Court reporting schools require different skills and a higher persistence and resilience than ordinary colleges. If you are a court reporting student or looking to be one, the following tips may be of great help.

Expand Your Vocabulary

As a court reporter, you will come across people from all academic backgrounds. As such, you need to learn as many words and phrases as possible. Of course, reading a lot of books is the easiest way to build your vocabulary. But, while at it, keep a dictionary close and refer to it whenever you encounter a word you don’t understand. There are also plenty of language apps that can help you learn new words every day. In particular, learn words not commonly used in everyday speech, such as medical, legal, or scientific terms.

Keep Up With the News

It is likely that in your career, you will deal with a number of cases touching on current issues. Keeping up with the news at the local and national level will put you in a better position to understand the context and, therefore, the words used in any case about current issues.

Research and Practice

Find out the type of stenography machines used in your region or country, then research how to use them. Then, put your research into action by practicing with the machine every day for 3-4 hours. If you can, keep going until you can accurately type 225 words per minute. Admittedly, this is no easy feat; you will need discipline and determination. The good news is that many great online transcribing tutorials can help you learn faster.

Learn the Right Posture

As you hone your transcription skills, also learn to maintain the correct working posture. Ideally, it would be best to sit on a desk, with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your keyboard straight in front of you, and ensure your forearms remain parallel to the floor at all times. If you feel pain as you type, check and adjust the height of your machine or the chair’s inclination. You may also want to stretch your hands, arms, back, and neck after every few hours or so to reduce strain and tension.

Make Use of School Resources

Over and above everything else, it is essential to enjoy your time at court reporting school and make the best use of the available resources. For instance, ask your professors questions, arrange typing competitions with your friends, and look for a well-established mentor in the industry. If possible, seek an internship at a court near you or a legal firm where you can do some proofreading or scoping work for a professional court reporter. The goal is to have a support network to hold your hand and encourage you when things get tough.

Are you in the market for a court reporting agency to work with on a case or looking to become a court reporter yourself? Well, we have good news for you!

Court reporting is a rewarding career that has been steadily growing in demand and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. As a result, people are increasingly gravitating towards it as a profession of choice. 

Generally, court reporters are responsible for transcribing what happens and what is said during court proceedings. This ensures an accurate record of events that transpire during court trials. That said, court reporting agencies typically employ most court reporters. These organizations are staffed by qualified, competent, and experienced court reporters who provide services for different clients. 

So, if you are thinking of hiring a court reporting agency, here are some steps you can take to ensure you get the right one.

Read Reviews Online

When vetting a court reporting agency, you want to ascertain that it has a good reputation and can deliver what you desire. For this reason, paying attention to the reviews and testimonials that other clients provide about the agency is critical. If the agency has predominantly positive reviews, this is indicative of its good reputation and reliability. 

Assess Their Service 

You can deduce a lot of information about a court reporting agency purely from gauging the quality of their service. For instance, how good is their customer service? Do they respond to queries in a timely and satisfactory manner? The only way to find out is by checking their website and contacting them. 

Research The Agency

Before hiring a court reporting agency, you need to do your due diligence to find the perfect fit. As such, make sure you research different agencies and identify what you like or dislike about each. Make a shortlist of candidates you prefer and cross off the ones that don’t meet your expectations. 

Find Out Whether They Travel

Hiring a court reporter that travels can be very convenient and ultimately more affordable than one that doesn’t. So, before choosing a court reporting agency to work with, be sure to inquire whether they travel or not. You may also want to find out what equipment they provide and the fees they charge. 

Check For Certification

Court reporters require certification to dispense their mandate. So if you are looking to hire an agency, check for this. 

Competence

When hiring a court reporting agency, you want to ensure they can produce accurate transcripts promptly. After all, this is the reason why you want to hire them in the first place. 

By following these guidelines, you will likely find an excellent court reporting agency that can deliver the results you are looking for. Get in touch with us if you need assistance.

When looking to hire a court reporter to work on your case, one of the most important things you’ll probably be looking for, besides academic qualifications, is work experience. 

As with other professions, the kind of experience that a court reporter has under their belt can make all the difference in how well they do their job. 

So, how much experience should you look for in a court reporter you’re seeking to hire? The truth is that a court reporter should have no set amount of knowledge to be considered competent at their job. Many freshly-minted court reporters excel at their role as much, if not more than some court reporters who’ve been in the industry for years. 

