Go to your Portal.  The first time you use the Single Sign-On, click the TEST CONNECTION button.  It just ensures you can get into Zoom and turn on your camera and audio.  It takes seconds.  Then click LEAVE MEETING.

It will help you if you have a printout or write down at least the last names of the people you expect to be at the deposition.  You can find the attorney names on the Partner Portal by navigating to the “Appearance” section of the Attorneys Present step to help generate your Appearance Page.  It is especially important to know the witness’s name since you will be looking for that person’s name later to let him/her into the deposition room.

In your Portal, click on START MEETING. 

Hover your mouse over PARTICIPANTS and bring up the participants dialog box that will be on the right-hand side of your Zoom screen.

There are two groups of people in the PARTICIPANTS screen.  There is only you in the meeting (and maybe a videographer if one is assigned.)  

You will see another box that has people WAITING TO ATTEND.  You will see the names of people in that box that are ready to come in (counsel and the witness).  

You as the court reporter allows them into the deposition.  To allow them into the deposition hover over their name, and then a green ADMIT box appears as well as a red REMOVE box.  Click on the ADMIT box – UNLESS IT IS THE WITNESS WAITING TO GET IN.  DON’T LET THE WITNESS IN UNLESS THEIR ATTORNEY IS ALREADY IN THE DEPOSITION ROOM.  At that time I ask the witness’ attorney, “Mr. Jones, the witness John Dean is waiting to come into the deposition room.  Would you like me to admit him now?”  If the attorney says, “Yes,” let the witness in.

If the witness gets to the waiting room early, I think it is a nice idea to write them a little message.  If you click on CHAT, you will see two chat boxes appear.  One says “Chat for Zoom Room,” the other says, “Chat for Waiting Room.”  Go to the waiting room chat box and type something like, “Hello, this is Rosalie, your court reporter.  We are waiting for the attorneys to arrive.  I will bring you into the deposition room momentarily.”  The communication to the waiting room is one-way only.  The witness/people in the waiting room cannot send you a message back.  (But the rumor is that Zoom is working on changing that so the waiting room people can write a message to the court reporter host.)