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What to Ask When Hiring a Court Reporter

Posted on: June 24th, 2019 by Dependable Website Management No Comments

So You Want to be a Court ReporterMore times than not, law firms give very little thought to the court reporting firm they will use in litigation. They assume all firms have court reporters who are similarly trained and experienced. Sometimes they stick with a court reporting service they have traditionally used without assessing whether the reporters are meeting the law firm’s needs in the most effective way. These law firms may be doing themselves and their clients a disservice. This blog post will examine what to ask when hiring a court reporter.

Choosing a highly experienced court reporter can make the deposition process easier, ensure the accuracy and integrity of the record, decrease the stress on your legal team and clients, and save time and money for all involved.

When choosing the right court reporting firm to support depositions, it will help to ask the following questions about the company’s reporters.

Is the Court Reporter Confident & Professional?

It is important that a court reporter presents themselves in a secure and professional manner throughout an entire deposition. This involves showing up on time for court and turning transcripts around in a prompt manner. While this is important, it is even more important, critical even, for the accuracy of the record that your court reporter is assertive and in control of the deposition.

For example:

As an officer of the court, court reporters have a duty to ensure the accuracy of the record. That accuracy of the reporter’s work can have an impact on issues as important as settlement negotiations and examination and cross-examination of witnesses. It is critical that attorneys use professional, and experienced court reporters for their depositions.

 

Has the Reporter Deposed in Highly Technical Litigation?

Many law firms who regularly use court reporting services handle complex litigation and having the right court reporter can be invaluable. Cases involving pharmaceuticals, medical malpractice, mass torts, intellectual property, or similar issues will involve highly technical terminology. The court reporter should be familiar. This helps ensure a complete and accurate record that you can rely on in the event of a trial or an appeal.

Does the Reporter Have Access to Tech That Improves the Deposition Experience?

Court reporting firms have access to many types of technology that can increase the convenience and reliability of the deposition process. The tools a high-quality court reporting firm should provide include:

If law firms want to maximize efficiency, they should make sure to choose a full-service court reporting firm. Seek a court reporting service that provides not only top-notch reporters but also the full-service assistance you need for a successful deposition.

 

CourtScribes.com is ready to serve you in your court reporting, videography services, interpreters, live-streaming, and video-to-text synchronization.

Although the majority of cities that offer CourtScribes’ services are in Florida, the company home base, other cities all across these United States that CourtScribes offers services in, are the following: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Coral, Coral Springs, Clearwater, Palm Bay, Fort Myers, Weston, Sarasota, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Stuart, Hollywood, Naples, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Jupiter, Key West, Coral Gables, Maryland, Manhattan, Buffalo, Washington DC, Baltimore, Bowie, Virginia, Frederick, Albany, New York, Brooklyn,  Westchester, Gaithersberg, and Rockville.

What is a Court Reporter

Posted on: June 17th, 2019 by Dependable Website Management No Comments

legal.booksThere are many professions that simply do not get the spotlight that they deserve. We know that we need talented doctors, dentists, and teachers. But there are other professionals who have amazing skills in essential positions. A court reporting career showcases those with those amazing skills.

Along with the more celebrated lawyers and paralegals, court reporters are the lifeblood of the legal discovery and depositions business. The role of a court reporter is essential to the legal process. It is quite amazing that it isn’t marketed enough to young adults when choosing their career path. This article should shed a light on the basics of court reporting and the court reporter career outlook. And maybe this will inspire and locate the talent to pursue this career, or encourage another excellent fit.

 

What is a Court Reporter

A court reporter, sometimes known as a stenographer or shorthand reporter, transcribes the spoken word/testimony at court hearings, depositions, trials, arbitrations, or other official proceedings. While there are several types of tools and technology used to make the record, the primary method today is a steno machine, a word processor with a modified 22-button keyboard, upon which words are “written” phonetically.

