N.D. Illinois Introduces Online Transcript Ordering
When I wrote the title to this post it was difficult to capture how significant this story is to practitioners. The Northern District of Illinois has introduced an online transcript ordering system that can be used to order transcripts from any judge and court reporter in the Northern District. The Northern District believes this is the first system like it in the federal courts. This simple form -- click here to access it -- transforms what used to be an individualized process that was often difficult to navigate for both practitioners and the court reporters themselves because it required identifying the particular court report and then trying to reach the reporter, who likely spends most of the business day in court or back at their office performing the complex task of turning the rough transcript into the record of the court's proceedings. And it further simplifies the process by identifying the available delivery and timing options for the transcripts, so that the reporters do not have to explain the options to each attorney that calls them.
