This April, our court reporting assignments once again led us all across the country. From the stunning peaks of Denver to the gorgeous Albuquerque desert. This month we wanted to highlight some of the places we visited next to beautiful bodies of water.

With summer (and D.C.’s sweatastic weather) right around the corner, here are some alternative places you might want to consider visiting for an aquatic adventure.

A big part of what makes our job as court reporters so rewarding is that we get to observe important and intriguing court cases from all over the country.

From the Supreme Court’s decision on the 2000 presidential election to the Rod Blagojevich corruption trial, we’re always fascinated by the captivating legal cases this country continually produces and are honored to be a part of the process.

As such, we’d like to share with you a roundup of the major court cases that are currently making headlines:

I recently had an extended court reporting assignment in Fayetteville, North Carolina and had the chance to learn about some of the history of the region and experience the area's charm while I was there. Below are some photos from my trip.

The Market House:

An exhibit of military airplanes at Fort Bragg:

As Court Reporters, we often have to sit through hours of testimony without a break for lunch. Sometimes when we return to the office we’re so hungry that we turn into Betty White (just watch the video).

Most of the public knowledge about the court reporting profession comes from climactic court room scenes on television or in the movies. Often the court reporter will be asked to read back a crucial part of a witness’ testimony as the courtroom audience let’s out an audible gasp. But despite these overly dramatic portrayals, few people outside of the legal world truly know what a court reporter does.

Here at Neal R. Gross & Co. we like to think of ourselves as a modern, forward-looking and cutting-edge company. We’re constantly following the newest industry trends and do our best to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies affecting the court reporting and transcription world.

You may recall that back in December 2012, we posted about an event with Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Well Jake recently returned to perform at the historic 6th & I synagogue in downtown DC and some of the NRGCO team jumped on the chance to take in some of his music again.

An extended court reporting trip in New Orleans is a great opportunity to enjoy the region's many cultural attractions. The first item on my list was to find Hulk Hogan:

Pictured Above: Hulk Hogan at St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter

The Washington Nationals' baseball season is in now in full swing. Currently sitting in 3rd place in the National League's East Division, the Nationals have had a rough start to the season compared to the expectations placed on their shoulders. Working with the slogan from preseason "World Series or Bust," there is tremendous pressure on the team to perform well this year. Below are some photos that NRGCO staff took while taking in last night's game versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite the loss to the Cardinals, it was an enjoyable spring evening in DC.

No one was laughing when Tom Cruise couldn’t handle the truth or when Atticus Finch passionately defended Tom Robinson. Besides an emergency room or funeral home, a courtroom is one of the most serious places on earth.

A strict and necessary protocol guides court proceedings with very little room for informality or humor. But despite the air of solemnity that hovers over this hallowed legal location, lawyers, witnesses, judges and even court reporters are still human.