How To Get A Job As A Court Reporter

Although some Court Reporters do work in courts, the majority do not.  Court reporters work in lawyers offices, private businesses, legislatures, conventions, and in courts.  Although they work in clean comfortable surroundings, the long hours of sitting can be hard on backs, necks, and eyes.  Some Court Reporters may develop carpal tunnel syndrome.

Court Reporters have a variety of schedules.  They may work a regular forty hour week.  They may work weekends, evenings, weekends, or on demand.  Some Court Reporters are able to work from home.

To be successful, Court Reporters must be well organized, responsible, and hard-working.  They must speak clearly,  have excellent  listening skills, and keen hearing.  Court Reporters must be able to sit and concentrate for long periods of time.  They must have an excellent command of the English language, as well as excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation skills.  They must be people of discretion and integrity.

Court Reporters have many duties.  They record depositions, conversations, public discussions, interviews, and interrogations.  They take complete and accurate records of legal proceedings, which often require a written record of gestures.  They provide closed-captioning as well as real-time translating for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.  Court Reporters may also assist judges and courtroom lawyers by searching for, or organizing, information that is already part of public record.

There are several methods of reporting.

ELECTRONIC RECORDING first records proceedings in real time.  The recording is monitored by a Court Reporter who identifies individual speakers and provides clarification when necessary.  A written transcript is later made from the recording.

In order to do VOICE RECORDING, a Court Reporter must be able to listen and speak at the same time.  Wearing a mask, which allows the reporter to speak unheard by those around them, they repeat everything that is heard into an attached microphone.  This voice recording is later converted to written text.

STENOGRAPHIC reporting, the most skilled type of reporting is done with a steno-type machine.  By striking several letters or symbols, at the same time,  the reporter is able to record words or whole phrases.  The specific symbols used by both stenographic and voice reporters may be customized to apply to specific needs or speed ease of reporting.  A computer then translates these ‘symbols’ into written text.

Court Reporters are highly skilled individuals capable of accurately recording approximately two hundred and twenty-five words per minute.

Education

The amount of education needed to become a Court Reporter depends on the type of reporting to be done, with Stenographic Reporting requiring the most.  To begin training, a candidate first needs a High School Diploma.  Although some skills will be learned on the job,  formal training is essential.

Training programs for Court Reporters can be found in Colleges as well as Vocational and Technical Schools.  A two year course will lead to an Associate Degree and a four year course will lead to a Bachelor’s Degree.

Some, but not all states, require that Court Reporters pass a state administered exam and become licensed.  National Certification exams may also be taken which stand in place of a state license as well as providing a better guarantee of employment.

Employment opportunities for skilled Court Reporters are excellent.  Compensation varies depending on the area of specialization.