FAQ

What to Expect When Joining a Skribe Event?
First of all, welcome to Skribe. We’re looking forward to hosting the upcoming event that you’re participating in. We hope that you find Skribe to be easy to use, efficient and less expensive than traditional court reporter and videographer services.

Although participating in a Skribe event is similar to any other remote event, there are a few key differences that you should be aware of. Prior to your event, please review the information below to learn more about Skribe services. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a call to discuss Skribe further, please reach out to support@skribe.ai.

What is Skribe?
Skribe is software that non-stenographically captures legal testimony. Using the power of AI technology, Skribe records and transcribes legal testimony without the need for court reporters or videographers.

Why Skribe?
Given the increasing shortage of certified court reporters, it has become increasingly difficult and expensive to schedule court reporters. In the interest of speeding up the wheels of justice, Skribe provides attorneys with a video synced, AI generated transcript within a few hours after the event is complete. In addition to the rough transcription and video, users also get access to Skribe’s video processing and clipping tools. The video tools make it easy to quickly create video clips that can be inserted into emails to clients, briefs, or hearing/trial/mediation presentations. The below video provides a brief overview of Skribe's post event experience.

What Can I Expect During a Skribe Event?
Participating in a Skribe event is just like participating in any other Zoom meeting. In fact, the interface and most of the controls are identical to Zoom. So, there’s no need to learn new technology or processes when participating in a Skribe event. The primary difference with Skribe, during the event, is that there will not be a court reporter or videographer present. As the event is being recorded, Skribe is automatically transcribing the testimony. While it’s possible to use Skribe without any 3rd parties present, the noticing attorney may choose to request the services of a Skribe Liaison. If a Skribe Liaison is ordered, as a certified notary, they will swear in the witness, act as the deposition officer and provide technical support.
What Do I Get After the Skribe Event?
Everyone that participates in a Skribe event gets a copy of the video, the exhibits. Within a few hours after the event, you’ll be notified that these materials are available for download. If you would like a copy of the rough transcript, access to the video clipping/processing tools and a final transcript they can be purchased at $198 per hour of testimony. So, for example, if 3 hours of testimony is captured the cost to purchase the transcripts and video tools would be just under $600. The materials and access to the video processing/clipping tools will remain in your Skribe account for several years. No additional fees will be assessed for this service.
How Accurate is the Transcript? What about over-talk, issues with spelling or words that are inaudible?
Skribe depositions are non-stenographic, which means the video is the official record of the event. Skribe’s rough transcript is approximately 90% accurate with the errors mainly being around the spelling of names and grammar/punctuation. The rough transcript is intended to immediately review testimony and create video clips. Final transcripts are nearly 100% accurate, legally formatted, typically take 1-4 days to produce and closely resemble the transcripts produced by certified court reporters. It should be noted that proofread transcripts are not certified by a court reporter.

Over-talk, inaudible words and spellings present a challenge for stenographers and AI transcriptions alike. In our experience, a stenographic transcript is not always accurate and can include mistakes. It is not uncommon for court reporters to insert “inaudible” when there are quality issues. Luckily, by having the video as part of the record, confusion and clarification is easy to discuss. Also, if there are needed updates to the spellings of names, or other issues, they can be corrected in the final transcript or via the read and sign process. Additionally, the Skribe Liaison monitors the connection of all participants, discourages cross-talk, and helps ensure a high quality recording.

What About Read and Sign?
Skribe will facilitate the read and sign process as outlined in the rules of civil procedure. The transcript and documents will be delivered to the witness when the proofread transcript becomes available (1-4 days after the deposition).
Can I Be in the Same Room as My Client?
Although Skribe is optimized for all participants joining the call remotely, it is possible to be in the same room as your client. We suggest placing a computer in front of your client with the speaker/microphone enabled and connected to the Skribe event. A separate computer will be in front of you (the attorney) that is also connected to the event, but the speaker/microphone will be muted. Be sure to sit near your client and if you need to make an objection or say something, be sure to speak in a clear and loud voice.
Do I need any special equipment to join a Skribe call?
All you need to join a call is a computer with a webcam, microphone, speakers and a strong internet connection. These components can be built into a computer or they can be separate. You don’t need special microphones or cameras. We suggest that your internet connection is capable of downloading at least 50 mbps and uploading at least 5 mbps. If you’re unsure how fast your wifi connection is, you can test it HERE.
How are exhibits handled?
Currently, exhibits are handled through the “screen share” function built into the Skribe meeting room. This functions exactly like any other screen share function you’ve used in other remote meetings. After the event, any exhibits that were introduced are uploaded into a folder and the link to that folder is shared with all parties.
Do you have approval from the various state Supreme Courts and federal courts to take the depositions online without a stenographer?
Non-stenographic recording of testimony is permitted under federal and most state rules. For example, FRCP 30(b)(3) provides “testimony may be recorded by audio, audiovisual, or stenographic means.” See also Tex. R. Civ. P. 199.1(b), (c); see also Tex. R. Civ. P. 203.6(a) (“A nonstenographic recording … may be used to the same extent as a deposition taken by stenographic means.”).

Based on our research and advice from national outside counsel, we are not aware of any requirement that a court provide additional approval for non-stenographic depositions, assuming of course they are permissible under the applicable state and/or federal rules. Note, there are a very small number of states that require a court order and/or do not yet permit non-stenographic depositions. But this is a small minority. Most states track the federal rules, which have permitted non-stenographic depositions for many years.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, federal and most state rules permit witnesses to be sworn in remotely, without any need for stipulations or court order. The vast majority of depositions held today occur remotely and/or hybrid.
Following a Skribe.ai non-stenographic deposition, each party receives from Skribe.ai a complimentary copy of the video and exhibits. Skribe.ai certifies the authenticity of the video record and exhibits. If you’d like a sample certificate, please reach out to support@skribe.ai.

How do you handle not having a Court reporter present?
All Skribe depositions are currently staffed by a “Liaison,” who is a certified notary that fulfills the role of the deposition officer. The Liaison swears in the witness, tracks exhibits, aids in going on/off the record, acts as the neutral 3rd party and generally ensures everyone has a positive experience with Skribe. Following the deposition, we provide all parties with a certificate that is signed by the Liaison that certifies the authenticity of the non-stenographic record.

As a reminder, all Skribe depositions are non-stenographic, so the video is the official record of the deposition. While Skribe is capable of producing a nearly 100% accurate transcript, the transcript of a Skribe deposition is not the official record, but may be used in the same capacity as a transcript produced by a certified court reporter in the vast majority of jurisdictions.

Skribe’s roadmap includes Live events (e.g., depositions) that do not include a Liaison, in which the software will perform the entire role of third-party neutral and track all exhibits, on/off record events, etc. in a way that is verifiable and auditable, without the need for a Liaison or other third party.
What’s the pricing structure?
Skribe has a usage based pricing model and bills by the hour (10 minute increments). Here is our pricing page: https://skribe.ai/pricing
Where will the data be stored?
Like many modern software solutions, the information is stored in Skribe’s Amazon Web Services account. Each account will have their own repository of events and matters that can be looked through anytime.

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