0-225-writing-mastery

My background

Court Reporting Coach & Trainer

Using the practices in Part 2 of this ebook, I took all legs of the RPR six days before all legs of the California CSR and passed both the first time.

During my 40-year legal career, I was a freelance stenographic reporter (now retired RPR/CSR); office administrator of the San Francisco office of a national court reporting agency; sales executive for two global reporting agencies; litigation secretary; and office administrator for a forensic psychiatrist / expert witness.

Since 2008, I have provided hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities for steno and voice court reporting students and licensed reporters to experience being reporters of record at mock depositions and mock trials in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. As a result, students dubbed me Mock Woman!

My program includes comparing interns' unedited rough drafts with their completed or final transcripts.

Conclusion: 50% of first-time apprentices' unedited transcripts are full of steno errors and untranslates.

It is now common for students to take the California CSR exam between 5 and 11 (or more) times. Why?

Based on my 13 years of coaching students, I believe they struggle to pass exams because many are not writing cleanly, resulting in lack of confidence. They feel nervous, anxious, fearful, and worried before stepping foot into the CSR skills exam.

Some reporters and teachers advise students to read through their slop. Thus, they write sloppily, cannot read and transcribe their notes, progress in school, or pass qualifiers and state and/or certification exams.

Based on my experience and observations over four decades, this crisis arose from an archaic principle, mindset, and belief system:

"Slap something down for everything you hear. Don't worry about accuracy. Go for speed and figure it out later."

The truth is we all have days we don't write well (for myriad reasons), but not writing cleanly should be the exception, not the rule.

There is a deep need for radical change.

My 4-part comprehensive package of services includes:

#1 - This ebook, 0-225: Your Guide to Writing Mastery.

#2 - 5 Golden Rules to Steno Mastery course based on Part 2 of this ebook (links above).

#3 - Reporter-of-Record Apprenticeships for high speed reporting students and reporters.

#4 - Coaching to help students and reporters overcome obstacles to achieving their goals and dreams.

Testimonials from current and former students

Before I passed the qualifier to take the CSR, I read back part of a 4-voice in class, and it was clean!! I was so proud of myself. Ana's techniques work! She has read my raw notes, so she knows this is an accomplishment for me.

These internship mocks are entirely different from the required internships in school. As the reporter, you are responsible for the record. There is no other court reporter in the room with you.  You are not shadowing. You are the court reporter.

When I first signed up for Ana's internship mocks, I was scared. I wasn't confident. I didn't believe I could be the reporter of record. However, after participating in a few mock depositions and mock trials, my confidence has soared! I've learned to walk into the room knowing that I have the skills of a professional court reporter. I've learned to speak up for the integrity of the record. And, most importantly, I believe in myself and my skill.

I could not have done this without Ana's assistance.  Ana has a calming spirit about her that will guide you from uncertainty to confident reporter. She understands the struggle of being a court reporting student and will put you at ease.

The experiences from these mock internships will teach you the necessary tools that go well beyond writing on your machine. This is something you cannot learn in school. This is something you must experience as a court reporting student.

This is also something that the law students must experience. There are actual working attorneys that do not know what a court reporter actually does. What a benefit for not only the court reporting students, but also for the law students who will be more consciously aware of what the court reporter does and how they are creating their record once they begin practicing law. So I strongly feel these internship mocks are teaching moments for everyone.

Tricia Holmes, CSR Candidate
With years of experience in the field, Ana is a fountain of information and sage advice. She has seen the gamut of court reporting brilliance and blunders and has made it her mission to bestow her knowledge onto court reporting students. As an advocate for court reporters, Ana instills in her mentees a sense of pride in and awareness about the profession and is shaping the newest members of the workforce to be capable, professional, and informed.

As an apprentice at several mock depositions at BerkeleyLaw and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association's mock trial in 2015, I learned speaking up is valuable because it places in your hands the weight of importance of maintaining the integrity of the record. It’s not your pride or your reputation you have to watch out for; it’s the integrity of the record. There is no better place to practice this important skill than in mock apprenticeships.

Katherine Schilling, RPR, CSR 14163 (and book cover artist)
"Today is the first day of my practice based on your e-mail. I now feel as if I have some type of plan to proceed and be successful. I just needed some guidance and structure for my practice. Thank you once again for your expertise and spending valuable time with me on the phone. Your advice was PRICELESS!!! "

Barbara Sanders, Court Reporting Student
From the very beginning of my court reporting school, I was taught to write something for every word, which frustrated me during read-back because I couldn't read my sloppy notes. After interning with Ana, I have learned to write cleanly and drop, and I have seen a huge improvement. Now reading back and transcribing are a breeze.

Tobiya Abhaya, Court Reporting Student
As a former court reporting student, I can empathize with all of us who have to take the CSR exam. It is an incredible test of will and determination to even get that far. The CSR, like most tests, has its fair share of stress that goes with it. I took it twice. The first time, I failed. But on my second attempt, I was able to pass, thanks to Ana's coaching. She helped me find peace and let the stress that would otherwise ensure my failure crumble. Now, the stress and anxiety that once controlled my ability to do well no longer exists. I owe all my success to her!

Sarah Maksim, CSR 14053 ((and artist of Golden Rule #1 graphic)

Court Reporting Coach & Trainer

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