Tag Archive for "stenographers" - CourtScribes, Inc. | Court Reporting & Litigation Support

The Art of Stenography

Posted on: December 13th, 2021 by Sfl Media No Comments

The CourtScribes company are masters in stenography? The “art” of stenography is about recording what is being said as quickly and as accurately as possible.

Stenography is mostly used in a courtroom or legal setting, ensuring that everything is being transcribed for the record. This is important because important decisions are being made on what is said during trials, depositions, and arbitrations.

“Steno” uses a complicated machine (a stenotype) to record all this information, and people who are specially trained to use these machines are called stenographers.

But keep in mind that stenographers are not just restricted to the inside of a courtroom. Stenography is also used for live captioning you see on TV. Like the type, you’ll find on the 6 o’clock news or press conferences.

It’s also used for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in places of learning to help follow what’s being said in a lecture, classroom, or video conference.

Why Would I Need a Stenographer

Many companies are now looking to stenographers (like those at CourtScribes) for live captioning services.

Live captioning is a way to level the playing field for everyone, while at the same time ensure your company is meeting its obligation when it comes to the law.

If you need court reporting services (with a little more experience than Lumsden) that handle digital recoding then CourtScribes.com which supports all states and programs that aid in the court reporting world are 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.

Stenogrpahy & Stenographers Matter

Posted on: October 25th, 2021 by Sfl Media No Comments

Stenography is one of the most identifiable methods of recording the spoken word. Stenographers have been a familiar sight in courtrooms for the better part of the past centuries. Stenography, in short, is the act of recording spoken words through shorthand using a stenotype machine.

Shorthand as a whole is not a new concept. Shorthand systems may rely on symbols, which represent specific sounds, concepts, or letters. Or it may rely on letters that have specific meanings.

The ultimate goal of stenography is to record the spoken word verbatim. Stenography allows court reporters, like those at CourtScribes, to record proceedings much quicker than they would be able to do using a standard keyboard. And, although handwritten stenography has been used for centuries, the use of a stenotype machine allows a court reporter to record information in a less laborious and more accurate manner.

Although today’s court reporters may use a variety of advanced technologies to record written proceedings, stenography still remains the most widely used form, both in and out of the courtroom.

If you need court reporting services like those described in this blog, then CourtScribes.com which supports all states and programs that aid in the court reporting world are ready to serve you in your court reporting, videography services, interpreters, live-streaming, and video-to-text synchronization.

Three Common Misconceptions About the National Court Reporter Shortage

Posted on: August 2nd, 2021 by Sfl Media No Comments

Recent studies were done that caught the eye of CourtScribes regarding a likely court reporter shortage. The study found that the gap between the number of available stenographers and the demand for their services nationwide continues to increase year over year. This is no surprise as we have reported on this many times.

This problem has been consistent for seven years now and the shortage is impossible to ignore. This is a reality that the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t even mask.

No firm has been immune to the impact of this court reporter shortage, especially firms located in the most litigious states like California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Florida. However, there are plenty of misconceptions about the national court reporter shortage.

Interestingly enough, some believe that there is no shortage at all despite all the evidence. There are some misconceptions about what is going on in the industry.

Misconception #1: Can’t we just train more stenographers?

This is easier said than done, especially when statistical data proves that such a proposition is near impossible.

Why is this happening? It was found that 70% of stenographers were over the age of 46. As the current population of stenographers continues to progress towards retirement, there are not enough new stenographers from younger generations entering the field to help close the gap.

Misconception #2: The shortage won’t affect us.

While you might think that only the “big” litigation states will be impacted by this shortage, each state will face the devastating lack of court reporters sooner than later.

As of 2019, 82,000 new students enrolled in court reporting training programs nationwide each year to overcome the deficit. This dropped dramatically in 2019 where there were only about 2,500 new enrollments. Now imagine that the average graduation rate is 10% and you’re talking about a maximum of only 125 new court reporters into the market.

You can see how the shortage is affecting all of the states. Combine this with our new remote work environments brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and there are even fewer court reporters available.

Misconception #3: There are no alternatives to stenography to combat the shortage.

While stenography is the gold standard for capturing a verbatim record of a proceeding, there are other court reporting methodologies available that are both accurate and flexible and provide the same finished product.

Voice writing offers an alternative to stenographers. A voice writer speaks into a steno mask, capturing a verbatim record of the proceeding, while speech-recognition technology converts the recorded audio into text.

Digital reporting is another court reporting method that has gained more widespread adoption in recent years. In fact, courthouses and law firms across the US have been successfully using digital reporting for years as their sole means of recording hearings and trials.

As the supply of available court reporters continues to widen each year, it’s becoming increasingly more important for legal professionals to understand and recognize the potential implications for their practice. While stenography will always remain the gold standard, there are additional court reporting methodologies that offer accurate, affordable and flexible solutions.

If you need court reporting services (with a little more experience than Lumsden) that handle digital recoding then CourtScribes.com which supports all states and programs that aid in the court reporting world are ready to serve you in your court reporting, videography services, interpreters, live-streaming, and video-to-text synchronization.

