Most people have sat in the court room during a trial at some point. However, most people have probably not noticed the court reporter. There are court reporters in every court room, documenting all of the events and the specific talks of each person. They are quiet, sitting in a corner, working on accurately typing word for word. Although you rarely notice the court reporters in the court room, they are an important part of the legal process. They are there to document everything that is said, so that there is permanent record of the proceeding of the court that day. They must be entirely accurate and they must be quick. If you possess these qualities, court reporting may be a great option for you.
Court reporting is a very independent job. You do not have coworkers that you regularly work with. You will also work with different people during every job. You may, however, work with the same judges quite often. You may also see a lot of the same attorney?s working on a variety of cases. However, the defendants and the plaintiffs will vary. You will also have different types of legal cases, with different jurors and defendants saying different things. Court reporters experience a lot of variation in a work day. In fact, more than 70% of the nation?s 50,000 court reporters work outside of the court. If this sounds exciting to you, it may be a great work option.
Being exciting about the work environment of the court reporter is not enough to become a successful court reporter. You must also possess the necessary skills of a court reporter. Court reporters must be accurate and have very fast typing speeds. They must also be able to type and listen at the same time. They are unable to ask for repeats, so they must be able to multitask. Court reporters should also be very focused. There are times that chaos could ensue in the court room, and the court reporter is still responsible for documenting the actions and the words that are said.
Speed is a very important skill. If you get behind during typing, you could completely miss an important point or you could never be able to catch up. To become a court reporter, you really need to work on your typing speed. You also need to ensure that you are being very accurate during quick typing. A fast typer is not beneficial if everything is typed incorrectly. It also brings question to the accuracy of the facts that are being documented. The minimum speed needed to become certified by the NCRA is 225 words per minute. Although a court reporting class could help with improving accuracy and typing speed, those entering into a court reporting class should have basic quick typing speed.
Becoming a certified court reporter is important to your success as a court reporter. Being a court reporter without the certification will make it very difficult to get jobs. When you become certified, you join one of three certification boards, who will assist you with gaining employment. Without this assistance, it may be very hard to get into a court house for a job. You also may not have the necessary skills to be successful at court reporting without the class.
The court reporting education program and certification takes an average of 33.3 months. It is a long process that ensures that graduates of the program are serious about becoming a court reporter.
The court reporter is an important part of any court room. They are often unheard, but sit quietly in the corner, documenting all of the events of the court room. They must be focused, able to multi task, be very accurate and have the ability to type very fast. Some of these skills can be advanced in a court reporting class. It is also necessary to become certified to be a successful court reporter.