A Modern Deposition Experience
This Attorney Praises Contemporary Service, Readback
By Jared Correia, Esq.
Founder, CEO of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting
Is there really such a thing as a hassle-free deposition option, that effectively leverages both technical support and human acumen? Stephanie Mensing knows there is.
Stephanie Mensing is an employment attorney licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She is the founding attorney at Mensing Law LLC, and she has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She also knows how to crush a deposition using Readback.
Readback Is An Easy-to-Use Deposition Service, with Real-Time Support to Beat the Band
Stephanie takes a lot of depositions, including several in a row at times, when an active case hits the discovery period. So she knows how a deposition experience can go bad, as well as how painful that can be when it derails her process. Before Readback, Stephanie used to wait and wait . . . and then wait some more – before getting her transcripts under a traditional deposition format. She says: “It could be weeks before getting a transcript if it wasn’t a rush job.” And that’s just wasted time busy lawyers don’t have as they try to enact litigation strategies in real time. Readback, however, feels the need for speed. Stephanie compares Readback’s turnaround time to old school deposition services by saying: “Within an hour, I have a rough transcript. The next day, I have the certified† transcript and certified† audio.” Now, that’s acceleration.
Stephanie also praises the accuracy of the Readback transcripts:
“I haven’t noticed any mistakes in the official transcripts. When there is a stenographer, some deposition transcripts can have a lot of mistakes – especially if it’s a Zoom deposition and the reporter has a bad connection, which sometimes happens. A lot of times, one of the challenges I’ve had with Zoom depositions using court reporters – based on their technology setup, is that they’re having a hard time hearing the witness. So, they’re repeatedly having to interrupt to ask them to speak up. With Readback, I haven’t had those issues.” With Readback, deposition “Guardians” – who effectively replace traditional stenographers – manage the live proceedings instead. Readback’s Guardians are there to assist with any questions the attorneys might have. In fact, they can even handle exhibits and enter them into the record, when asked to do so. Stephanie has not run across a single tech-related issue with the Guardians in charge, and has found them all to be professional and friendly – without being intrusive. “They’re there but they’re not,” she says. (That’s kind of like your car engine, right? Better if you don’t hear it.) While Stephanie states that Readback is easy to use in its own right, it’s nice to know that the Guardians are there and have her back, if anything unexpected happens.
Stephanie describes her Readback engagements as “user friendly” across the board. She says that: “It’s easier to schedule [with Readback, than with a traditional deposition service]. I don’t have to talk to anyone. I can just login.” We get it, Stephanie: we’re screening our calls, too – sometimes, it’s better to just get something done via a web app than talking to someone. But, when a lawyer is in need of a quick turnaround, the Readback team is there to listen. Stephanie relates a story: “I needed to schedule with Readback for a deposition that was taking place the next day. I was in another deposition, and had been trying to coordinate a separate third-party deposition with my opposing counsel. I thought he wanted to depose this witness, too. And so, we were both trying to get the witness – but, he thought I was going to get the court reporter. So, during a break, I logged into Readback and scheduled the new deposition. Just to double-check, I reached out to my contact at Readback afterwards, and they said: ‘Don’t worry about it, we have it covered.’ And they did.”
Stephanie started using Readback over a year ago, and hasn’t used a traditional deposition service since. She says that: “Readback is [like] night and day [versus traditional deposition services]. It’s a modern deposition experience.”
“Readback is [like] night and day [versus traditional deposition services]. It’s a modern deposition experience.”
Readback is a Driver of More Effective Litigation Strategy for Smart Lawyers
Stephanie loves the Readback features that allow her to perform at the top of her law license, unifying the technology tools she uses with her discovery process. She can relay lots of instances wherein Readback has offered her a unique advantage over opposing counsel.
So, let’s dive in:
Rough Transcripts Make Deposition Prep Easier When You’re in the Thick of It
“It actually comes in handy [to have that rough transcript] when discovery heats up and you might have multiple days when you’re doing depositions in the same case. I can refresh my memory about what a witness testified about when preparing the next day’s deposition. Before, I would have had to have relied on my memory, or my notes, which, when you’re taking a deposition, it’s a little hard to pay attention and take good notes.”
