Uccelli & Associates Legal Support Services

06/22/2022

The 31st Legal Aid SMC Golf Classic is happening Monday, July 11, 2022 at Stanford Golf Course. It's always a wonderful event, and supports an important cause. Register here: legalaidsmc.org/golf22

Help low-income children, families, and seniors get legal assistance by joining us for a nice day on the course, lunch and dinner provided, with family, clients, and associates. Non-golfers are welcome to join us at 6:00 pm to socialize and enjoy dinner outdoors on the beautiful golf course. Learn more at legalaidsmc.org/golf22

02/24/2020

What is a digital reporter? It is not a certified court reporter.

Please be aware of the risk to your record and your case. Be sure to read the Notice of Deposition that is served on your office with language such as “We reserve the right to record the deposition by stenographic means or by utilizing digital audio recording equipment or other alternative method of capture.” This is a clue that opposing counsel may digitally record the deposition and not have a licensed court reporter report the proceedings. Or it might simply say “The deposition will be taken before a Notary Public qualified to administer an oath in and for the State of California…” This could leave it open for anyone who is not a licensed court reporter in California, but who is a Notary Public, to record your proceedings. An example of the language a notice might contain would be “The deposition will be taken before a licensed California stenographer.” The California license the court reporter holds allows the reporter to swear in witnesses.

A "digital reporter" is a person who sits with a digital recorder and makes notes along the way to be referenced by a transcriptionist, or more than one, at a later time to produce a transcript. A "digital reporter" is not licensed/certified by the State of California as a court reporter. They cannot produce a transcript in real time. They cannot provide rough draft transcripts. Their digital files may be broken up and dispersed to many different individuals in unknown locations to produce a final product. Passing through the internet to many different end points, the security of these files and the information contained within is unknown at this time. Software and products are on the market which anyone can purchase to manipulate audio/digital recordings.

Producing these uncertified and inadmissible transcripts in this manner is not cheaper. You pay for the time of the digital recorder and then you still need to pay for an unknown transcriptionist, who can only transcribe what they hear and understand.

Bill AB 424, a bill to educate lawyers that transcripts prepared by uncertified and unlicensed transcriptionists are inadmissible as evidence in court, sponsored by CalDRA and supported by the National Association, was passed unanimously on the Assembly Floor.

Protect your record and your case by hiring a licensed court reporter.

02/24/2020

How the Notice of Deposition can allow a non-licensed person to record your proceeding.

Please be aware of the risk to your record and your case. Be sure to read the Notice of Deposition that is served on your office. Does it have language such as “We reserve the right to record the deposition by stenographic means or by utilizing digital audio recording equipment or other alternative method of capture”? This is a clue that opposing counsel may digitally record the deposition and not have a licensed court reporter report the proceedings. Or it might simply say “The deposition will be taken before a Notary Public qualified to administer an oath in and for the State of California…” This could leave it open for anyone who is not a licensed court reporter in California, but who is a Notary Public, to record your proceedings. An example of the language a notice might contain would be “The deposition will be taken before a licensed California stenographer.” The California license the court reporter holds allows the reporter to swear in witnesses.

A "digital reporter" is a person who sits with a digital recorder and makes notes along the way to be referenced by a transcriptionist, or more than one, at a later time to produce a transcript. A "digital reporter" is not licensed/certified by the State of California as a court reporter. They cannot produce a transcript in real time. They cannot provide rough draft transcripts. Their digital files may be broken up and dispersed to many different individuals in unknown locations to produce a final product. Passing through the internet to many different end points, the security of these files and the information contained within is unknown at this time. Software and products are on the market which anyone can purchase to manipulate audio/digital recordings.

Producing these uncertified and inadmissible transcripts in this manner is not cheaper. You pay for the time of the digital recorder and then you still need to pay for an unknown transcriptionist, who can only transcribe what they hear and understand.

Bill AB 424, a bill to educate lawyers that transcripts prepared by uncertified and unlicensed transcriptionists are inadmissible as evidence in court, sponsored by CalDRA and supported by the National Association, was passed unanimously on the Assembly Floor.

Protect your record and your case by hiring a licensed court reporter.

02/14/2020

Protect Your Record

01/09/2020

Please help and sign the petition!

Protect Your Freedom: Sign the Petition To Exempt Freelance Court Reporting From AB 5

09/21/2017

This will be Sue's 17th year participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer's is the nation's sixth-leading cause of death, and Sue walks in memory of her cousin Ernie.

She is raising money to go toward research to improve early diagnosis and development of a cure. She's walking on October 14th, but donations are always accepted!

06/08/2017

We are proud to be a sponsor of Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County's 26th Annual Legal Aid Golf Classic! Hope you can join us Monday, June 12th for a great afternoon at Stanford University Golf Course while supporting access to justice for all.

On Monday, June 12th, help support equal access to justice for all by joining us for the 26th Annual Legal Aid Golf Classic, at the beautiful Stanford University Golf Course.

03/31/2017

Get your favorite pet photos out, and enter the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA's 2nd Annual Pet Photo Contest! Upload your best photo and vote on your favorite. Each $1 vote helps the shelter animals in need, and can help win you cool prizes too :) Not to mention there will be a ton of cute and funny pictures to look at 😍

http://www.gogophotocontest.com/phs

A dollar can do a lot for a homeless pet, so encourage your friends and family to vote for your photos and you could win a prize. Plus the more votes you get the more the shelter animals win! Top four photos with the most votes at the end of the contest (April 13