The need for court reporters is growing. A recent National Court Reporters Association survey that looked at trends affecting job opportunities in the profession found there will be 5,500 court reporting positions available in the field across the country in the next five years.
But court reporting is not the only job within the justice system. In fact, the Maryland Judiciary says that if you are looking for a career that involves providing fair, efficient and effective justice for all, there is a job for you within the state justice system.
According to the website mdcourts.gov, more than 4,000 people are employed by the judicial system across the state and are committed to “ensuring access to justice, equity, fairness, and integrity in the judicial process.”
The third branch of state government promotes a diverse workforce and offers a “supportive, varied, and positive work environment” with comprehensive benefits packages, opportunities for career advancement, and other work-life enhancements, as well as ongoing training, skills development, tuition reimbursement, and other opportunities for learning and growth.
The Maryland Judiciary is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity in the workplace, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.
There are many different jobs within the court system, and court reporting is an important one that provides attorneys, juries and judges with an accurate transcript of court proceedings.
Technology is one effective way to deal with the shortage of court reporters and keep the judicial system running smoothly, ensuring that trials move along at a steady pace, and CourtScribes is on the cutting edge with its internet technology systems that provide a video and audio record as well as a written transcript.
While professional court reporters have the training and experience to provide an accurate record of court proceedings, a recording adds another layer of security and reliability. CourtScribes uses the most sophisticated digital technology available to provide the highest-quality transcripts of court proceedings.
The internet-age technology captures what is being said in court, then remote transcriptionists create the official record of court proceedings at a cost to attorneys that is up to 50 percent less than what they are used to paying for live court reporting.
Electronic recording equipment is overseen by an experienced reporter at all times. The reporter simultaneously takes notes that are time-linked to the corresponding recording, so people involved with the case can instantly find the point in the record where they want to re-listen.
Attorneys benefit not only from a less-expensive transcript but also from having a video and/or audio recording that provides them with a more accurate and verifiable record.
CourtScribes may also provide a live feed to an attorney’s office team, allowing them to monitor the proceedings and more effectively assist the attorneys in the courtroom in real time.
Video recording ensures a comprehensive record that allows attorneys to evaluate people’s behaviors, mannerisms, and speech patterns as well as review what was said. Court Scribes uses computer-based digital systems with enhanced features that perform recording functions with convenience, flexibility, and economy.
In fact, when the CourtScribes technology went head-to-head against a court reporter trained as a stenographer and both transcripts were compared and verified against the actual recording of the proceeding, CourtScribes had significantly fewer errors on each page.
The human ear can only hear so much in a chaotic environment when many speakers in a courtroom talk over each other at the same time. When microphones are placed in front of each speaker, every word spoken can be isolated and heard with complete clarity.
Because the CourtScribes system assigns primary participants to separate, discrete sound channels, it’s easy to identify who’s who. A typical four-channel system individually records the judge, witness, plaintiff’s attorney and defendant’s attorney. When two or more parties talk at the same time, digital reporting captures each voice clearly on its own separate sound channel.
And the recording process captures all words exactly as they are spoken without worrying about a person being unable to understand accents or complex medical or technical terms. During the transcription process, the audio can be replayed as needed to verify any questions.
Also, during the trial, any portion of a recorded proceeding can be played back over audio speakers whenever the judge or counsel requires it. Audio also can be replayed for jurors if they wish to review actual spoken testimony during deliberations.
Counsel can also obtain copies of the actual recording with digital annotations “hot-linked” to the audio so points of interest can be located quickly and efficiently. While the word per-minute-capacity of a stenographer is often impressive, sometimes it is not enough.
Government service is an admirable career choice and working in the judicial system means you have a role in ensuring citizens are afforded the due process they are guaranteed by law. For more information about careers within the Maryland Judiciary court system and information about job openings ranging from administrative assistants to law clerks to court coordinators, visit their website at mdcourts.gov.
