Delaware’s Chancery Court has one of the fastest, most accurate court reporters in the nation.
Juli LaBadia, who has worked as a Realtime Court Reporter for the Court of Chancery since June 2013, was named the 2015 National Speed Contest Champion at the National Court Reporters Association Convention in New York City last month.
Across the three tests involved in the competition, LaBadia, clocked in with speeds of 220 to 280 words a minute with only three errors across the tests, resulting in 99.912% accuracy rate. The contest dates to 1909, when court stenographers still took down transcripts by hand.
LaBadia, has been a court reporter for 29 years, first in New Mexico, then in Delaware where she worked for a private employer as a freelance court stenographer from 2007 until she joined the Court of Chancery as a court reporter in 2013.
LaBadia, 49, of Dover credits her background as a pianist with leading her to her career as a court stenographer. “The mechanical aspect — the typing — came fast and easy to me,” she said. “It is a great job and I have fantastic co-workers. I work for judges who are geniuses,” she said, adding that since her win, the Chancellor and Vice Chancellors have jokingly invited attorneys to speak as fast as they possibly can.
Chief Realtime Chancery Court Reporter, Neith D. Ecker, said the entire office was “giddy” about Juli’s win. “We are so proud of Juli and are fortunate to have her as part of the Chancery Court Reporters for the State of Delaware. Juli has a fondness for the word ‘awesome.’ So in her honor, we say: Awesome is as Awesome does!” she said.
