Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

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This piece is about the reporting of hearings and those who do the reporting, male or female, whether they are called reporters, recorders or stenographers. My purpose is to get across the proposition that too little attention is paid to what these persons do, how they do it, and how to help them do it properly—to the end that you help yourself. I limit myself to labor arbitration hearings, though most of what follows applies equally to any type of hearing or trial (or "battle") which is recorded, in one way or another, by a reporter.

Is a discussion like this necessary? I think it is. The work of the reporter and the typing of the transcript is an expensive job, and those who hire the reporter are entitled to their money's worth. Too often they are not getting full value for thdr m.oney, in part because the parties or their representatives are themselves to blame. I come to this conclusion as the result of legal and arbitration experience that stretches back far more years than I care to remember.