Therefore, when vetting court reporters for a job, it might be more prudent to factor in the pros and cons of hiring candidates with varying amounts of experience. Here is a general overview of the benefits and downsides of hiring court reporters with different levels of expertise:

Recent Graduates

Individuals who have just received certification typically have a thirst for gaining work experience and climbing up the career ladder. 

For this reason, they are more likely to agree to stay past their working hours and adjust to last-minute schedule changes compared to their older counterparts. 

Moreover, recently graduated court reporters are more energetic, less prone to burnout, and have up-to-date training on the latest technologies and trends. 

New Reporters

Hiring a court reporter with little experience in the industry often means they have fewer cases to juggle compared to a seasoned court reporter. As a result, you are more likely to have your transcripts delivered on time. 

Many young court reporters are also eager to learn the ropes and build a reputation. They, therefore, come with a teachable and cooperative mindset. 

Seasoned Reporters

When working on a case that centers around technical information, it’s best to hire a seasoned court reporter with extensive work experience who specializes in your kind of case. 

Court reporters can specialize in many areas, including insurance terminologies, medical language, patent law, and other subjects that contribute significantly to your case. 

Certified Reporters

It’s not uncommon for experienced court reporters to seek additional certifications beyond the basic skills required for their role in the courtroom. 

This allows them to expand their skill set and become more competent in various situations compared to reporters who only have transcription skills. 

For instance, notary public reporters have the skills and certifications needed for real-time reporting. In addition, they know how to solve technical issues that may arise during a proceeding and can therefore be invaluable during trial preparation. 

A Final Word

As you can see, the kind of experience that a court reporter possesses determines what kind of benefits they can offer to a more significant extent. Ultimately, you want to hire someone that you can work with seamlessly. 

So, apart from having the right qualifications and experience, you should go for a court reporter with an impeccable work ethic, a strong desire to learn, and a positive attitude.

The objective of a deposition is to gather and preserve evidence. They are also significant in evaluating witnesses, gaining admissions, and solidifying trial testimony. 

Good communication is vital during a deposition since there is no room for error. Everyone in the room, including the certified court reporter, must play their role to ensure a high level of accuracy and precision when conveying their message.

Here are a few points highlighting why clear communication is essential during depositions:

Non-Verbal Communication

Eye rolls, head nods, glances, deep breaths, and hand gestures are all part of human nature. However, non-verbal communication is not part of a deposition. While the opposing attorney may interpret and utilize your body language to tailor their questions, the certified court reporter will not record your non-verbal gestures. Even though your gestures may appear in a video recording, juries usually focus on verbal expressions and ignore non-verbal communication.

Interjections and Filler Sounds

Verbal utterances such as uh uh, oh oh, and aha have no place in a deposition process. They can create confusion, yet a deposition’s role is to gather facts and seek clarity. Deponents must be aware using such sounds may cause miscommunication and lead to misinterpretation of vital information. Avoiding filler sounds and interjections can help speed up the deposition since the court reporter does not have to stop and clarify answers every time.

Rambling Answers

If you are an attorney, you should avoid asking compound questions. Instead, break down your questions into simpler parts that a deponent can answer with a “yes” or “no.” Complex questions are hard to answer, and they often lead the deponent to speculate.

Clients and witnesses must never ramble their answers or deliver long speeches when testifying. The opposing attorney may use this against the client during cross-examination or even question the witness’s credibility. 

Circling Back to Previous Queries

During a deposition, answers to unresponded questions asked earlier can come back later after jogging your memory. After all, our memory is unpredictable, and one may never know when they’ll recall certain events. When this happens, the deponent should not revisit and answer the previous question without clearly referencing it. The attorney should advise the client to reference the earlier question before delivering an answer. Doing so will help prevent confusion and misrepresentation of information.

Evidence Review

All parties involved have the right to review any documents presented during a deposition before asking or answering questions. Deponents can ask to review documents referenced during the process before delivering their answers. The documents could be medical records, accident reports, and insurance policies. Reviewing evidence before answering questions can help the deponent recall vital information. It will also ensure that the answers provided are facts rather than speculation.

Estimated Information

Sometimes it is challenging for deponents to provide the exact details when giving an account of events. It may be hard to recall the precise time, distance, speed, color, size, or date, especially if the deponent went through a traumatic experience. With this in mind, depositions usually extend to the grey area of estimates. When these questions come up, the deponent should verbally indicate that the answers are only estimates and not established facts.

