Industry Leading Expertise
Are you interested in a career in court reporting, but have a ton of question or don’t know where to get started? Look no further!
Our experts are accomplished court reporters with a wealth of knowledge and are standing by for your inquiries.
Explore our expert network and reach out today!
JOE GRABOWSKI | RMR
Veritext – Maryland
“In my 44 years as a court reporter and agency owner I’ve enjoyed a lucrative profession that provided a constant learning experience on a variety of topics, and afforded me the opportunity to travel across the country and around the world. I’ve met and worked with a lot of interesting people, many of whom I consider to be great friends and colleagues.”
Joe Grabowski, RMR, principal of Gore Brothers/Veritext began reporting in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area in 1976, and started providing realtime to attorneys and the deaf/hard-of-hearing in the mid 1980’s. Joe has covered depositions in various locations in the United States, Spain, Greece and has taken statements from survivors of WWII German concentration camps in Poland.
Joe is a member of the National Court Reporters Association, past president and board member of the National Network of Reporting Companies, and past president of the Maryland Court Reporters Association. Joe is chairman of the Education Advisory Committee of the Maryland Court Reporters Association, and was appointed by Chief Judge Robert M. Bell to the State of Maryland’s first Court Reporters Committee.
JIM CONNOR | RPR, CRR, CSR, CLVS
Veritext – Indiana
Jim Connor is a 39-year reporting veteran, and owner of Connor Reporting in Indianapolis, Lafayette and Bloomington, Indiana. Jim has also attained his trial presentation certification in both Trial Director and Visionary softwares. He has extensive deposition and arbitration reporting experience, and specializes in international labor union convention reporting. During his reporting career he has worked with every U.S. President since Jimmy Carter, as well as former South African President Nelson Mandela, and former president of Poland, Lech Walesa.
Jim also engages in one-on-one CART reporting for clients with hearing impairments, and does captioning for larger venues such as labor union conventions.
Another of his expertise is reporting press conferences for sporting events including the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, Formula One, and MotoGP races with immediate turnaround for dissemination to the world’s press and posting on the various sporting websites.
He has been an Eclipse software user since 1993, and in 2012 transitioned to Case CATalyst software to be better equipped to report the terrorist trials at Guantanamo Bay.
Jim definitely considers his current assignment with the GTMO team in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be the highlight of his long career. Reporting the trials of al Nashiri, the mastermind of the bombings of the USS Cole and USS The Sullivans, and the 9/11 terrorists, has been very challenging but extremely rewarding and exciting. He feels honored to play a vital role in these historic proceedings.
In 2019 Jim was elected President of the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting (STAR).
MERILEE S. JOHNSON | RDR, CRR, CRC, RSA
Veritext – Minnesota
“As reporters and captioners we are exposed to new perspectives and information that our everyday personal lives don’t typically offer. What I learn through law, what I learn through interacting with the professionals I meet, and what I learn through the varied cases we hear, opens my eyes to a world beyond my own. Being well-versed in the happenings of today allows me to feel empowered to contribute to a better tomorrow.”
Merilee S. Johnson has been reporting for 21 years and has experience as an official reporter, freelance reporter, and captioner. Currently, she serves as Director of Reporter Relations and Technologies with Paradigm Reporting and Captioning, a Veritext Company.
In addition to her extensive work experience, Merilee is credentialed as a Certified Independent Training Agent with Stenograph. She holds NCRA’s RDR, CRR and CRC certifications, as well as NCRA’s RSA Certificate.
Merilee serves the industry as a member and chair for multiple committees on both the state and national levels. She has a passion for investing in the future of the industry through mentoring and trainings, and currently serves an adjunct instructor at the local court reporting school in Minnesota. She is a resource for reporters at Paradigm, an active trainer for Stenograph, and is also a member of STAR’s Liaison Committee.
BILL ROBERTS | RPR, RPR, CRR, CLVS, CMRS
Veritext – South Carolina
“What I love about court reporting is that each day is a new adventure…different assignment locations; diverse, exciting and educational subject matters; the ability to meet new people; and finally the flexibility to create my own schedule. What’s not to love?”
With over 40 years of court reporting experience, Bill Roberts is known as South Carolina’s leading expert in litigation services and technology. He has been in the forefront of emerging technology and was the first reporter in South Carolina to offer Realtime court reporting technology.
Before merging with Veritext in 2019, Bill founded A. William Roberts, Jr. & Associates in 1980. After graduating from the Stenotype Institute in Jacksonville, he was the official Court Reporter for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. Bill is a Registered Merit Reporter, Certified Realtime Reporter, Certified Legal Video Specialist, and Certified Manager of Reporting Services.
Under his leadership, AWR/Veritext has become South Carolina’s premier court reporting firm with a commitment to fast, accurate and friendly service. Bill lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
with his wife Karen, who is a principal in Veritext. His oldest son David is a principal in Veritext; his middle son Mike is a court reporter with Veritext; and his youngest son Andrew is a television news producer in Indianapolis.
Bill is committed to the recruitment and training of new court reporters and has mentored many individuals considering court reporting as a career, helping them to thrive in this field of endeavor, many of whom have gone to achieve the highest levels of certification in court reporting. Bill’s outside activities include leadership in a local men’s ministry and Kairos Prison Ministry as well as the Walk to Emmaus. He is an avid car collector and motorcycle enthusiast.
JUDY M. STEVENS | RPR, CMRS, CPE
Veritext – Colorado
“In an industry where change can happen at lightning speed, I’m committed to being a lifetime learner and I love sharing what I learn with others. All of us were beginners at one point and it’s exciting for me to see and help others grow in this business that I love.”
Judy Stevens has been a firm owner in Denver since 1994 before becoming part of Veritext in 2019. She began her career as a court reporter in Tucson, Arizona before moving to Denver, Colorado. In 2000, Judy earned the highly coveted designation of Certified Manager of Reporting Services (CMRS) by the National Court Reporters Association while building her firm, mentoring her team and also serving on the board of her state association and volunteering through the Alliance of Professional Women.
Over the years, Judy and her firm have been recognized by the Denver Business Journal as one of the “Top 10 Fastest Growing Denver-Area Private Companies” and she has been nominated by the Denver Business Journal for its “Outstanding Women in Business” award on numerous occasions. In addition, Judy was recognized by NCRA with its prestigious “Excellence Award for Leadership and Team-Building” and has authored many articles for the JCR magazine. Judy is also quite active in her teaching/mentoring role as a regular guest lecturer at both Arapahoe Community College and the University of Denver Law School.
