Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters - Court Reporters, Remote Depositions, Trial Presentation Services

SERVICES:  Trial Presentation Services, Trial Technician, and PowerPoint Creation

CASE CAPTION:  USITC INSTITUTES SECTION 337 INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN COMPUTER NETWORK SECURITY EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS, RELATED SOFTWARE, COMPONENTS THEREOF, AND PRODUCTS CONTAINING SAME; Inv. No. 337-TA-1314

CASE TYPE:  Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, Unfair Competition

COURT:  United States International Trade Commission, Washington, DC (ITC)

LOCATION:  Washington, DC

JUDGE:  Administrative Law Judge MaryJoan McNamara

LAW FIRMS:  Kramer Levin (Plaintiff) and Reed Smith (Defendant)

OVERVIEW:  Provided trial technician to display exhibits and PowerPoints at the trial.  Worked with expert witnesses and client to fine-tune PowerPoint slides.  Used OnCue to create callouts and highlights of exhibits for use in PowerPoint.

UNIQUE ASPECT OF TRIAL:  We were the first or second trial in the newly-renovated Courtroom A, which has been outfitted with over 20 monitors and a large projector screen.  Everything is updated and made for an enjoyable presentation.  We were also the first or second in-person trial post COVID.  As such, the parties and the ITC staff had to adjust to being back in the ITC.

ITC trials are timed.  Here, each side only had a couple of days to put on their entire case, which is very difficult for a complex patent case.  Furthermore, the time was also divided up between the ITC staff, which gets to put on evidence as well.  The combination of three parties made for a very busy trial. 

RESULT:  ITC proceedings are bench trials, and the Judge has not issued her findings yet.  This blog will be updated upon her findings being issued.

SERVICES: Trial Presentation Services, Trial Technician, and PowerPoint Creation

CASE CAPTION: Confidential

CASE TYPE: Breach of Contract

COURT: JAMS (Arbitration)

LOCATION: San Francisco, CA

ARBITRATOR: Alexander “Lex” Brainerd, Esq.

LAW FIRMS: Confidential

OVERVIEW: Provided trial technician to display exhibits and PowerPoints at the arbitration. Used OnCue to create callouts and highlights of exhibits for use in PowerPoint. Also assisted with Zoom/remote testimony, as this was a hybrid arbitration with some of the parties appearing n in person and some appearing remotely.

UNIQUE ASPECT OF TRIAL: This arbitration was conducted at the tail end of COVID so a lot of the COVID restrictions were still in place. Just prior to the start of the arbitration, one of the attorneys got sick so they had to participate remotely. This added another level of complexity, as we were continuously ensuring that attorney was receiving all of the evidence and testimony being presented. Several of the witnesses also appeared remotely. As a result, we utilized Zoom’s share screen function to display the in-person presentation to the remote participants. The combination of OnCue and Zoom worked seamlessly to show exhibits, videos, and PowerPoints.

RESULT: Confidential.

Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters has led the way in court reporting and litigation support technology for over 40 years, and we welcome the opportunity to assist you with any need you may have. If you would like to learn more about trial presentation services, trial technicians, and/or trial graphics, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would love to show you the multitude of services we have to offer. We look forward to making your life easier.

Last month, Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters had the privilege of participating in the 2023 Nebraska Defense Counsel Association’s (“NDCA”) Annual Meeting and Seminar.  This year, it was held at the Farnam, 1299 Farnam Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102.  In exchange for a sponsorship, Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters provided professional A/V and videography services, including a video recording, PowerPoint display, and live streaming.  The event consisted of seven presentations spanning the entire day.

The evening prior, Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters also attended the pre-event dinner at Dynamite Woodife Grill where we were able to socialize with current and past members of the NDCA.

Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters looks forward to our continued relationship with the NDCA and next year’s Annual Meeting.

Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters has led the way in court reporting and litigation support technology for over 40 years, and we welcome the opportunity to assist you with any need you may have.  If you would like to learn more about our professional A/V and videographer services, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We would love to show you the multitude of services we have to offer.  We look forward to making your life easier.

