Get your license through the GYL® Licensing and Certification Resource Directory,
an extensive research and reference tool leading to licensure and certification services. Get involved here.
Court reporters and Stenographers document and transcribe speech to written form. In many cases
a court reporter is also a notary public. The national standard for court reporter typing speed
is 225 words per minute, which includes shorthand, as determined by the
National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). This organization provides certification
programs for the following positions:
Registered Professional Reporter (RPR)
Registered Merit Reporter
Registered Diplomate Reporter
Certified Realtime Reporter
Certified Broadcast Captioner
Certified CART Provider
Certified Legal Video Specialist
Certified Reporting Instructor
Certified Program Evaluator
Certified Manager of Reporting Services
In Louisiana court reporting is regulated by the Louisiana Board of Examiners
of Certified Shorthand Reporters. Applicants must pass an exam given by an
accredited court reporting school, provide evidence of a diploma and be tested
on typing speed and accuracy. In addition, the applicant must pay fees, be
at least 18 years of age and pass a criminal background check.
Court Reporters are one most vital part of the legal processes across America and across the world.
The responsibility they have in keeping accurate and verbatim notation of virtually every word that is spoken "on the record" in a Court proceeding or depositions.
It is important to remember that there are many different types of things that require a court reporter or stenographer's unique skills and training. Trials can be criminal or civil by nature and often a Judge will ask for the court reporter to read-back a portion of the transcript to clarify what has been stated by a witness in response to examination by a lawyer or attorney for the plaintiff or the defendant. Also to note is that in both criminal and civil proceedings there are two sides that seek to be "heard:" The "Defendant" can be a person who is on trial, presumed innocent until proven guilty 'beyond a reasonable doubt." But, a defendant can also be a person or company or organization that is being sued in a court of law for damages as a result of some sort of accusation of neglect or act that causes damage to another person or entity in a way that may have caused financial harm or physical harm that the "plaintiff" is seeking some type of compensation for.
It is also to be noted that the transcripts that a court reporter keeps during legal proceedings will be available to the Judge and/or the Jury in during deliberations in order to answer any questions either may have about what actually transpired during the trial: "The Record."
So your next question is probably: "What is that weird thing that court reporters type on?" It's called a stenotype machine. It can also be used for captioning T.V. broadcasts or in general office stenography. A stenotype is a little like a portable word processor with a modified 22-button keyboard in place of the standard keyboard most of us are used to. Newer stenotypes have two rows of consonants across the middle, below a long "number bar." In front of these are four vowel keys: "A," "O," "E," and "U.
How does it work? Court Reporters can type entire words all at once by striking multiple keys at the same time: The left hand spells out the beginning of a syllable while the right hand spells out the end. Yes, all keys are pressed at the same time, and the machine produces an gobbledygook of characters that is most likely incomprehensible to anyone who's not trained in typing or reading machine shorthand.
Stenographers spell out syllables phonetically, but noted earlier is that there aren't enough keys on either side of machine's keyboard to capture every sound. So, different combinations of keys are used to make up for the missing consonants
Each stenographer uses different combinations of characters to represent homonyms or other unusual words. During your time at court-reporting school, you will learn one of at least six or more machine shorthand theories which focus on different approaches and rules to ensure accuracy.
Growing in popularity over the last several years court reporters have are incorporating less-expensive and easier to use "stenomask" techniques. A reporter uses a small microphone and repeats everything he or she hears behind a mask and device that silences the sound of his voice. Very advanced Voice-recognition software then translates those recorded transcripts into a printed text format either after the fact or while the recording is made.
Most all stenographers have customized machines, which they take with them on specific jobs. A new, high-end stenotype machine will cost about $4,500. Given that there are such a wide range of very high-tech and reliable recording devices available and the high cost of having court reporters in the room, one may ask why bother with a person instead of using a real-time digital recorder to make absolutely certain that the transcripts of every trial or other legal proceedings are recorded with 100% accuracy? Good question! Find the answer by clicking here and beginning your research in to the career filed that also has a residual income for those contract reporters that can sell their transcripts to virtually anyone willing to pay for the service or end product of a legal proceeding.