Communicating With The Court Reporter

A certified court reporter plays a crucial role in the success of any deposition process. Your communication with the court reporter must be clear and precise before, during, and after the deposition to avoid any misunderstandings. 

Discuss the location of the deposition, the expected duration, and any other important information related to the process. An experienced reporter should be able to address any standing orders you might have, including arranging for synced videos and contacting other professionals such as interpreters and videographers if needed. Since depositions involve a lot of logistics, the more details covered, the better for all parties involved.

Transcript Review and Clarification

Depositions are about precision and accuracy. In essence, you must never submit erroneous transcripts to avoid weakening your case. The good news is that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allow changes to be made to a deposition document within 30 days once it is available to counsel. The attorney and deponents can review the transcript to correct errors, clarify jargon, and make the necessary changes. To avoid any discrepancies, the witness must sign a statement highlighting the changes and the reasons behind them.

The job of a certified court reporter or stenographer is to capture and record accurate reports of court proceedings. Since arbitration is an out-of-court dispute resolution process, a court reporter is not usually present during proceedings. However, appointing one for your arbitration session might prove beneficial.

Arbitrations are intended to deliver a fair resolution between contesting parties by agreeing to a mutual settlement instead of going through lengthy court battles. The sessions are presided by impartial mediators or lawyers who help resolve the issue by coming up with an agreeable settlement. 

However, misunderstanding, miscommunication, and buried anger or resentment may cause one party to appeal or opt to go to court, subsequently leading to the lengthy litigation proceedings you were trying to avoid in the first place. Having a certified court reporter record your arbitration can help prevent these problems. A recorded arbitration prevents a “he said, she said” war of words.

The Importance of Having a Court Reporter During Arbitration

It is easy to forget the details revolving around an arbitration process. Moreover, the opposing party may interpret the terms of the agreement differently, leading to further misunderstandings. 

If the case winds up in court, you may not have enough evidence to back whatever you said during mediation, and this is where a certified court reporter comes in handy. The reporter will record all statements made during arbitration accurately. Here are other benefits of having a court reporter during the arbitration.

Reexamination of all statements

Written transcripts and records produced by a court reporter can allow you to review or clarify what was said during arbitration, evaluate misconstrued statements, and avoid unknowingly agreeing to misunderstood resolutions. With the help of your lawyer, you can always review what was said during proceedings. 

Reiteration of agreements

Sometimes the opposing party may attempt to change the resolution to favor them by arguing what was said or not said during the arbitration. You may lose out if you don’t have sufficient evidence to back you up. A complete record from the reporter can help provide a detailed account of what was said during arbitration, subsequently preventing an argument.

Filing for appeal

Before you file an appeal, you must have sufficient evidence showing a violation of your rights. You can appeal against the resolutions made and easily win the case if you have recorded evidence from the court reporter.

Do not take chances if you opt for arbitration. Hiring a court reporter to record arbitration proceedings can be helpful for your protection and peace of mind.

A career as a court reporter can be so fulfilling. However, you need to undergo in-depth training to attain the right skills and graduate as a certified court reporter. Professional stenographers must possess fast typing skills and have a range of vocabulary at their fingertips. 

With that said, here are a few helpful tips for becoming successful in this field.

Expand your vocabulary

Mastering the use of legal terms and medical phrases is the most important skill in court reporting. You can expand your vocabulary by reading more books, using a dictionary or thesaurus, playing word games, or downloading an app. You should also stay up to date with the latest news to pick up new terms. 

Improve your typing skills and speed

Court reporting entails typing phonetic words quickly and accurately. Moreover, court reporters normally type using advanced stenography machines, which may be complex to use at first. For this reason, it is important to practice your typing skills and speed to get familiar with how to use a stenograph appropriately. Ideally, your typing speed should be about 225 words per minute.

Be a good listener

The accuracy of your reports and transcripts depends on your listening skills. You should be a good listener to be able to capture all the words accurately without disrupting court proceedings. You may request the respondent to clarify or repeat their statement but doing so more often may lead to unnecessary delays.

Always keep a notebook

There’s no shame if you don’t know how to pronounce or spell some words. After all, even the best court reporters usually have challenges spelling and typing out various words. What you do to improve your ability is what matters. You can start by keeping a notebook, where you will be jotting down words that you don’t know. You can then practice typing these words during your free time.

Mind your posture

As a court reporter, you will be spending most of your time typing and creating transcripts. Unfortunately, sitting behind a desk for long hours might have adverse effects on your back and neck. 

