About Us

Kathryn Sweeney

Kathryn grew up in Arlington, MA. After finishing high school, she enrolled in the court reporting  program at Massachusetts Bay Community College. Following graduation, she moved to Acton, MA, and began her career as a stenographer working for Harold, owner of Gabriel Court Reporting. 

Years later, Harold sold the business to Kathryn and the name was changed to Gabriel & Sweeney Court Reporting. Since then, Kathryn has guided the business and served its clients, incorporating all of the technological advancements of court reporting over the past thirty years. 

Passionate about certification, she was a Chief Examiner on behalf of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and administered the Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) exam in Massachusetts for almost two decades. During that time, she was tasked to help create the CRR Boot Camp which  would assist candidates preparing to take the test. That seminar grew in length and popularity over the years, eventually turning into a three-hour presentation. In 2016, it was finally recognized by NCRA, and Kathryn has continued to travel the country giving the CRR Boot Camp at many state association conferences, including several times at the annual NCRA convention. 

Also in 2016, she became a Fellow of the Academy of Professional Reporters (FAPR), an honor bestowed upon her by NCRA for having extraordinary qualifications and experience in the field of shorthand reporting. 

Kathryn has served on the Massachusetts Court Reporters Association (MCRA) board two times: once from 2000 through 2008 as Director, Secretary, Vice President, and then President; and more recently from 2018 to 2020 as a Director and Legislative Chairwoman. She also held many positions over the  years on various committees with NCRA. 

After her move to Bedford, NH, she immediately joined the New Hampshire Court Reporters Association (NHCRA) as Secretary, and is currently the Vice President of the association, slated to become President in 2023. 

Kathryn is a proud member of MCRA, NHCRA, and NCRA, and holds certifications from each  organization: CSR, LCR, RPR, RMR, CRR. (See “Stenographer Certifications and What They Really Mean” under the “For Attorneys” tab.) She has also won the Massachusetts Realtime Contest, and qualified in the National Realtime Contest. 

For the past three years, she has participated in MCLE’s Deposition Seminar, both when it was in  person, and then when it morphed into the interactive workshop “Taking Remote Depositions” after Zoom became more popular during the pandemic. 

Kathryn continues to be actively involved in state and national associations, and currently lives in Bedford, NH, with her three children – Erykah, Jessykah, and Jaykob – and her dog Snazzy.

An article in the Journal of Court Reporting (JCR) nationally introducing Kathryn’s CRR Boot Camp  presentation back in 2016 

Harold Gabriel

Harold standing in front of his trio of pictures from the 1980 Ironman.

Harold Gabriel was raised in Roxbury, MA, and joined the Army when he was 17 years old.  Honorably discharged after three years of service, he then attended The Stenotype Institute in Boston  where he completed his training in a record 13 months! 

He soon met his wife, moved to Newton, MA, and started Gabriel Court Reporting which he owned and operated for 35 years. 

During his time with the agency, he would invite his attorney clients along on various outings, such as  white water rafting, climbing Mt. Washington, and even hiking up Mt. Whitney and then proceeding to bike across Death Valley. 

In addition to his past physical accomplishments – competing at the Ironman in Hawaii in 1980 (finishing 17^th at age 38) and 1982 (finishing 21^st at age 40), running the Boston Marathon for almost 25 years, taking part in a swim from Alcatraz, and many other amazing and newsworthy events – he  mentors and trains athletes at his local YMCA in distance running and triathlons. 

In 1999, with his eyes on retirement, he sold his business to one of his up-and-coming reporters,  Kathryn Sweeney, and continues to be a trusted mentor and consultant to her in the management of the  now-named Gabriel & Sweeney Court Reporting. 

Blessed and cursed with energy, he started a dog walking business and became actively involved in  civil rights – both of which remain his passions to this day. 

Harold and his wife of almost 60 years, Elaine, still live in Newton, MA. Their two kids and four  grandchildren reside close by. 

Favorite quote: “The anxiety is unbearable. I only hope it lasts forever.” – Oscar Wilde 

Harold with a quilt that was made for him out of t-shirts from the Boston Marathon and his own 10K Road Race he organized for many years.

Link to article about the Hal Gabriel Birthday 10K which went from 1976 to 1981 

“His normal routine looked like waking up, then training by 6 a.m., then going to court all day where  he worked as a court stenographer, then afterwards, he’d work out again at the YMCA before going to  bed at 2 a.m.” 

Link to article about Hal and John Lewis – “When Two Legends Collide”  

Quote from above article: 

“He is the man, the myth, the legend,” says Dave McGillivray, a good friend who is the race director of the Boston Marathon. “There is no one else like Hal on the planet Earth or beyond.”