Special Services: Leda L. Gipson

Account Executive, Lexitas

Kansas City

If anyone had told Leda Gipson years ago that she would someday pursue a career providing support services in the legal sector she would have laughed. After all, she enjoyed a thriving, 15-year career as a broadcast engineer.

Along the way, she discovered that her talent for navigating ever-changing technology would set her up for success at Lexitas, a company that provides a range of solutions for law firms and corporate legal departments, including court reporting and depositions.

It was the demand for closed captioning that led her from broadcasting to court reporting.

“The FCC was setting deadlines for broadcast networks to implement closed captioning, and the networks began partnering with providers, who in turn were recruiting the most experienced court reporters in the legal profession,” Gipson says.

Gipson attended court reporting school to learn more about language technology. Over time, she steered her career in that direction and the rest is history.

“It was an opportunity to make a change,” she says. “Broadcasting can be demanding, and my family had put up with breaking news and all my crazy hours for a long time.”

In 2007, Debbie Weaver, whom Gipson calls her mentor, hired her to work at Alaris Litigation Services, a company she founded. It merged with Lexitas four years ago. 

Gipson says the job fits both her personality and affinity for technology. 

“I tell people we’re past the old Perry Mason days, when lawyers used flip charts in trials,” she says. “Now, evidence moves faster in the courtroom, with technicians bringing up exhibits on monitors, playing clips from videos and allowing the attorneys to focus on their arguments.”

When Gipson was in the fourth grade, she set sights on becoming a firefighter. Later, she developed her love for broadcasting. She feels her current profession is a perfect fit for her high achieving personality. 

“This job gives me a sense of pride in the products and services I sell,” she says. “I loved the energy of broadcasting and still feel that in my current job, and I believe that what I am doing matters.”