COURT REPORTER PROFILE
A Career of Service
For Court Reporter Penny Wile of Virginia, service has become a way of life. A seasoned court reporter, Penny sits on cloud nine as she continues to bring a ray of sunshine to both her profession and community.
What shines most impressively is Penny’s record of accomplishment. Her mother (a high school guidance counselor) suggested trying court reporting school. So, Penny trained at the Reporting Academy of Virginia and earned three certifications: Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), and Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR). She was also honored with two Virginia Awards of Excellence.
Penny began her career more than 40 years ago as a freelance court reporter and then worked as an Official Reporter for the U.S. District Court. The first week after leaving the U.S. District Court, she received a call from a Texas court reporting agency that needed local coverage for a doctor’s deposition.
“I thought, ‘well, that’s right up my alley.’ They asked for my fees, and I didn’t know what to tell them.” explained Penny. “It turns out that the agency sought me out. My name got out there from my work in the community and from the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)’s directory of court reporters.”
That was Penny’s introduction to the value of networking with court reporting agencies. Sometimes the clouds hang down, though. “The court reporting industry was changing, and agency reporters did not take kindly to reporters that participated in networking assignments,” she observed.
But – ultimately – the clouds lifted, and the sky was blue with sunshine again. Penny believes in being involved and is passionate about the role court reporters play. She encourages everyone to be a mentor in the court reporting profession. “It’s rewarding, you establish life-long friendships, and your finger is always on the pulse,” she reflected. “You can make a difference.”
That’s why Penny is committed to preparing the next generation of court reporters. In fact, during Huseby’s recent Court Reporter Coffee Chat, Penny offered a new graduate some tips to help her transition into the world of court reporting easier. It comes as little surprise because Penny mentors new court reporters when called upon. She believes that early guidance and professional support can have a major impact on a new professional’s career.
Penny advises becoming proficient and certified in realtime reporting, which she finds lucrative and an opportunity to shine with her impressive credentials. She also recommends challenging one’s self. She cites fast-paced complicated cases and even jet-setting globally to do jobs. After all, opportunities abound.
In addition to court reporting, Penny enjoys concerts. So much so that she took a part-time job working at concerts at the Amphitheater in Virgina Beach. One time she assisted five cats along the way. It’s little wonder because she created and funded benefits at the Norfolk (Virginia) SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) with her Woofstock concert series and was appointed to the City of Norfolk (Virginia) Animal Welfare Board of Review. She also took on the position of Officer of Election in Norfolk (Virginia) for 2023/2024.
It’s Penny’s giving back to the community that shines on so many.
THE ROVING REPORTER
Court Reporter Extraordinaire
The Roving Reporter makes the seemingly impossible possible. Real-time Reporters, for example, produce a readable transcript, in real time, achieving the pinnacle of both speed and accuracy. Combine that with computer technology to produce real-time transcripts and you’ve got voila…near instantaneous! Almost comparable to rocket ship speed at 15 times faster than a speeding bullet. Speed indeed!
If you find The Roving Reporter in two places in this newsletter, you could be the winner of a prize drawing! Simply email them to Marilyn Fil @ MarilynFil@Huseby.com.
 |
 |
 |
 |