Guidance on Video and Other Electronic Depositions During the COVID-19 Crisis
In March of this year, when it became clear that alternative means for conducting depositions would need to be considered, the Washington Court Reporters Association (WCRA) contacted the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) to together contact the Washington Supreme Court to request an emergency order allowing for the remote administration of oaths to alleviate the need for in-person depositions. Since that time, many questions have arisen as to the best way to conduct remote depositions, arbitrations, etc.
In May of this year, I contacted WSBA to inquire as to whether there were any established guidelines for conducting remote depositions that WSBA had drafted for its members. As of that that time, there were not, so WSBA President Rajeev Majumdar thought it would be helpful to establish some recommended guidelines that were based on local court rules, to the extent they could be.
After a few weeks of effort, Dan Bridges, Past WSBA Treasurer and Governor Chair, Civil Litigation Rules Revision Work Group, put together some guidelines. The link is provided below.
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Your newly elected WCRA Board of Directors has set high goals and objectives to accomplish in 2020 and we need your support to make them happen. Some of the important objectives include:
We have hired a lobbyist to fight upcoming legislation which could break the long-established independent contractor status for court reporters in Washington. This is happening across the country and YOU can make a difference. Please join WCRA or renew your dues today.
We are fighting companies attempting to introduce digital reporting in Washington. We are anticipating they may attempt to take action in the 2020 legislative session that could greatly impact your livelihood. There are a number of formal complaints pending with DOL right now relating to digital reporters. We need your support to enable WCRA to continue to fight to keep the Court Reporting Practice Act (our CCR law) sound.
We have filed a proposed court rule amendment with the Supreme Court seeking to add language allowing for reporting telephonically for last-minute and remote location depositions.
We have a newly formed student outreach task force seeking to bring more people into our wonderful profession. They will be conducting job career days at area high schools to bring awareness to court reporting.
We are conducting an outreach to all judges across Washington to promote the benefits of stenographic reporting.
We met with the WSBA Board of Governors earlier this year to promote stenographic reporting, inform attorneys of the practice of contracting being undertaken by some agencies, relayed there is new language and rules relating to notaries in Washington, and educated them on how to protect and secure their record by including language in Notices of Deposition stating they will be taken before a certified court reporter. Please join WCRA or renew your dues today.
It’s hard to fight for you when you’re sitting on the sidelines. Get your game on. Help WCRA fight the good fight!
We need all y’all!
Phyllis and Val
Phyllis Craver Lykken and Valerie Seaton
WCRA Co-Presidents
and your entire WCRA Board of Directors