You can avoid these problems by ensuring that you sit in the correct position. Your posture should be up straight with both of your feet flat. You should position the keyboard in such a manner that your forearms are parallel to the floor. Remember to stretch your muscles after work to relieve tension and avert cramps.

Use available resources

Many court reporting schools offer their students a variety of free resources to use in order to sharpen their skills and improve their competence. You should maximize these resources while they are still available since you might not find them easily after graduating. Remember to ask your tutors as many questions as possible and get advice from experienced reporters to help hone your skills.

Join a support group

Any profession is a journey, and you need all the support to make it as a certified court reporter. Your support system should include your teachers, schoolmates, family, friends, counselors, and working court reporters.

In this post, we have gathered some of the advantages that you can accrue by becoming a certified court reporter. Let us look at how getting the right certification can propel your career to the next level.

Recently, the state of New Hampshire expressed interest in enacting legislation to get rid of some of the certification boards including one that is responsible for court reporting. Unsurprisingly, this move elicited concern among many court reporters in the state who feared that this would negatively impact their ability to find work. Through intensive lobbying, they were able to delay the legislation for a year, which was such a huge win for workers in this profession. This was a clear signal of the robustness of certification in this career.  

So, what are the benefits of becoming certified in this line of work?

Well, for starters, many states have certification requirements for anyone seeking to work as a court reporter. This means that you need to be certified in order to get a job as a court reporter in these states. Although there are some states in which certification for court reporting is optional, having a certificate still improves your employability and increases your chances of finding work a lot easier.

It is worth noting that court reporters play a very fundamental role in the litigation process, without which the court systems would be dysfunctional. For this reason, court reporters are required to meet very high standards of professionalism and must have the right skill set for the job. Having a certification, therefore, serves as proof that you are highly qualified and able to carry out the tasks in your job description to the level that is expected.

The NCRA is the organization that is tasked with setting the national certification standards for court reporters as well as administering the certification (although this duty is sometimes done by the states themselves). The National Conference of State Associations seeks to set up the requirements for licensing and certification as well as instituting certification programs that are recognized nationally. Individuals who are looking to become certified court reporters can take the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification, which is now recognized in 22 states.

When it’s all said and done, getting a certification will enable you to get employment in organizations that have a preference for certified court reporters. This makes you more valuable in your field and you will undoubtedly become a highly sought after professional. So, if you are keen on impressing your potential employers and improving your reputation as a court reporter, getting a certification will enable you to achieve that!  

Whatever news agency, state, federal or international court you work for, there are certain traits you need to either have naturally, or acquire on the job to enhance your work experience. These include the following:

Focus, Performance and Professionalism

Focus is extremely essential to court reporters, as they are required to accurately transcribe every word they hear. Sometimes, there may be several voices in action, and it requires a lot of focus and concentration to follow and record what the main speaker is saying.

Moreover, court reporters have to maintain the highest degree of professionalism as they perform their work duties. Among the things they have to do is dress presentably, show up to work sober and following industry ethics.

Reserving Judgment

A court reporter’s job is to note down (verbatim), all the events that happen in a court session, and who said what. As such, it is important that they learn to reserve their judgment and not get emotionally invested in particular cases, as that may impact their focus and subsequently lead to errors on the transcripts.

Early Rising

It is advisable for a court reporter to get to work at least 20 minutes before the start of their first session so as to organize their thoughts and tools for the day’s work. Leaving the house a little bit earlier than most is also great as it leaves extra time to battle morning traffic.

Maintaining Confidentiality

It is unprofessional and unethical for a court reporter to gossip about court events and cases with other people, particularly friends and relatives. If it happens that the outside party that receives the “tea” about a certain case decides to interfere with the case, it could lead to obstruction of justice, which is both legally and morally wrong. 

Additionally, if a court reporter is found to have discussed intricacies of a case to an outsider, they will more likely be sacked or sanctioned. Imagine how worthless it would be to go through all the pain and struggle of becoming a certified court reporter just to get fired for not keeping your mouth shut? 

Composure

In the course of your duties, you may have to sit through cases that will be disturbing or graphic, which could affect your psychological stability and your ability to focus. A good court reporter stays composed at all times, and does their job in a neutral manner, even during extremely graphic testimonials. To this effect, professionalism and reserving judgment can significantly help you focus.

