting, provides certified transcripts in one day, rough drafts in one hour, and access to the rough text in seconds during the proceeding. With our Viewer, you can collaborate with experts and co-counsel while the deposition is taking place. No need to retrace your steps after a weeks-long turnaround delay. The best part? We provide this all to you at low, flat rates. Schedule your next deposition with Readback and discover the cure for steno fatigue.
*Disclaimer: Readback is neither a law firm nor a substitution for legal advice. This post should not be taken as legal opinion or advice.
