How to Become a Court Reporter?

Learn about what it takes to become a successful court reporter, from court reporter requirements, to job market growth and compensation.

No court proceeding is complete without a court reporter to document the statements, questions, answers, presentation of evidences, and the tedious back-and-forth examination and cross-examination of witnesses and those directly involved in litigation. Court reporters are professionals who play an important role in the practice of law.

How to be a Court Reporter: Training and Education

Becoming a court reporter requires training, and the duration and focus of training would depend on the primary method of reporting that a court reporter would use throughout his or her profession.

Those who intend to make use of stenotype machines become stenographic court reporters (also called stenographers or stenotypists). The training for stenographic court reporters is aimed to develop court reporters that can reach or exceed the typing speed of 225 words per minute on the stenotype machine, all while maintaining a general accuracy of 98% and up. Their training usually take anywhere between 24 to 28 months.

Voice writers, on the other hand, are court reporters who make use of a special recording device with microphone and mask so that they can create accurate records without being heard by others over the microphone. Their training is geared towards developing court reporters that can score 250 words per minute or more in dictation speed tests while maintaining their accuracy. Training for this takes six to nine months.

Court reporter programs are being offered by private business schools through specialized certificate courses, while accredited colleges and universities offer associate degrees and bachelor degrees. You can also become a court reporter online via distance learning and online training.

After training, would-be court reporters usually undergo on-the-job training to prepare and familiarize them with the actual court reporting job.

Court reporters are required to have a license before they can be employed, with some states requiring additional credentials such as assuming notary public functions.

License and Certification

In order to become licensed, court reporters must undergo a national examination. The exams have written and practical exam components that are designed to test any would-be court reporter’s typing or dictation speed, accuracy, and transcription skills. Those who successfully pass the national examination are conferred with the title Licensed Court Reporter and are then eligible for employment in court, law firms, transcription services companies, etc.

Job Outlook

Courts are the foremost employers of court reporters. In recent years, the number of freelance court reporters has grown. Average salaries of court reporters are tagged at $53,270 annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is positive that with the positive job market growth of court reporting, the trend would continue to rise a steady 18% until 2018. The demand would continue to grow as the number of transcription and real-time reporting applications extend beyond the court and into mass media, from television closed captioning, to transcription of education forums and preparation of real-time closed captioning for persons with hearing impairment.

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