Near-Time Deposition Services Means Never Having to Rely on Repetitive Questions
“At first, [the Readback Viewer] wasn’t a feature I would use. But, it comes in handy to read how you asked the question. Sometimes you ask the question, where there is an objection or an exchange with opposing counsel, and you get to the point where the witness says, ‘Can you repeat the question?’ And I literally ‘read back’ the question. I can calmly scroll up and repeat the question; there’s no need to ask a court reporter to read something back.”
Readback Allows Attorneys to Accurately Access Prior Testimony
“Maybe a few hours into the deposition, I want to go back and ask a question, where I say: ‘Earlier you testified x, y and z.’ But, maybe I want to confirm my recollection, or I can literally just quote the testimony.”
Near-Time Transcript Access Unlocks a Key Witness
“Earlier this year, I had a settlement conference the day after taking what turned out to be a key witness’s deposition – I didn’t know this person would turn out to be such a key witness – but, it was great to be able to walk into that settlement conference and to have the rough transcript, in case I needed to show that testimony to the judge.”
It’s true that the right technology can augment high-level professionals, like attorneys, including during high-stakes events, like depositions, on which trial results can (and do) turn.
These are just some examples of the ways in which Readback can “de-risk” deposition proceedings. Without near-time access to deposition transcripts, attorneys are forced to rely on their memories to remember testimony or to recall key inconsistencies in witness statements – and those memories are not always reliable. The heavy focus on piecing together your memory of deposition records after the fact takes valuable time away from trial preparation, leaving attorneys borrowing from Peter (trial prep) to pay Paul (deposition management).
Readback makes deposition-related information sets accessible and transparent. For more on how Readback helps law firms to engage deposition practices that are far less risky – you can literally count the ways.
Now, Readback isn’t available everywhere. But, the Readback support team is available to discuss options for your local area, as they keep abreast of jurisdictional developments.
High-End Deposition Services at a Cost Below Traditional Tools
In comparing Readback’s pricing to stenographers and traditional deposition providers, Stephanie sees clear differences. She says about Readback, as compared to those other options:
“Pricing is transparent. I’ve gotten invoices, before [Readback], for charges I couldn’t even understand; and I didn’t feel like they were able to explain what the charges meant. I have been charged Philadelphia rates for a deposition that wasn’t anywhere near Philadelphia. I was also invoiced once for a remote appearance, but the deposition was in-person.”
Stephanie also sees value in Readback’s pricing model for her clients,
“. . . because I can tell them what the deposition [actually] costs.”
Stephanie underscores that she is “definitely” saving money using Readback versus alternative providers.
Even opposing counsel are jealous. Stephanie says she often hears from those attorneys the following, consistent feedback: “Hey, we like this. We like Readback.” And they like it for some of the same reasons that Stephanie does: access to a near-time feed, a rough transcript, a certified† transcript the next day, and the absence of hidden fees.
Stephanie is in total control with Readback. She’s a confident attorney, at the top of her game. But don’t take our word for it. Stephanie tells it best:
“I think [Readback has] definitely helped [my confidence]. Just having the Viewer, and being able to calmly repeat a question if there is an objection or disagreement over anything, and also just being able to go back and make sure I have the information that I need during a break.”
So, give yourself a break: Opt for the modern deposition experience with Readback.
About Readback
Readback is a web-based deposition service, featuring ‘near-time’ display of deposition proceedings, available to all parties with the Active Reporting service tier. Readback’s live, online ‘Viewer’ technology broadcasts an ongoing record of the deposition transcript, that is built by AI & reviewed for accuracy by humans – allowing lawyers a new level of control over deposition proceedings. Live support, including a deposition “Guardian” (rather than a traditional stenographer) who actively oversees the deposition proceedings on behalf of Readback clients, offers a fail-safe against potential issues that can (and do) arise during any live event. Once the deposition is complete, an official transcript is delivered within 24 hours.
What you won’t hear is the sound of typing. What you will get is an entirely new deposition experience: clean, contemporary, compelling.
Against the backdrop of traditional stenography services (slow, unsteady, unpredictable), the Readback option is like trading in your horse-drawn cart for a new sportscar, with all the trimmings – all while saving you money & time.
Try Readback, and you won’t go back.