Who Performs Certified Court Reporting and What Are Their Credentials?

In novels and television dramas that feature the legal process, the stars of the courtroom are always attorneys and judges. But in real life, a courtroom that operates smoothly is the sum of its parts, including the court reporter. A court reporter is a trained member of the court who performs certified reporting, meaning that he or she records depositions and court hearings into official court transcripts that can be reviewed while a case is still being tried or after its conclusion for such purposes as petitioning for an appeal.

There are two kinds of court reporters: machine shorthand reporters and voice writing reporters. Machine shorthand allows the reporter to stay current with the flow of speech so that no words are missed. Voice writing, on the other hand, is when a reporter records verbatim what witnesses, attorneys, judges, etc. are saying.

Regardless of their reporting method, all court reporters initially follow the same basic academic path. In addition to focusing on the study of English, reporters also study legal language, medical language and business law. However, after completing the basic courses required for certified reporting, machine shorthand reporters and voice writing reporters pursue different areas of study to train for their specific requirements and duties. Voice writing reporters, for example, must be able to understand and use speech recognition engines and computer aided transcription.

Conversely, machine shorthand reporters require less technical areas of study and often attend certificate programs at private business schools. In most cases, both types of training require between two and four years of education that is followed by on-the-job training, after which both types of reporters typically become proficient in real-time reporting. Real time reporting occurs when a courthouse reporter records the language of court sessions for its online presentation while a deposition or court hearing is occurring. A large number of judges request that their reporter be proficient in real time reporting.

In addition to performing court reporting, many reporters also work as freelance reporters outside of the courtroom in situations that require the production of a legal transcript, such as certain types of political summits and corporate meetings and arbitration hearings. One of the newer arenas where court reporters are finding work is the legal services website industry, which is composed of online legal companies that provide, among other things, online and hard copy access to court transcripts.

In such situations, reporters are hired directly by the legal services provider in order that it might ensure the accuracy, clarity and overall quality of its transcripts. In most cases, the websites provide real time court reporting and require that their reporters be real time capable. In addition to providing basic transcripts, the websites also work with their reporters to produce transcripts that meet clients' specific requests.

Court reporters usually train in either machine shorthand reporting or voice writing reporting, recoding in different formats the language that occurs during depositions and court hearings. In addition to working for the court system, court reporters can also work for legal services websites that specialize in providing real time and other forms of court transcripts.

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Court Reporter Requirements - What Does It Take to Become a Court Reporter?

There are two types of people who are interested in court reporter requirements: those who are thinking about becoming court reporters, and those who thinking about hiring court reporters. Regardless of which category you occupy, knowing the full range of court-reporter requirements will aid you in your decision. Below, we take a look at the court-reporter requirements that are necessary to become a successful reporter.

Educational Requirements

The amount of time and education required to become a court reporter depends largely on the type of reporting one pursues. For example, real-time stenographic reporting requires roughly 33 months of study, including basic coursework, whereas proficiency in real-time voice writing requires roughly 24 months of study. Although different reporting disciplines require different lengths of study, all court-reporters begin by taking the same core courses, which range from the history of court reporting to workshop style courses that focus on typing speed.

Reporting Licensure

Becoming a court reporter is similar to becoming an attorney in that prospective reporters must pass a state test to officially practice court-reporting. However, reporters can often substitute state licensure with one of three national voice writing certifications offered by the National Verbatim Reporters Association: Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR), Certificate of Merit (CM), or Real-Time Verbatim Reporter (RVR). As with receiving state licensure, pursuing certification through the National Verbatim Reporters Association requires testing.

Post-Educational Qualifications

Just as attorneys can practice any area of law but typically specialize in a particular area, court-reporters can take on various reporting assignments but often specialize in certain types of depositions and court proceedings, such as those that focus on business matters, medical matters, religious matters, etc. If you work for an organization that needs to hire a court reporter, selecting a reporter familiar with your type of proceeding is the best idea.

Personal Requirements

If you think that quality court reporting subsists solely on education and qualifications, think again. As with many occupations, court-reporting demands certain aspects of one's personality, such as a capacity for boredom and a lack of bias. While movies and television dramas sensationalize legal proceedings and therefore the litigation support that surrounds them, court-reporters and other legal professionals more often than encounter legal proceedings that lack stimulation. They also encounter a variety of individuals whose beliefs and actions can be challenging to their sense of justice. A great reporter can weather these scenarios and deliver an unbiased, error free transcript.

In my research on depositions and litigation support, I've studied the importance of choosing legal professionals with the right pedigree.

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