Are Court Stenographers on Their Way Out

Posted on: July 15th, 2019 by Sfl Media No Comments

As technology continues to improve daily, and it does continue rapidly to do so, there has been a concern regarding how much its advancement may cost people their jobs in the future. Now, we have entered an era where not only basic audio recordings, but also voice-to-text translations have become widely available, officials have started to wonder, “Are court reporters still needed in the courtroom…are stenographers on their way out?

And while the idea may strike fear to many, it’s not something that can be ignored. It’s an important discussion. The same way the steam engine has completely revolutionized the way people travel. Similar questions have been raised, like whether e-books will replace printed materials. As new technologies are adopted, is there a need to be worried about the livelihoods of people such as court reporters?

Some States are Changing

This shift has been happening a lot in recent years. Massachusetts, among other states, have actually discontinued the employment of official court reporters in the Supreme Court since June 30, 2018. Instead, a court monitor or a freelance court reporter oversees an electronic recording. This change is a clear indication of the move towards human-less interaction.

Presence of Transcript Errors

There have been incidents of transcript errors found on electronic proceedings, and investigations have been conducted in order to pinpoint the cause. Among the errors, they include machines suddenly turning off during proceedings (which cause missed testimonies), incomplete testimonies, and large portions of proceedings not being captured properly.

This being said, it’s clear how machines can be unreliable during important moments. All the more important, when it is in the case of a recording a court proceeding. But, it’s not only about technical difficulties. Machines, unlike humans, are incapable of politely interrupting in order to clarify misunderstood or misspoken words. A stenographer aka court reporter can do so. That is a major difference. It’s difficult to predict how much the technology will improve over the years. But, it’s apparent that current technology is still very limited, and factors such as background noise, low audio, or unclear speech may cause inconsistencies in the court transcripts.

So What is the Future

Human intervention is a highly important aspect of effective court reporting. This is one thing that the courts can’t do without in order to come up with accurate transcriptions. A court reporter has a huge contribution to the overall quality of work, and they’re not only responsible for actions inside the courtroom. Other tasks include preparing transcripts, making sure the printed transcripts are accurate, arranging the schedules of trials and other court proceedings, filing completed court transcripts with the county clerk, and even performing clerk duties such as the maintenance of law libraries, among others.

So, are court reporters on their way out? While there have been significant changes in the current court setup, court reporters are far from being “phased out.” At least to this point. But the tides are turning and technology is not going away. The technology at present, while useful, is still widely unreliable, and inaccuracies can be detrimental to any court proceeding. However, it’s still interesting to witness how much the industry is changing and progressing.

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

Court Reporters Themselves See Stenographer Shortages Ahead

Posted on: July 8th, 2019 by Sfl Media No Comments

We keep reporting here at CourtScribes.com about the shortages in the court reporting industry. There does not seem to be an end in sight if the enrollment into programs does not increase. Even court reporters themselves see the stenographer shortages ahead. So what can be done?

One issue is that television advertisements for schools & programs have become less common and schools that teach stenography, like Winter Park Tech in Florida, have shut down in recent years. It also does not help that awareness of the profession has greatly declined. This has obviously led to a shortage of young professionals entering the industry.

So What Can Be Done

“The average age of a court reporter right now is 56 years old.”

Let that sink in. What that means, is that as those folks retire in the next five to ten years, the shortage will get deeper if young people are not enrolling.

“Keep in mind that stenographers not only provide transcripts for court proceedings but also live captioning during television broadcasts and even college lectures”, said Rosa Naccarato, government relations chair for the Florida Court Reporters Association.

Chief Judge Frederick Lauten of the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida said the looming shortage has spared Central Florida courts so far.

“We just haven’t faced it yet,” he said.

Stenographers are Important

But the shortage of stenographers has been long anticipated. Back in 2013, the National Court Reporters Association commissioned an independent research group to study the industry and make predictions on its future demands.

In the study, known within the industry as the Ducker Report, researchers determined that by 2018 (which has clearly passed) a lack of student enrollment rates “combined with significant retirement rates,” would create a shortage of about 5,500 court reporters nationwide.

The drop in enrollment has led to schools closing, including two in Central Florida. Now, the only stenographic reporting programs in the state are in South Florida, though students can take classes online. Other major hurdles are that student failure rates are high, and so is the cost of equipment and schooling.

Stenography is a Valuable Skill

Stenography is a skill akin to learning piano. It is not easy or for everybody. In some programs, only 4% of students who enter actually graduate. The program itself can take between two to eight years to finish, and tuition can cost more than $10,000 per year.

It is even fair to say that stenography is like a combination of learning a foreign language and a musical instrument at the same time.

However, steno is a lucrative career, and those in the industry say a job is basically guaranteed (those shortages) upon completion of training. Recently graduated stenographers typically start with salaries in the low $40,000 range, but can eventually make upward of $150,000. Because most stenographers are independent contractors, income is based on how much work a reporter takes on. That means there is independence as well. In reality, you are your own boss.