A certified court reporter must be able to write at, minimally, a 95% accuracy rate at 225 words per minute. This is no simple task. Higher level certifications require rates of up to 260 words per minute. Elite court reporters even offer a service known as “realtime”, where their record is streamed, obviously in real time to laptops and tablets in the room.

Often court reporters take work outside the courtroom. One of the most common gigs is captioning services for radio and TV broadcasts for the hearing-impaired. Court reporters working in closed captioning often also provide realtime captioning for corporate events, live concerts, sporting events, and conventions.

 

Why are Court Reporters Important

Court reporters are an integral part of the legal process. They are responsible for preparing and recording verbatim the transcripts of proceedings to be used by the litigants, the attorneys, and the judges. Court reporters also serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities by providing realtime captions for live television programs, as well as one-on-one personalized services in educational and public environments.

 

How Long is the Court Reporting Program

Typically, a court reporting school is a two or three year program. It can take up to three to five years to complete the court reporter training. It is highly dependent on the amount of effort put into developing the skill set to become a reporter.

Check out the list of certified schools and programs on file with the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) to find the right fit for you!

 

 

 

Is Certification Required

In some states, certification is required. The most recognized certifications are those offered through the NCRA. The entry-level Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) requires passing a skills test with 95% accuracy at 225 words per minute. There is also the advanced Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) certification, which requires 95% accuracy at 260 words per minute. A higher standard and accreditation. According to the NCRA, the highest level of certification available is the Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR). The Diplomate Reporter differentiates the advanced, veteran reporters as the elite in the profession.

 

What Personality Traits Should Court Reporters Possess

 

How Much Can a Court Reporter Make

Just as anything else in life, what you get out of something depends on what sort of effort you put into it! Court reporting is no different. Salaries can range depending on one’s situation. Many reporters work as independent contractors at their own pace, taking jobs to match their lifestyle. Other reporters work in fulltime positions within the court system. It is about choosing what is best for you.

As of April 2019, the average annual salary for a court reporter was $56,000+. Reporters who have invested in continuing education, advanced certification, and cutting-edge technology typically earn $100,000+.

 

What Types of Court Reporters are There

It is important to remember that there are different types of jobs for those who master the skills required to become a court reporter.

freelance court reporter is an independent contractor, or one who works for one or more court reporting agencies. Their work primarily consists of recording testimony taken in the discovery phase of a case (depositions), as well as meetings, arbitrations, and hearings.

An official court reporter is typically hired by a court system and works inside the courtroom. These reporters are generally full-time employees of the court and work regular hours.

 

What is the Court Reporting Career Outlook

In a word: Strong!

There is a critical shortage of stenographic reporters across the nation. In 2013, the NCRA commissioned a report on the impact of the shortage in the industry. The Court Reporting Industry Outlook Report, concluded that the demand for court reporters would exceed the supply within five years (2018).

Nationwide an additional 5,500 stenographic reporters would be needed to fill the void. The profession fell drastically short on meeting demand and many stenographic schools closed. This resulted in fewer enrollees, and fewer professionals entering the field. These numbers also didn’t consider the number that have and will continue to retire.

Due to the necessity of court reporters in legal proceedings, it’s a profession that is at its prime to enter. Larger metropolitan areas are in desperate need for new professionals. Agencies will often move you to locations with more jobs than you could ever hope to cover. The areas that are seeing the greatest demand for new reporters are California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Washington, D.C.

There has long been speculation that technology will take over the court reporter’s job. Many courts and court reporting agencies are implementing new technology, such as digital reporters, to fill the deficit of stenographic reporters.

The problem though, is that these new technologies are unable to provide many elite services that experienced stenographic reporters deliver, such as real-time. Stenographic reporters are, and will be, an essential piece in the legal landscape. The profession is here to stay and joining now can provide you with a fascinating career for the rest of your life.

So what are you waiting for. Sign up for a class now.

