Court Reporter

FACTS:

• Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and stenographers held about 110,000 jobs in 1998. More than 25 percent were self-employed.
• Court reporters are typically required to capture at least 205 words per minute.
• Court reporters work in attorneys’ offices, courtrooms, legislatures and conventions.

THE JOB:

Court reporters typically record verbatim reports of speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings and other events when written accounts are necessary for correspondence, records or legal proof. They use stenotype machines, which allow them to press multiple keys at a time to record combinations of letters representing sounds, words or phrases. Although many court reporters record official proceedings in the courtroom, the majority of court reporters work outside it.

SKILLS:

Proficiency using a stenotype machine is a must. The ability to handle the pressure to be accurate and fast. Accuracy is crucial, because there is only one person creating the official transcript.

EDUCATION:

Court reporters usually complete a two or four-year postsecondary training program, offered by approximately 300 postsecondary vocational and technical schools and colleges. Currently, the National Court Reporters Association has approved about 110 programs that offer courses in computer-aided transcription and real-time reporting. Some states require court reporters to be Notary Publics or Certified Court Reporters. Reporters need to pass a state certification test administered by a board of examiners to earn this designation.

OUTLOOK:

Overall employment is projected to increase 10 to 20 percent through 2008. Despite the increasing numbers of civil and criminal cases, budget constraints limit federal, state and local courts’ ability to expand. The growing number of events and meetings in which proceedings are recorded should create limited demand for court reporters. Because of their relatively high salaries, stiff competition will exist for court reporter positions.

RELATED CAREERS: