In a legal setting, a person who works as a court reporter transcribes recorded or spoken speech into written words. Court reporters are typically in charge of producing court hearing transcripts, deposition transcripts, and other types of legal transcripts. A stenotype reporter, stenomask writer, or voice writer are all terms used to describe a court reporter.
The usual tools of the court reporting trade are machine shorthand or a digital recorder, as well as a voice silencer. Because no parts of speech are left out of the transcript, machine shorthand allows for court reporting that is as close to the original speech as possible. Lawyers, witnesses, and other speakers are quoted verbatim voice writers. To become a competent court reporter, you must be able to pay attention to minute details, concentrate for long periods of time, and understand the language that is being transcribed.
Academic coursework is part of court reporting training. Those interested in pursuing a degree in voice reporting court reporting can enroll in classes to learn legal and medical terminology, business law, and, of course, English. A degree can usually be obtained in two years. Stenotype court reporting, on the other hand, may necessitate much more specialized training and basic coursework completion may take up to six years. However, prospective students can often take correspondence courses via mail or the internet, followed on-the-job training.
Students interested in court reporting should be aware that their education does not end with a degree. Court reporters are expected to practice their skills on a regular basis in order to improve their accuracy and speed. They’re also expected to keep going to school. Both of these measures are required to keep licenses active. Some states may require a court reporter to also serve as a notary public, allowing him or her to sworn in witnesses and certify that the account of the proceedings is accurate and complete.
Court reporting can be lucrative if a court reporter joins professional organizations and keeps up with his or her training. Freelance opportunities in arbitration hearings, religious services, educational settings, or other public events may also provide increased earning potential for court reporters. In addition, a court reporter who works as an independent contractor transcribes live programs for television closed captioning or webcasts for Internet websites may be exposed to the media.