Court reporters document spoken word, including legal proceedings and meetings, using a stenotype machine. They must complete an academic program and pass a four-part exam to become certified. Technology has changed the profession, with many stenotype machines now linked to computers. Various certifications are available, depending on the area of interest.
Court reporters compose verbal transcripts of legal proceedings, lectures, conversations, and any other spoken word that requires documentation. To become a court reporter, you must have listening skills and the ability to think and act quickly to ensure vital information is properly recorded. Many court reporters work in courtrooms, and some have private practices where they freelance for attorneys who create depositions or for companies that need minutes of meetings recorded for legal purposes. Even more function as subtitle transcribers, creating real-time or recorded on-screen dialogue for the hearing impaired.
An academic program must be completed to become a court reporter. In the past, most academic programs were assigned instruction in the use of a stenotype machine. These machines require the court reporter to learn phonetic combinations of keystrokes that represent sound rather than spelling. Unlike a QWERTY keyboard, where each letter is pressed individually, the stenotype keyboard has a limited number of letters and multiple keys are pressed at the same time.
Although court reporters still spend a lot of time learning the stenotype machine, which is like learning a new language, technology has changed many things in the profession. Now, instead of just producing a paper print, most stenotype machines are linked to computers. This is how subtitles are created and it removes the step where the court reporter must later translate the stenotype as the computer manages this in real time. Many of the courses in current court reporter programs cover the advanced technology used in different industries, some of which replace stenotype machines such as voice recording.
While some of the new technology allows for on-the-job training, to become a court reporter certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) with the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation, a two- to three-year accredited program must be completed. In addition, a four-part exam must be passed and a court reporter must prove accurate speed of a minimum of 225 words per minute. The RPR is an entry-level credential and many other certifications are available depending on the area in which one wants to become a court reporter.
Some of the other certifications available are Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) and Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR). For those interested in real-time tasks like closed captioning, they can pursue certifications such as CRR (Certified Realtime Reporter), Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC), and Certified CART Provider (CCP). If you want to become a court reporter for federal courts, you should pursue the title of Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR).
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