What is a Court Reporter?
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Court reporter:
\nA court reporter, also known as a shorthand reporter, court stenographer and legal stenotype operator, is person whose profession is to transcribe spoken and/or recorded speech verbatim into transcript form during legal proceedings such as court hearings and depositions while using professional stenotype writers and software (see below).\n
Education/Training/Certification:
\nCourt reporting education programs are available throughout the United States, Canada and online. Training and education for court reporters ranges from less than a year to three and a half years depending on the level of education a student chooses. Classes may cover such topics as legal ethics, English proficiency and realtime writing. A court reporting student would also focus on improving shorthand speed and how to prepare transcripts using computer-aided transcript (CAT) software. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) http://www.ncra.org has administered a nationally recognized certification program for the court reporting industry since 1937 and lists that twenty-two states are using or accepting the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) testing in lieu of a state’s certification or licensing exam.\n
Used Professional Court Reporting Writers 1-800-323-4247
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Court Reporting Equipment:
\nThe two main tools used by a court reporter are the previously mentioned stenotype machine and computer-aided transcript (CAT) software. A stenotype machine is also commonly referred to as a writing machine, writer, stenography machine, shorthand writer and more. The writer resembles a small word processor but with a reduced button keyboard. By striking a series of keys at the same time, a Court Reporter is able to capture each word spoken in the courtroom. The CAT software is what is used to provide verbatim documentation and produce the official courtroom transcript.\n
Related Court Reporting Careers:
\nA court reporter can work directly for the court system, a private court reporting company or as a freelance court reporter. Court reporting responsibilities can include court hearing transcription services, providing real-time captioning for televised/courtroom legal broadcasts for the hearing impaired/muted devices and documenting legal depositions.