PohlmanUSA, which is regionally and nationally recognized for court reporting and litigation services, has announced their continued support to the court reporting profession by making a donation to Project Steno. With thousands of unfilled court reporting positions across the country, Pohlman understands that supporting the next generation of court reporters means supporting the legal industry as a whole.

Project Steno promotes the court reporting profession by creating a pipeline of new court reporters and tuition assistance to subsidize a student’s schooling costs. Court reporters generally graduate in two years and can start their career right away.  Currently, there is a high demand for court reporters as there are over 5,500 unfilled court reporting positions nationally.

“During National Court Reporting and Captioning Week, we couldn’t think of a better way to show reporters across the nation that we support their skills and profession then by donating to Project Steno.  It takes vast talent to be able to type over 225 words per minute, and we want to make sure our next generation understands the court reporting profession, so it continues to grow and thrive.” said PohlmanUSA CEO, Deborah Walters.

In celebration this week, Pohlman has created reporter newsletters and social media posts featuring industry topics, steno history, stories from reporters and a feature on a Project Steno student that works in Pohlman’s records department.  The newsletters gave the reporters an opportunity to connect and learn more about each other, as well as stenographers around the nation. Walters states, “Court reporting is more exciting than most people think.  Being a stenographer, you can travel, report depositions and trials, or even perform closed captioning services for major television broadcasts, such as sporting events, political coverage, breaking news, as well as high-profile cases.”

PohlmanUSA Court Reporting and Litigation Services is recognized nationwide as the leading provider of technology-driven court reporting and litigation services. For 30 years, Pohlman has specialized in complex multiparty litigation by creating innovative products and customized solutions for clients. Pohlman is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and anticipating clients’ needs.

For more information, call 877.421.0099 or visit www.pohlmanusa.com.

A Frye hearing was recently held in the Circuit Court of Cook County.  This hearing was regarding scientific evidence related to genetic testing for BAP-1 of a plaintiff with mesothelioma arising from potential asbestos exposure.

Most states follow either the Daubert or Frye Standard regarding admissibility, and in a few states, the court follows a combination of the two. Daubert applies to admissibility of any expert witness testimony, while Frye is narrower in application only for admissibility of novel scientific expert testimony.

The Daubert standard is the more recent standard set in the 1993 Supreme Court case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under the Daubert standard there are five factors the court considers in determining if the expert testimony methodology is valid.

1. Whether the theory or technique in question can and has been tested
2. Whether the theory or technique has been subjected to peer review and publication
3. Whether the theory or technique has a known or potential error rate
4. Whether the theory or technique has widespread acceptance within the relevant scientific community
5. Whether the theory or technique has standards and controls and was conducted independently of preparation for testifying.

The Frye standard dates back to the 1923 case of Frye v. United States. Under the Frye standard the court must determine whether the method by which the scientific evidence is gathered is “generally accepted” as reliable by other experts in the relevant scientific community. If your case is in California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, they continue to follow the Frye standard.

In the recent Illinois Frye hearing the Judge has taken it under advisement. If you are an asbestos attorney and are interested in learning more please contact me at [email protected]