about court reporter

A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writer, digital reporter or stenomask writer is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, typically using machine shorthand or a voice silencer and digital recorder to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other official proceedings. There are two major methods of live person court reporting, machine shorthand and voice writing. Machine shorthand allows the stenotype reporter to keep up with the flow of speech so that no words are missed. The voice writer, on the other hand, repeats verbatim what attorneys, witnesses, and others are saying in a proceeding. In the United States, the court reporter is often also a notary public who is authorized to administer oaths to witnesses, and who certifies that his or her transcript of the proceedings is a verbatim account of what was said.

Court Reporter's Skills and Training

All court reporters require the same basic academic classes, regardless of method. This includes legal and medical language, business law, and much English. The skills track is where the methods diverge. A new voice writing reporting student can become realtime certifiable well within the 24-month associate’s degree window, although sometimes it may take much longer. A student on average studies 1-3 hours a night which may or may not include homework. The voice writing method of reporting is highly technical, and the person who wishes to practice this method should be able to grasp and use Speech Recognition Engines and Computer Aided Transcription adequately. It typically takes anywhere from two to four years to learn the basic skills to become a stenotype court reporter. Candidates usually attend specialized certificate courses at private business schools, or sometimes associate's or bachelor's degree programs at accredited colleges or universities. Distance learning and online training courses are also available for both methods. After additional on-the-job training and experience, many court reporters then move on to real-time reporting.

Upon completion of formal training, court reporters practice in order to improve their skills, and licensed court reporters are required to attend continuing education courses to maintain their licensure. Some states require court reporters to be notaries public in addition to being a Certified Court Reporter (CCR). There are two major national court reporting associations in the United States, The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), and the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA). The minimum speed needed to become certified by the NCRA is 225 words per minute. The NVRA requires a minimum speed of 250 words per minute to qualify for certification. Depending on the court reporting method of choice, one tends to join either the NVRA or the NCRA. The NCRA offers the title Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) to those who pass a four-part examination and participate in continuing education programs. The NVRA offers the title Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) to those who pass a four-part examination, including both a skills and written exam, and participate in continuing education programs. A reporter may obtain additional certifications that demonstrate higher levels of competency such as Certified Real-time Reporter (CRR) or Real-time Verbatim Reporter (RVR). Both of these associations offer equivalent examinations to test reporters for speed and competency on their method of reporting. The Canadian Court Reporter John M. Weir (CVR) could do 350 words per minute during legal hearings.

Required skills of a court reporter are excellent command of the language being spoken, attention to detail, and the ability to focus for long periods at a time. The most highly skilled court reporters can provide transcription in real time and have significant earning potential.

Court Reporter's Work

In a courtroom environment, court reporters may make suggestions regarding proper procedure, do research for items in the official record, and assist in other ways. Importantly, realtime reporting has proven beneficial for the judiciary, and many judges insist that their reporter be realtime capable.

Many court reporters work as freelance reporters or independent contractors outside the courtroom in depositions and other situations that require an official legal transcript, such as arbitration hearings or other formal proceedings. Court reporters also often provide realtime transcription for public events, religious services, webcasts, and educational services.

Court reporters are also employed by television producers and stations in order to provide realtime closed captioning of live programs for the hearing-impaired.

Emerging internet technologies, such as Deposition Source, have added to the earnings potential of court reporters. With this type of technology, court reporters earn residual income from their work product when it is sold as a witness research tool to attorneys and other legal professionals