There you have it; the 5 essential traits for certified court reporters. Aspire to learn and cultivate them into both your personal and professional lives, and you will go far in your career.

Things to Do As A Witness

• Be Open With Your Attorney 

You are advised to be open and honest at all times. If you know the real story, however scandalous it is, the attorney will know the strategies to employ in the case.

• Honor Your Subpoena

When you get a subpoena, you should not ignore it as they are enforceable documents. Further, honoring all your subpoenas will make things easier for you during the underlying case, and even beyond it.

• Be Honest and Concise in Your Testimony 

When giving your testimony, answer all the questions in a clear and concise manner, and make sure to tell the truth. Lying will only make things more complicated for you.

• Dress Accordingly 

Courtrooms are formal places, and the outfit you wear as you take the stand should reflect that. Ideally, choose a formal outfit such as a well-pressed, suit and formal shoes, and avoid overdoing your hair and/or makeup. Also, go for dull colors as they fit the courtroom more than loud or bright colors.

• Listen to Your Attorney 

Your attorney knows all the things to do or say when doing a disposition, or giving testimony in court. So, before you take the stand, talk with them and ask all questions in regards to the whole process. Inform them of your fears and concerns and ask them for expert tips. 

Things Not to Do

• Don’t Over-Answer Questions 

When asked a question, give a clear and concise answer without going into much detail or explanations, unless prompted. This will save you from making contradicting statements.

• Don’t Try to Be Cute or Funny 

Being a witness in court is very much different from being a guest at the Ellen Show. While giving your testimony, try to be serious. Avoid the temptation to be sarcastic or flippant, as some judges may not take it kindly. Also remember that anything you say in court, including jokes, will be recorded, and taken literally – so only say things you mean.

• Don’t Space Out

Being a witness requires maximum focus and concentration to the questions asked. Avoid getting distracted or daydreaming, as it could result in (costly) mistakes.

• Don’t Answer A Question You Didn’t Comprehend 

If you didn’t hear or understand a question, request to have it asked again to avoid giving wrong answers that may cost you.

• Don’t Be Drunk! 

Really, this one is self-explanatory. Apart from alcohol and drugs making you look like a fool when answering questions, they may also make you drowsy and incoherent. In some cases, you may be held in contempt of court if you’re too intoxicated. 

It is therefore rather surprising that with all the modern IT solutions, stenographs are still used by court reporters to capture court deliberations. They may seem like relics of a bygone era, but stenographic court reporters actually do real-time legal transcriptions better than any available software.

For one, entry-level reporters can easily deduce word pronunciations in different dialects and accents, something computer software can’t do yet. Most importantly, they seamlessly combine their stenographs with computers to provide magistrates, lawyers and other clients with ultra fast and accurate transcripts.

Adapting to New Technology

Traditionally, court reporters would transcribe all the spoken word in a court session, then manually filter the stenography into legible words. However, inpatient clients and modern technology have driven most stenographers to integrate computers into their work.

With the help of a laptop or tablet, court reporters can now program their translation applications, to instantaneously turn their shorthand notes into legible language. Real-time transcribing means that clients and courts can get access to transcripts of ongoing legal discourse, within a few minutes.

Additionally, the integration of computers and computer applications in court stenography means high-level court sessions can be translated and captioned on screens, in and out of the courtroom. Media houses are especially known to hire court reporters when covering public-interest cases as well. You didn’t possibly think that all the subtitles and captions you see on live transmissions of court sessions are entirely the work of ordinary journalists, did you?

In simple terms, court reporting is an ancient practice that, according to most modernists, belongs to legal museums. However, standards and practices within the profession have continued to evolve and there has been a willingness, across the board to embrace new technology.

This adaptation of modern technology into the court reporting process effectively puts to rest the “old-fashioned” assertions. After all, apart from the stenographs, everything about modern court reporters is, well – modern. From the training methods to devices and software used and most importantly, the output (transcripts), there’s nothing really backward or old-fashioned about court reporters.

Survived Budget Cuts

Even with underperforming economies and bloated expenditures forcing most governments to cut costs and digitize, court reporters have never had to fear for their jobs. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon.

From the third world to the most advanced nations on earth, court reporters are almost always preferred to transcribe civil and criminal cases. This is because no matter how accurate computers are said to be, court reporters are way more accurate and reliable.

As proof of their reliability and credibility, court reporters are in very high demand in the disposition and testimony settings. Matter of fact, there are more court reporters employed by law firms and individuals as compared to the courts or governments.