Court reporters are people who are trained to take down verbatim transcripts, usually of legal proceedings in the courtroom. They are also present at depositions that are held outside of the courtroom. Court reporting is a growing field and is forecast by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to continue to grow, especially in the specialized areas of real-time broadcast captioning and translation.
Court Reporter Tools
Court reporters perform their job by using a machine that is basically a mechanical form of shorthand. The machine, called a writer by court reporters, is a stenograph machine that has fewer keys than a typical keyboard and works by use of key combinations that represent shorthand words.
Learning to use the steno machine and developing speed is the key training involved in preparing to be a court reporters. Court reporters typically purchase their steno machine, which can run into the thousands of dollars for a quality writer.
Becoming a Court Reporter
Court reporters typically attend school either at a major university that offers a four-year program or at specialized schools which offer strictly court reporting skills. The time involved in court reporting varies according to the area of court reporting chose.
Individuals can become a rookie in less than a year, although it will take much more time with hands on training to become proficient at taking transcription, also called writing, to build up a good speed. On the other hand, a real-time court reporter can spend 33 months or longer getting a full education. The National Court Reporters Association, NCRA, has a full breakdown of education opportunities.
There are different licenses that a court reporter can hold and some states do require a court reporter to hold at least one. To become licensed, a court reporter must be able to pass a series of tests that are based on their writing skills and speed. In addition to licensing, court reporters must also be able to listen to multiple people talking at the same time while they are writing verbatim what is being said. This takes patience and effort.
Court reporters must also possess excellent English and grammar skills. A poorly put together transcript filled with errors and omissions is not acceptable in the courtroom and will not get the court reporter a good reference. Court reporters should be wordsmiths and value their work.
Court reporting positions are mainly through Federal and state courts; however, there are many court reporting firms around the world that specialize in depositions both inside and outside of the court room. These firms often act as contractors for court reporters who may or may not have to sign an exclusivity contract with the court reporting firm. This type of freelance arrangement allows the court reporter to focus on depositions while the court reporting firm focuses on delivery of the final transcripts.
Salaries
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median average salary for a court reporter in May of 2008 was $49,170 with high end salaries being upwards of $80,000. Freelance court reporters are basically in charge of how much they earn. The more jobs they are able to take and turn in quickly, the more money they make, which of course means a seasoned court reporter typically earns more than a novice.
Court reporting is a flourishing job field that is expected to continue to grow. Becoming a fast, proficient writer can be the first step in making a salary that grows as the reporter grows in skills and proficiency.
Sharon Chapman - Writing has been a passion of mine for as far back as I can remember. There are at least two novels floating around in my head waiting to ...
