Deposition Court Reporter Lisette Saucedo

Her exuberance surprised even her; however, she admits she "really enjoyed it."

Determined and dedicated, Saucedo chose her field of work because of two elements: flexibility and familiarity.


"I knew I had the option of working as a self-employed reporter doing depositions, which meant I wouldn't have a boss, I would have the flexibility of working as much or as little as I wanted, and the money would be great," says Saucedo. "Plus, I knew exactly what was involved because my mother had already been a court reporter for 20 years, and I pretty much knew the ins and outs of the career and knew that I would like it."

After graduating and studying for the required state court reporting test, Saucedo passed on her first try.

"Not even a month after, the letters started coming in from different deposition court reporting agencies who wanted me to come in for interviews...There was a shortage of court reporters...and us newly certified ones were in demand. I remember going into my first interview, and I was surprised the agency owner was trying to sell herself and her agency to me instead of the other way around." Needless to say, Saucedo snatched the job up, and ever since, she has worked as a deposition reporter.

According to Wikipedia, "The chief value of a deposition, as with any discovery proceeding, is to give all litigant parties in a contested case a fair preview of the evidence so that a 'level playing field' is achieved and surprise...is avoided at time of trial.

"Another benefit of deposition is to preserve a witness's recollection while it is still fresh, though the trial may still be some time later. In the event a witness is unavailable for trial, their deposition testimony may be read before the jury and made part of the record in the case, with the same legal force as live testimony."

"I was very nervous going to my very first deposition," continues Saucedo. "I kept thinking I was going to blunder on everything, from my equipment not working properly to forgetting the words for administering the oath to not being able to keep up with the testimony. It was a simple workers' compensation case, and I was told there would be an interpreter present, which supposedly made it an easier job because it would be at a slower pace. Well, when the deposition started, the interpreter happened to have a heavy Vietnamese accent, and my hearing was definitely put to the test. That, of course, added to my nervousness in the beginning, but by the end of the deposition, I became used to the accent and to the proceeding itself, and it turned out to be fine."

While all court reporters must begin in deposition, they are given the chance after a year to move inside the courthouse and work as official court reporters. These reporters are employed by the county and work salaried 9:00-to-5:00 jobs; however, deposition reporters work as independent contractors. This was one of the reasons Saucedo decided to stay.

"Most reporters, like me, decide to stay in depositions because that is the job that offers the most flexibility because you work as an independent contractor. I began working soon after I graduated school in 2001, and I have freelanced for different agencies since then."

As a freelancer, Saucedo's daily responsibilities range from typing verbatim everything that is said in a deposition proceeding (in-house work) to later producing a transcript of the proceeding (at-home work). And learning how to manage her time efficiently and organize effectively has taught this court reporter how to do her job well.

Q. What do you do for fun?

A. I like working out and running, dancing, going to concerts, spending time with my family, traveling.

Q. What music is on your iPod right now?

A. Blue October, Jack Johnson, Journey, Ne-Yo.

Q. What is the last magazine you read?

A. The Journal of Court Reporting. I like to stay updated with what's going on with the field.

Q. What is your favorite TV show?

A. Desperate Housewives.

Q. Who is your role model?

A. My parents. Both overcame an impoverished childhood and became very successful because they were ambitious and hardworking.

"I get to learn so many things every day because of the various topics that are covered in legal proceedings, including medical malpractice, business litigation, discrimination, personal injuries, etc. Especially when I'm taking down an expert's testimony, the language gets pretty technical, but I love broadening my knowledge of things I would have otherwise not known about in such detail."

One of her most memorable experiences was doing the deposition of a former pro football player, who, she says, was claiming workers' compensation for all of the injuries he had sustained over the years.

"When I walked into the room, I was so overwhelmed when I saw 10 attorneys inside (usually there [are] two attorneys at depositions). I guess each attorney represented each team he had played for. I was so stressed out wondering if they were all going to start talking at the same time or if I wouldn't be able to hear the attorneys way across the end of the conference room."

But all fears aside, Saucedo persevered, and "in the end it turned out fine...It ended up being a very lucrative job."

With such a wide range of experience, what kind of advice does Saucedo have to offer?

"It's very important to start off with easier jobs; otherwise, it will be very overwhelming and discouraging. You can work your way up to doing expert testimony after you've had experience with the deposition process itself. Also, since you are an independent contractor, it's important to be organized and keep track of everything, such as jobs you have been paid for and that are still outstanding, all of your expenses, mileage, etc., that will be write-offs."