What is Digital Court Reporting

Posted on: June 10th, 2019 by Dependable Website Management No Comments
court reporters

There needs to be a balance between traditional court reporting and new technologies.

When it comes to court reporting, people are most familiar with seeing the lady typing on the weird typewriter and going very fast to keep up with the testimony being given. What they may not know is that she is using a special stenographer’s tool that shortens the words for speed purposes. Well, it was only a matter of time that technology would catch up in the court reporting industry as well. That is why you are starting to see the proliferation of digital court reporting. So that does beg the question, what is digital court reporting?

What is Digital Court Reporting

Digital court reporting is a newcomer to the field of court reporting. This new form of court reporting did not come on the scene without scrutiny. Traditional stenographers argue that accuracy and quality are compromised when digital reporting takes place. Nevertheless, this type of court reporting is gaining popularity in courtrooms across America.

A big reason for this, as we have blogged about many times on the CourtScribes.com website, is that there is a serious shortage of stenographers as well as a shortage of those going to school to learn stenography.

Digital court reporting, also referred to as electronic court reporting, has made its way into a number of courtrooms across the United States, thanks to advancements in digital recording. Digital reporting involves using high-quality digital recording equipment. This typically includes a number of strategically placed microphones and video recorders throughout the courtroom. All of which is generally hardwired, which means the initial investment is rather significant.

Beyond the initial investment, digital court reporting equipment needs to be maintained and updated. A dedicated professional (a digital court reporter) must always oversee the recording process.

Unlike traditional stenographers, who enter the proceedings using shorthand and into a stenotype machine, digital court reporters usually have a much different set of qualifications and skills. Oddly enough, digital court reporters have no need to learn shorthand and the stenotype machine. Isn’t that a game changer?

Instead, they are responsible for taking notes during the proceedings and creating a log note of speaker identification and keywords, which serve as a general outline of the digital recording.

What digital court reporters must possess though, is an understanding of the digital recording system and its maintenance, upkeep, and operation.  They must have knowledge and training in digital court recording software, and they must also be capable of providing litigation support when needed.

 

The Benefits of Digital Court Reporting

On the flip side are those proponents of digital court reporting. They enjoy the high-quality audio that it captures. And most digital recording systems have a number of audio backups to ensure that the transcript is complete.

Digital court reporting also has the ability to provided multi-track recording, which can prove to be very useful for understanding everyone’s statements, particularly when people are talking over one another, or speaking in hard to understand accents, vernaculars, etc.

Digitally recorded proceedings are easily delivered via the Internet, thereby saving the court money on shopping costs and hassles as a result of shopping delays.

Many attorneys appreciate working videos, as they often help them examine both verbal and non-verbal reactions of witnesses and defendants, including gestures, body language, facial expressions, and eye contact, and many judges and attorneys see digital recording as a way to decrease the risk of inaccurate transcriptions. Sounds pretty important to get right, huh?

Another positive (or negative depending on who you ask) is that many jurisdictions see digital recording systems as a cost-saver, due to the elimination of costly stenographer salaries.

In terms of education and training, learning the skills associated with digital court reporting is often much less laborious than traditional stenographer training. The latter requires the completion of a court reporting program, which usually takes about two years, as well as state licensure and/or professional certification. Many digital court reporting programs take about six months and involve learning how to take accurate notes and how to operate the sound and/or video equipment. Seems like a ‘no-brainer’, right?

 

The Digital Debate

One of the biggest arguments for digital recording systems is the reduction in costly stenographer salaries, however, there are some things to consider. Digital recording systems may be far pricier than just the initial investment. There are expenses for maintaining, repairing, and replacing the equipment. Further, if hard transcripts are required, jurisdictions must still pay for the cost of producing paper transcripts.

Although traditional stenographers may not be needed in a court that has a digital recording system, a digital court reporter is still required to operate the equipment and provide notes. Therefore, the savings are not always as great as first anticipated.

