Court reporters
Top Jobs, p1
Speed, accuracy keys to Court Reporters’ success
By Heidi Howell
Special to Bee Advertising
Attorneys
and judges occupy much of the legal limelight, but hands down, court
reporters play a central role in judicial proceedings.
Court
reporters, also known as stenographers or certified shorthand reporters,
are some of the world’s fastest typists, reaching speeds in excess of
225 words per minute.
Using compact stenotype machines with 24
unmarked keys, court reporters tap out a phonetic form of shorthand to
take precise notes of official proceedings, including court cases,
depositions, meetings and other events.
Realtime translation
About
50 percent of court reporters are trained in Communication Access
Realtime Translation (CART). Realtime shorthand notes are instantly
translated into English text and transmitted to laptops for use by
judges and attorneys.
“As court reporters, CART reporting makes
our jobs easier, because everyone involved can look at the notes right
then,” says Renee Brush, a 15-year court reporting veteran and owner of
Renee Brush & Associates.
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Types of court reporters
•
Official court reporters are county, state, or federal court employees.
They work a 40-hour week and earn a base salary, plus additional pay
for transcripts.
• Deposition reporters, who are either
self-employed or employees, work in attorney’s offices and for reporting
firms. Hours are often flexible, with earnings acquired through
transcript sales.
• Realtime captioning reporters, not associated
with the legal system, provide televised closed-captioning services for
the hearing impaired.
• Related careers include medical/legal transcription, rapid data entry and hearing reporting.
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Beginnings
Brush
originally wanted to be a nurse, but the two-year wait to get into
nursing school steered her toward the legal side. She earned her AA
degree and spent 15 years as a legal secretary, then decided to go back
to school.
“While on maternity leave, I enrolled at Humphreys
College and told my boss I wasn’t coming back; I was going to be a court
reporter,” Brush says.
“Court reporting came very easy for me.
It was tough taking care of a newborn, and I was sick for the first
three months, but I persevered and got out in two years. While there, I
was awarded Court Reporter of the Year.”
Brush freelanced for
about 10 years and eventually decided to open her own business. “I’ve
been a court reporter now for 15 years, handling medical malpractice,
personal injury, real estate, wills and family law. I love what I do."
Her
firm focuses mainly on depositions: proceedings that are not handled by
the courts. Depositions involve sworn testimony about the facts of a
case by plaintiffs, witnesses, defendants, doctors, reconstruction
experts and others.
Job opportunities
The Occupational
Outlook Handbook reports that the need for legal transcription services
will remain steady, while demand for television captioning and realtime
reporting for college classes is expected to triple by 2006 due to new
legislation.
Compensation varies widely, depending on region,
type of reporting job, number of hours worked, certification level and
experience.
A National Court Reporters Association survey
determined that annual earnings for court reporters averaged $61,830 in
1999. The Journal of Court Reporting lists the figure as $54,900, with
nearly 20 percent of reporters earning $75,000 to $100,000.
Training ground
To
become a court reporter, one must attend an accredited college, pass
the state exam, complete an internship, and receive the proper
certification. A two- to four-year degree is also recommended.
Currently,
19 colleges in California offer court reporter programs. The closest
accredited program is offered through Humphreys College, Stockton
campus. Students can earn a Certified Shorthand Reporter designation in
two to five years. Continuing education is also required.
“The
dropout rate is high. I would tell someone who’s interested in court
reporting to start by talking with a court reporter,” Brush advises.
Traits of success
Dexterity
in your fingers, motivation, and excellent spelling and listening
skills help ensure success. Brush points out that outgoing individuals
are best suited to court reporting.
“I think you have to have a
certain personality to do this kind of work,” explains Brush, “You have
to be able to speak up, ask to have something repeated, or ask speakers
to slow down. Sometimes it gets pretty intense. Our responsibility is to
get the record no matter what.”
Court reporting requires a
strong commitment, but it also brings satisfaction. Brush adds, “This
was the best decision I’ve ever made. I’d do it again in a second.”
To learn more, visit the following websites
National Court Reporters Association (NCRA): www.ncraonline.org and www.bestfuture.com
United States Court Reporters Association: www.oscra.org
State certification requirements: www3.cerritos.edu/busc/BUSC235.html
Career opportunities: www.cri.org/crprofession.htm
© HHWS for The Modesto Bee
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