In recent years, court reporting jobs have become increasingly popular, and many people have considered pursuing this option as a career.
Working in a courtroom is not limited to lawyers and judges.
One of the most vital roles in a court proceeding is filled by the court reporter.
When a trial or hearing is taking place in a courtroom, it is the sworn duty of a court reporter to record what transpires during that proceeding.
Whether through machine shorthand or another recordation method, a court reporter secures the information necessary to prepare a verbatim transcript of all of the spoken words and gestures taking place in the courtroom.
A court reporter must be very reliable and responsible and also possess the necessary skills to perform the job.
Court reporting requires proper training in order to obtain certification.
It is not possible for an untrained or poorly-trained person to perform well in a court reporting job. However, proper training is quite accessible, and stenography skills can be easily obtained through solid dedication.
Court reporters are often referred to as “guardians of the record.” Not only is a court reporter expected to be impartial within the judicial process, but he or she is also expected to be completely accurate when producing transcripts.
The transcript produced by a court reporter during a hearing or a trial is vital if one of the parties decides to appeal. The court reporter’s record must be correct to help ensure that the appeal process is handled fairly.
Reading the transcript produced during a case in a lower court is the method through which an appeals court makes its determination as to whether a case was handled properly. Errors in a transcript prepared by a court reporter could have very adverse effects later in the judicial process.
Proper training to obtain certification is necessary to become a good court reporter. Many court reporting schools, those both online and on physical campuses, are available to help students reach their court reporting goals.
Court reporting schools offer training regarding the procedures that are followed in court reporting jobs. Proper training also prepares court reporting students for working in a high-pressure environment.
After completing training and acquiring the certification, the student can enter the workforce, confident that he or she possesses the necessary skills to competently and efficiently handle the job duties of a court reporter.
To obtain certification as a court reporter, the court reporting student must choose the school through which the necessary training must be obtained. There are many court reporting schools online and on physical campuses. It is important to recognize that not all court reporting schools and programs are certified by the National Court Reporters Association.
While this is not to say that a noncertified training program cannot be effective, it is necessary to keep in mind that many potential employers require graduation from an NCRA-Certified program prior to considering an application for employment. However, obtaining the Registered Professional Reporter certification (RPR) offered by the NCRA is an achievement that is accepted as evidence of a court reporter’s skills, regardless of where the court reporter received training.