There are times also where digital court reporters are just not needed at all. In the case of proceedings that may involve appeals and those that cannot risk inaccuracy from the failure of a recording device (even the most advanced recording equipment can’t capture a mumbling person), digital recording systems are often passed over in lieu of written transcripts via a traditional stenographer court reporter.

Because digital court reporters are not skilled in transcription, the court must use a stenographer or dedicated transcriptionist to provide a hard transcript of the proceedings. However, because the stenographer transcribing the proceedings was not present at the time of the recording, inaccuracy in the transcript may occur.

 

Is There a Compromise

Many jurisdictions now recognize the value of both the traditional stenographer and the digital court reporter in the courtroom setting. Digital court reporting may be quite useful for meetings, hearings, and simple litigation situations, while conventional litigation situations require the expertise of a stenographer. Perhaps a marriage of both is what is needed anyway. Nothing wrong with old skool meeting new school when it comes to court reporting.

CourtScribes.com is ready to serve you in your court reporting, videography services, interpreters, live-streaming, and video-to-text synchronization.

Although the majority of cities that offer CourtScribes’ services are in Florida, the company home base, other cities all across these United States that CourtScribes offers services in, are the following: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Coral, Coral Springs, Clearwater, Palm Bay, Fort Myers, Weston, Sarasota, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Stuart, Hollywood, Naples, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Jupiter, Key West, Coral Gables, Maryland, Manhattan, Buffalo, Washington DC, Baltimore, Bowie, Virginia, Frederick, Albany, New York, Brooklyn,  Westchester, Gaithersberg, and Rockville.

Pennsylvania College Offers Free Court Reporting Course

Posted on: June 3rd, 2019 by Dependable Website Management No Comments

Allegheny_college_logoIf you have been a dedicated blog reader here at CourtScribes.com you have read about the severe shortage in the industry. Courtscribes.com is your premier court reporting and video-to-text reporting service, provider. Well, there is a Pennsylvania college that notices the shortage and wanted to help do something about it.

The Community College of Allegheny County aka CCAC is offering a free summer term “Introduction to Court Reporting” course.

Students are required to register to attend the three-week course. The classes will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 19th, June 26th and July 10th. And from 10 a.m. to noon on June 22nd, 29th and July 13th in Milton Hall at the Allegheny Campus. Parking is free.

The course was launched by Project Steno to offer a basic introduction to court reporting. After students are done completing the free course, they are eligible to apply for tuition assistance to attend CCAC’s fall court reporting class beginning on Aug. 19th.

CCAC professors Mary Beth Johnson and Barbara Lightcap will teach the course.

In addition to transcribing legal proceedings for courts and legislatures, court reporters, also known as captioners and stenographers, caption major sporting events and other broadcast television shows for persons who are hard of hearing.

CCAC graduate Nathan Sibley is the main captioner for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Court reporters are in high demand across the nation. According to the National Court Reporters Association, there are currently a whopping 5,500 unfilled job openings.

For more information or to register, contact Mary Beth Johnson at mjohnson@ccac.edu or 412-237-2748.

We here at CourtScribes.com think that this is awesome news for the industry. Offer some free basic courses to see if you can whet the appetite of potential new court reports and stenographers.

CourtScribes.com is ready to serve you in your court reporting, videography services, interpreters, live-streaming, and video-to-text synchronization.

Although the majority of cities that offer CourtScribes’ services are in Florida, the company home base, other cities all across these United States that CourtScribes offers services in, are the following: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Coral, Coral Springs, Clearwater, Palm Bay, Fort Myers, Weston, Sarasota, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Stuart, Hollywood, Naples, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Jupiter, Key West, Coral Gables, Maryland, Manhattan, Buffalo, Washington DC, Baltimore, Bowie, Virginia, Frederick, Albany, New York, Brooklyn,  Westchester, Gaithersberg, and Rockville.

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