Sometimes referred to as steno-captioners and stenographers, Court reporters are professionals that create a word-for-word transcript of the verbal speech. They will utilize specific devices such as the stenotype, court reporters are able obtain word sounds in a phonetic code. Within this code, every line of characters signifies one syllable or sound. The career of a court reporter has undergone many positive changes which has made it a highly sought after career.

What is a Court Reporter?

The role of a court reporter is to record word for word verbal testimony for depositions, speeches, conferences, meetings, legal proceedings, and other situations where a verbatim legal record is needed. They can normally type at 225 words per minute. They will also arrange, evaluate, and proof magnetic or printed media transcripts with the aid of special computer transcription software.

Court reporters can be found working in more career fields than just court rooms. They can perform reporter tasks for real-time reporting and broadcast captioning for webcasts. With real-time technology and equipment, they can immediately transfer speech to written text. The text can then be shown on projection screens and computer monitors for viewing in such situations as classrooms, conference rooms, court rooms, and any venue where a group of people will be looking at a screen. As well, court reporters can be found working in the communication translation field to provide the spoken word to hard of hearing and deaf people.

Education

There are many accredited schools, colleges, and universities offering court reporting programs. It is important to attend a school that is certified by the National Court Reporter\’s Association (NCRA). These programs mandate that their graduates to be able to type 225 words per minute. Training/education varies according to the type of court reporting. For instance, a beginner voice write can take 33 months to become a real-time stenotypist. It can take 2 years to become highly skilled in real-time voice writing. It can take about 3 months to train electronic reporters as they require a lot of on the job training. Court reporters have the ability to advance their career as they display new experience and complete more certification programs.

Skills

To be a court reporter you must be proficient in stenographic and stenotype technology, listening, and have excellent grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary it is essential to have transcription speeds of more than 225 words per minute.

The salary of a court reporter can vary according to the type of court reporter, the geographic region, and the amount of experience and education. It can vary from $35,000 and $65,000 per year. Career analysts are now forecasting that the job outlook for this career is expected to increase in demand in the coming years due to the increasing demand for accurate transcriptions of different types of proceedings. As well, there is an increased need for live-television captioning as well as translation and broadcast captioning and translating for the deaf. A career as a court reporter is definitely worth considering, particularly in difficult economic times.

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Category: Career
Keywords: Legal, Law, Court, Business, Career, Reporting, Justice, Videographer, court reporter, court reports