Coalition of Court Reporters of Los Angeles Builds Successful Business and Welcome Safety Net for Laid-Off Los Angeles Court Reporters

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 3, 2013) - Coalition of Court Reporters of Los Angeles (CCROLA) turned layoff lemons into lemonade when budget cuts left more than 100 Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC) reporters out of work or on part-time status last year and has since built a thriving full-service court-reporting agency specializing in courtroom proceedings and depositions. CCROLA has employed 60 of the 100 impacted LASC reporters, keeping them gainfully employed while helping attorney clients make a seamless transition from the courtroom to the private market, where attorneys were suddenly required to hire their own court reporters. In its impressive first year, the agency has expanded to include deposition services and cater to clients throughout the state.

CCROLA is a refreshing example of people coming together to create an innovative business solution, developing a business model that saved dozens of jobs while filling a sudden void in the marketplace. That solution kept a great number of single parents and head-of-household income earners out of the unemployment line and built a profitable business in the process.

"We structured a framework that mimicked the way the court system sent reporters into court, which kept reporters working and streamlined the process for attorneys," says Jorge Dominguez, managing partner of CCROLA. "Many of us have longstanding relationships with the judges, courtroom staff and attorneys we'd worked with for so many years, so our clients already have a level of trust in us. It's been incredibly rewarding to keep so many of our colleagues working in the field -- and to build a successful and thriving business on top of that."

With a second round of LASC layoffs looming this month, CCROLA is positioned for continued success -- and to serve as a safety net for a second round of hard-working, laid off court reporters.

"I knew my career was in serious danger after getting let go during last year's layoffs," says Jackie Sienski, CSR, RPR, a court reporter for 14 years. "But CCROLA was there as a platform for me to continue doing what I love to do. I soon realized that my last day working for the county was not the end, and that what seemed like a devastating blow was actually going to evolve into something great. I'm now part of an entrepreneurial team that's helping to save the judicial system from losing all control of their record in civil trials. I feel empowered and much happier in my field than I have been in years."

CCROLA has employed more than 60 of the 100 court reporters who were laid off or forced into part-time status. In its first year, CCROLA has served 895 clients, handled 2,071 cases and provided 4,568 assignments for laid off court reporters. For more information, visit www.ccrola.com.

ABOUT COALITION OF COURT REPORTERS OF LOS ANGELES: Coalition of Court Reporters of Los Angeles (CCROLA) is a full-service court reporting agency specializing in courtroom proceedings and depositions that was established when devastating budget cuts left more than 100 court reporters laid off or placed on part-time status. CCROLA absorbed a great number of these impacted LASC reporters into its workforce, ensuring that its clients and reporters could make a seamless transition from the courtroom into the private market with competitive rates and high-quality service. As the leading California provider of official courtroom reporters, CCROLA currently provides a full complement of reporting services with competitive rates and high-quality services, including trails, motions, depositions, and arbitrations -- everything attorneys need from discovery to verdict. CCROLA's reporters have extensive experience working for LASC, are familiar with court rules and procedures and are on the LASC court-approved list. For more information, visit www.ccrola.com.