Court Reporter Training

Court reporters take verbatim reports of proceedings inside a courtroom. Court reporters are vital to the criminal justice system because their account of a trial or court case is considered the official record of the proceedings and its judgement or verdict. As such, court reporters must be highly detail oriented. Accuracy is crucial to job performance.

There are three main methods of court reporting:

1. Stenographic reporting. Court reporters use a stenotype machine to document all official proceedings in a court room. A stenotype allows court reporters to input multiple keys that record phrases, sounds, and combinations of letters that represent sounds, vastly increasing a reporter's speed. These combinations come out as text that is called computer-aided transcription (CAT).
2. Electronic reporting. In electronic reporting, court reporters use audio recording equipment to capture legal proceedings and then usually transcribe the recording. The reporter typically is present during proceedings and takes notes to ensure accuracy during transcription.
3. Voice writing. Voice writing is when a court reporter documents the words spoken during legal proceedings by speaking into a muffled voice silencer, or stenomask, which records the reporter's voice, all while preventing him or her from being heard in the courtroom. Voice recorders usually transcribe their recordings.

Training for court reporters depends on which career path you decide to take. You can become a novice voice writer in under a year, but it takes longer to master the craft. The average training period for stenographic court reporters is 33 months, or just under three years. There are more than 100 certified court reporting training programs nationwide at various technical and vocational schools. Of those 100 schools, roughly 60 are certified by the National Court Reporters Association.

Court Reporter Training: Degrees and Coursework

Two of the main requirements for becoming a court reporter are accuracy and speed. Court reporters must be able to type at least 225 words per minute--no small feat. The National Court Reporters Association offers court reporter certification on many different levels:

• Registered Professional Reporter
• Registered Merit Reporter
• Certified Realtime Reporter
• Certified Broadcast Captioner
• Certified CART Provider (captioning television programs for the hearing impaired)

In addition to fast fingers, court reporters must be adept listeners and work well under pressure. Knowledge of legal terminology and the workings of the justice system are crucial to the job.

Coursework from court reporter training programs includes study in:

• Business law
• Medical and legal language
• English

Additionally, since court reporting involves use of speech recognition software and computer-aided transcription tools, court reporters must be proficient at using complex computer software programs.

Many court reporting training programs are offered online as well as at vocational institutions.

Court Reporter Career Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job prospects for court reporters with proper training are expected to be extremely good in the coming years. The profession is expected to grow 18 percent through 2018. Job openings are expected to outpace applicants in many rural areas, as well as in many metropolitan areas.

Job prospects should be best for certified court reporters, as well as for those with Web casting services and additional training. If you are willing to relocate for your career, finding work as a court reporter should pose no problem.

An expected increase in civil and criminal litigation should drive the need for court reporters, but budget deficits in federal, state, and local governments could limit the demand for court reporting services.

Court reporters also might find work in captioning television services. While those jobs differ from court reporting, they require the same skill set.

The BLS stated that court reporters earned a median salary of $47,810 in 2009, but the top wage earners in the field averaged nearly $90,000 annually.

Resources for Court Reporters

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• The National Court Reporters Association

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