Court Reporters: What They Do And How They Do It

Court reporters have a fascinating job and one that is far outside the norm as careers go. You have doubtless seen these workers in courtrooms on television dramas but likely, either not paid them much attention or simply wondered in passing what their purpose is. In this article, we will discuss the job and a number of things related to it, including the skills you will need, the training required, and the nature of the work itself. Courtroom reporting can be an interesting and rewarding job but it can also be difficult to succeed in getting a position.

The Role Of Court Reporters

The main purpose of court reporters is to record a transcription of everything that is said during a trial. This may be done in a couple of different ways. One is through stenography, a sort of shorthand method of keyboard input. Another method that is becoming popular is voice recording. In either case it is absolutely vital that the reporter is capable of recording a precise transcription of events, as this record will likely be used in future as a reference. There will also be related tasks in the court reporter's job description, including supplying the lawyers and judges with particular information such as transcriptions of previously recorded testimonies.

The Necessary Skills

The immediate question that springs to the minds of many people is that of exactly how court reporters go about recording speech so quickly. The spoken word runs at a speed far faster than most people can type. The answer is that courtroom stenography relies on an unusual keyboard that can allow the extremely fast input of text. The keyboard uses "chords" rather than individual keys to record the complex sounds that make up language. Think of it as a variety of typed shorthand.

As mentioned above, another method that is becoming popular is voice recording. This uses a speech-to-text software translator. You might wonder why the reporter is needed at all in this situation. The fact is that this software is only accurate when it receives a very clear and undistorted input, which rules out most ordinary speech in an open room. The court reporter in this case uses something called a "stenomask" which isolates their voice from the room, providing the clearest recording. Either input method requires skill and expertise.

Becoming A Court Reporter

A great deal of training is required to become a skilled court reporter. Learning stenography takes many months or years of practice. You must be able to record speech extremely quickly and with very high accuracy. It will typically take three to six years of training before you are qualified and able to start your career proper.

However, the good news is that new positions are opening up all the time for court reporters, and as a result this is one of the best times to be applying. If you can maintain concentration for long periods of time, are willing to learn complex skills such as speech input and can handle the pressure of needing speed and accuracy in a courtroom situation, then court reporting might just be the job for you.