Last month, Nebraska's governor, Pete Ricketts, proclaimed the week of February 5 - 12 as Nebraska Court Reporting and Captioning Week.  This procalmation was part of a nationwide effort to recognize the importance of court reporters and the viability of the profession.  This year marked the 10th Annual National Court Reporting & Captioning Week.  Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters was lucky enough to have three representatives attend the ceremony - Gretchen Thomas, RPR, CRR, John Thomas, CLVS, and Cindy Craig, RPR.  Below is the proclamation in full:

WHEREAS, For millennia, individuals have wanted the spoken word translated into text and to accomplish this task have relied on scribes; and

WHEREAS, Scribes were present with our nation's Founding Fathers as the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights were drafted; and

WHEREAS, Since the advent of shorthand machines, these scribes have been known as court reporters and have played a permanent and invaluable role in courtrooms across our country; and

WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners are responsible for the closed captioning seen scrolling across television screens, at sporting stadiums, and in other community and educational settings, bringing information to millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans ever day; and

WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners translate the spoken word into text and preserve our history; and

WHEREAS, Whether called the scribes of yesterday or the court reporters and captioners of today, the individuals who preserve our Nation's history are truly guardians of the record.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Pete Ricketts, Governor of the State of Nebraska, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the week of February 5 - 12, 2022, as NEBRASKA COURT REPORTING AND CAPTIONING WEEK in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of the observance.

Did you know? If you are interested in finding out of a career in court reporting or captioning is right for you, check the NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program, a free six- week course that is available onsite and online. The course teaches participants how to write the alphabet in steno and offers the opportunity to see if the career path is a right one for them.

Want to find out more about what Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters does?  Check out our services page for more information.  

It’s the perfect time to shine a light on a career that’s a best-kept secret

2022 Court Reporting & Captioning Week, hosted by the National Court Reporters Association, is happening Feb. 5-12 and marks the perfect opportunity to showcase the skills of your station’s captioner and to share with your viewers more about the unique careers stenographic court reporting and captioning offer.

Did you know…

• That court reporting and captioning do not require a four-year college degree, providing graduates to enter the workforce more quickly and with less debt?
• That there is a growing need for professionals to fill stenographic court reporting and captioning jobs?
• That this career choice offers good pay, unlimited opportunities, the chance to travel at home and abroad, and many times, a front-row seat to history?
• Stenographic captioners do wonderful work to help better the lives of millions of Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing by providing captioning in real time for live sporting and theater events, church services, movie houses, many other venues, and newscasts like yours!

Here are a few more fun and interesting facts about the court reporting profession:

• Capturing the record of important proceedings dates to the fourth century B.C.

• The ampersand (&) is one of the earliest forms of shorthand.
• There are official court reporters who are employees of the court, freelance court reporters, broadcast captioners, and CART captioners (Communication Access Realtime Translation—often employed in classroom settings to assist students who are deaf or hard of hearing).
• In an emergency, broadcast captioners can provide vital information to 48 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Court reporters and captioners use cutting-edge technology to bring the spoken word accurately to text in real time.
• There is currently a steady demand for professionals in the court reporting and captioning professions as many in the field are reaching retirement age in the next several years.
• Annual salaries of court reporters and captioners can reach upwards of $80,000.

Court reporters and captioners rely on the latest in technology to use stenographic machines to capture the spoken word and translate it into written text in real time. These professionals work both in and out of the courtroom recording legal cases and depositions, providing live captioning of events, and assisting members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities with gaining access to information, entertainment, educational opportunities, and more.

If you’re looking for a career that is on the cutting edge of technology, offers the opportunity to work at home or abroad, like to write, enjoy helping others, and are fast with your fingers, then the fields of court reporting and captioning are careers you should explore.

The NCRA  A to Z^® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program is a free online six-to-eight-week introductory course that lets participants see if a career in court reporting or captioning would be a good choice for them. The program is an introductory course in stenographic theory and provides participants with the opportunity to learn the basics of writing on a steno machine. There is no charge to take the course, but participants are required to have access to a steno machine or an iPad they can use to download an iStenoPad app.

The NCRA A to Z programs are taught by volunteer professionals working in the court reporting and captioning arenas who also share insights into the many aspects of court reporting and captioning that make it a viable profession, including good salaries, flexibility, interesting venues, and the increasing demand for more reporters and captioners to meet the growing number of employment opportunities available in the field.

To arrange an interview with a working court reporter, captioner, or a current court reporting student, or to learn more about the lucrative and flexible court reporting or captioning professions and the many job opportunities currently available, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About NCRA

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has been internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 13,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator, and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership.

Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to be one of the fastest areas of projected employment growth across all occupations. According to 247WallSt.com, the court reporting profession ranks sixth out of 25 careers with the lowest unemployment rate, just 0.7 percent. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree—can be found at DiscoverSteno.org.