Automation in Stenography

Like many trade occupations, automation has made its way into this industry as well. In court reporting, digital reporters have replaced stenographers for many routine legal proceedings. They set up microphones in a courtroom, then transcribe the recordings later. Seems unfair in a way, doesn’t it?

Training for this is minimal. Just about four weeks of training to do this.

While digital reporters help by freeing up stenographers for more complex legal work, transcriptions can take three to five times longer for a digital reporter and often contain more errors. This is not a help but a hindrance. If the work has to be corrected or double & triple checked than is it worth it?

As courts continue to see a shortage in stenographers, forcing digital reporters to cover more high-profile proceedings, the quality of the record will deteriorate.

Orange and Osceola County courts will actually reserve stenographers for lengthy, high-profile hearings, which indicates the high quality of their work.

Occasionally, transcripts from digital reporters come back indicating a word or sentence was inaudible, which rarely happens with stenographers. Since they are writing the record as it unfolds, they can ask someone to repeat a word, or move closer to their microphone. They can be interactive whereas a recorder just sits and records.

The National Court Reporters Association has a program called “A to Z,” which offers students free, six-week trial classes to test their interest in the profession. This is a great way to test the waters.

Students who decide to pursue the job can get tuition assistance and mentorship through Project Steno, which focuses on student outreach and enrollment.

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

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Is There a Shortage of Qualified Stenographers

Posted on: March 25th, 2019 by Sfl Media No Comments

There seems to be a little issue happening in our courts. Court reporters are seeing a stenographer shortage coming in the very near future. So that does beg the question, is there a shortage of qualified Stenographers? We here at Courtscribes.com are here to find out.

‘People think this is an archaic profession. … it’s not’

What is Stenography aka Shorthand?

Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand. Longhand is a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography.

Traditional shorthand systems were written on paper with a stenographic pencil or pen. Machine shorthand is also a common term for writing produced by a stenotype, a specialized keyboard that are often used for courtroom transcripts.

Learning stenography is like learning another language. The stenographic court reporting machine has 24 keys and works phonetically.

Why is There a Shortage of Stenographers?

To start awareness of the profession has steadily declined. A drop in enrollment has actually led to stenography schools closing. The industry’s focus is pushing young professionals into the job and supporting them through tough schooling.

It does not help that television advertisements have become less common and schools that teach stenography have shuttered in recent years.

The average age of a court reporter right now is 56 years old. The feeling is that many of these people are going to retire and by virtue of that fact, there will be a serious shortage of court reporters in the very near future.

Stenographers provide transcripts for not only court proceedings, but also live captioning during cable broadcasts and college lectures, among other services.

Did They See This Coming?

The shortage of stenographers has been long anticipated. In 2013, the National Court Reporters Association commissioned an independent research group to study the industry and make predictions on its future demands.

In the study, known in the industry as the Ducker Report, researchers determined that by 2018 a lack of student enrollment rates “combined with significant retirement rates,” would create a shortage of about 5,500 court reporters nationwide as “increased legal activity and new opportunities … drive demand.”

The drop in enrollment has led to schools closing, including two in the Central Florida area. Now, the only stenographic reporting programs in the state are in South Florida, though students can take classes online.

Another problem is that student failure rates in these programs are high, and so is the cost of equipment and schooling.

Stenography is a skill, much like learning piano. In some programs, only 4 percent of students who enter graduate. It can take between two and eight years to finish, and tuition can cost more than $10,000 per year.

What is the Future?

It is a lucrative career, and basically, a job is guaranteed upon completion of training. Recently graduated stenographers typically start with salaries in the low $40,000s, but can eventually make upward of $150,000. Since most stenographers are independent contractors, their income is based on how much work the reporter actually logs in.

Like many trade occupations, automation has made its way into the industry. In court reporting, digital reporters have replaced stenographers for many routine legal proceedings. They set up microphones in a courtroom, then transcribe the recordings later.

But their training is minimal. Minimal like only four weeks.

“The sad thing is, people think this is an archaic profession, a dying profession, and it’s not,” experts say. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, aren’t you going to be replaced by technology? Can’t they just record?’ You can’t compare what a court reporter does to a recording.”

While digital reporters help by freeing up stenographers for more complex legal work, transcriptions can take three to five times longer for a digital reporter and often contain more errors.

If courts continue to see a shortage in stenographers, forcing digital reporters to cover more high-profile proceedings, the quality of the record will deteriorate without a doubt.

For example, occasional transcripts from digital reporters have come back indicating a word or sentence was inaudible, which doesn’t happen with stenographers. Since they are writing the record as it unfolds, they can ask someone to repeat a word, or move closer to their microphone.

The National Court Reporters Association has a program called “A to Z,” which offers students free, six-week trial classes to test their interest in the profession. Students who decide to pursue the job can get tuition assistance and mentorship through Project Steno, which focuses on student outreach and enrollment.

A program like this can only help what will become a dire situation unless it is addressed. If you ever need a stenographer, you can book one right now on our website courtscribes.com.

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