Clients EXPECT and DESERVE quality, error-free documents. Tired of sitting side-by-side temps who were nothing
more than "warm bodies," Carolyn's was born in June 1992. Today my
mission statement is the same as it was in 1992 --delivering professional, quality, error-free, secure and confidential services
in a timely manner.
Many transcription services outsource or use subcontractors; however, I
NEVER use subcontractors. A transcription service that outsources your work to subcontractors
stands a good chance of breaching security, confidentiality and accuracy.
I
am NOT an employment agency.
Over the past 19 years, Carolyn Bodley dba
Carolyn's has earned the reputation as the person to call for fill-in vacations, sickness, staff vacancies, overload
and numerous other emergency situations when back-up legal secretarial assistance is needed.
I
am not your employee--I work "with you" but not "for you." (see below*)
I am a sole proprietor. My business is "me"
and "I" and you will neverdeal with anyone else. I
am a perfectionist, and to be quite honest, I have met only a few people (doing the same thing as me) that share the
same work quality standards as myself. Your work is handled in the strictest of confidence. You will always know
who is doing your work--me. I have never missed a deadline. I work with my clients on a one-to-one basis.
Transcription has always been my speciality. Everyone "hears,"
but it's an art to "listen" and put words on paper verbatim
to what was "said." If you want to know what was said, I
have the talent to put on paper every word/utterance as it was spoken.
______ * The IRS has instituted a 20-factor test classifying a worker's status as to whether
they are an employee or an independent contractor. Under Colorado law, persons are considered independent contractors
if they perform services in accordance with their own methods and manner, free from the direction and control of an employer. Before
beginning any project, you will be furnished with an Independent Contractor Agreement, to be fully executed, spelling out
the responsibilities of each party, how the duties will be performed, when/how payment will be received, what expenses will
be reimbursed and my responsibility for payment of my own taxes, etc.
(Make sure you scroll to the lower part
of this page to read my open letter to legal secretaries/assistants.)
Carolyn Bodley's 2011 Awareness Mission
Educate and inform attorneys that it is neither economically
feasible nor aesthetically pleasing to the eye for them to be chief cook and bottle washer while attempting to "do
it all themselves."
Get attorneys back to practicing
law.
Build secretarial and legal support staff trust
by "showing and telling" that I'm not looking for a job as an "employee" -- nor am I trying to steal
their job.
I am an independent service provider/vendor
specializing in verbatim transcription of audio/video investigations, one-on-one interviews, recorded statements and recorded
phone conversations that could end up as court exhibits if and when case goes to trial.
More than thirty years' experience working in both public
and private sectors:
twenty plus
years' legal secretarial experience (public/business finance, environmental,
estate planning, family law, bankruptcy, securities, corporate, criminal);
two years' engineering experience--geological,
hydrological, and geotechnical; and
two years as a proofreader.
Owner/Operator
of my own legal secretarial/ transcription service since 1992.
Colorado-commissioned notary since 1993 (current commission expires 1-10-2013)
and ATF national instant criminal background checked (NICS). Protecting privacy is very important to me--ask for
my Privacy Policy/Identity Theft Practices.
$100,000 Notary Errors and Omissions Insurance, high speed
cable, HP 160 MB RAM dual-tray color laser printer, XEROX commercial copier, dedicated fax and commercial cross-cut shredder. Computer
and router virus protection and firewalls.
General notarizations (foreign adoptions, immigration, estate planning, medical
releases, bills of sale, vehicle titles, Power of Attorney, etc.) by appointment only -- come to me or I will travel to you.
Experienced with Colorado state-compliant HB 1023 Verification of Citizenship Restrictions on Public Benefits and
Legal Presence Restrictions.
Knowledgeable of Notary Law and will not perform illegal notarizations.
I
AM NOT AN ATTORNEY AND CANNOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE OR ACCEPT FEES FOR LEGAL ADVICE.
An Open Letter to Legal Secretaries and Legal Assistants:
We've all dealt with them -- the temporary that has no business being in the office -- the temporary that needs hand-holding
and babysitting -- the temporary that no one trusts to give work -- the temporary that sits there doing absolutely nothing
-- the temporary with no initiative or ability to make judgment calls without being told -- the temporary, where
it would have been better to have had no one cover your desk, because they definitely made more work for your return
. . .
Rest assured -- I AM NOT THAT TEMPORARY!
I am NOT after your job - I don't want your job - I am not trying to replace
you. I can relate to how protective you are of your work. I know how selfish I always
was with "my" work, and would do anything to keep from relinquishing it to some warm body temp -- whether it
be through a temporary agency or an Independent Contractor.
Times and offices have changed. Legal secretaries/assistants
have more responsibilities and thus, more work. Ten years ago, very few attorneys had computers sitting on their desk
-- five years ago, only a handful of attorneys performed their own typing using these computers -- and today, more and more
attorneys actually draft, edit and format much of their own work on their own computers. Therefore, the days of a temp sitting
at your desk because of an absence, unless for an extended absence, in my opinion, is an unnecessary expense because with
the attorney typing much of his/her own work, that leaves the temp sitting there looking pretty and doing nothing,
or dealing with your administrative duties -- including confidential and/or personal information that really shouldn't
be seen by a temp. We all know how they messed up your desk and documents with just typing letters --do you really want them
handing administrative duties without supervision -- and who is going to have time to supervise them?
An audio
and/or video file needing transcribed is entirely different. Today, much of the discovery is handed over in a format other
than hard copy. It is imperative, to the case, that these words get transcribed exactly. It takes a special ear to transcribe
these spoken words into a paper transcript. Even if you are qualified and don't mind the "ears" stuck in your
own ears, a prerequisite of a great transcript is a quiet environment -- which isn't possible in a law firm
setting. In addition to the quiet environment, is the time required -- some recorded phone conversations, interviews,
interrogations are professionally recorded; however, more times than not, these are recorded in a less than optimal setting.
You simply don't have three to eight hours or more to accurately transcribe a one-hour recording. These are transcripts
that end up becoming an Exhibit in the courtroom, and not a short one-page letter.
A great transcriptionist
cannot be interrupted while transcribing to answer the phone, respond to an e-mail, locate a file, send a fax, make a copy
of this or that, or stop transcribing completely to report to another attorney and another crisis.
Outsourcing audio/video
files allows you to concentrate on more pressing and demanding tasks.
Again,
I reiterate I don't want your job -- and I'm not just a warm body that accomplishes nothing.
Unauthorized
reproduction or distribution of this website, or any portion of it, without first obtaining the express WRITTEN permission
of CAROLYN BODLEY, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent under the
law.
