LiveLitigation Certified Reporter Spotlight
Name: Mark Kislingbury
Certifications: RDR, CRR, FAPR, Texas CART Level V
What is your background in 140 characters? Reporting 33 years, 17 years freelance, 20 years captioner/CART, 15 years seminar presenter, 5 years school owner, published Magnum Steno theory, 360wpm
When did you begin your court reporting career? 1983
What sparked your interest in choosing court reporting as a profession?
Seeing the machine in high school.
What advice would you give to students or those just entering the field of court reporting?
The two things that helped me most are learning lots of briefs and phrases and practicing at high speeds in order to master lower speeds.
What is your favorite thing about being a court reporter?
Writing clean realtime at high speed with slow fingers.
As a Court Reporter, what is your worst nightmare or biggest pet peeve?
Biggest pet peeve is schools that charge over $1,000 per month while making it nearly impossible to graduate using various schemes.
Where is the strangest place you have taken a deposition?
In the back of a Suburban.
What is the funniest thing you have heard during a deposition or in the courtroom?
“He can’t take down ‘uh-huh’ or ‘huh-uh’ so you need to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
When not court reporting, how do you spend your free time?
Playing chess or Asteroids.
What do you like most about LiveLitigation?
“Refresh”!
Anything else you would like to share?
Court reporting is a wonderful, rewarding profession! Spread the word!