Court reporter
Encyclopedia
A court reporter, stenotype
reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation
is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech
into written form, using machine shorthand
or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts
of court
hearings, deposition
s and other official proceedings. The only difference between voice writing court reporters and stenographic court reporters is the method of making the record. The voice writer repeats verbatim what attorneys, witnesses, and others are saying in a proceeding. The training on a stenograph machine requires the person to pass typing speed tests of up to 225 words a minute on their machine in the United States, as set forth by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) in the United States. Only a small percentage of court reporting students per year are actually able to do this. The drop-out rate of stenographic court reporters is very high, due to the difficulty. The training with voice writing equipment required the person to pass dictation speed tests of up to 250 words a minute in the United States, as set forth by the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA). Digitally recorded proceedings provide the ability to verify the written record as verbatim after playing back the recording. Digital recording systems used in courts are not just like any recording. Multi-channel, digital audio allows for isolated playback of channels during transcription. The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) certifies reporters and transcribers. AAERT certified reporters monitor the recording continuously during a proceeding, and create an extensive set of log notes which are individually time-stamped. The time-stamps correspond with the location on the digital recording for instantaneous playback, either upon request during a proceeding or at a later time. The log notes provide any authorized person the opportunity to quickly search and identify any segment of the proceeding they wish to review. Some courts train clerks or other court personnel to operate the digital recording equipment. Courtroom monitors are responsible for listening to the recording through headphones while the proceeding occurs to ensure recording quality. The digital recording method is widely used in federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the United States. Digital court reporting utilizes sophisticated recording technology with multi-channel capabilities. It is not to be confused or compared with an individual using a standalone tape or digital recorder.
In the United States
The court reporter in some states is required to be a notary public
who is authorized to administer oath
s to witnesses, and who certifies that his or her transcript
of the proceedings is a verbatim account of what was said.
reporting.
Licensed court reporters are required to attend continuing education courses to maintain their licensure. Some states require court reporters to be notaries public in addition to being a Certified Court Reporter (CCR). There are three national court reporting associations in the United States, The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), and the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA) and the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT). The minimum speed needed to become certified by the NCRA is 225 words per minute. The NVRA requires a minimum speed of 250 words per minute to qualify for certification. AAERT requires 98 percent accuracy on transcripts, and both reporters and transcribers must pass both a written and practical examination. Depending on the court reporting method of choice, one tends to join either the NCRA, NVRA or AAERT. The NCRA offers the title Registered Professional Reporter
(RPR) to those who pass a four-part examination and participate in continuing education programs. The NVRA offers the title Certified Verbatim Reporter
(CVR) to those who pass a four-part examination, including both a skills and written exam, and participate in continuing education programs. A reporter may obtain additional certifications that demonstrate higher levels of competency such as Certified Real-time Reporter (CRR) or Real-time Verbatim Reporter (RVR). Both of these associations offer equivalent examinations to test reporters for speed and competency on their method of reporting. The Canadian Court Reporter John M. Weir (CVR) could do 350 words per minute during legal hearings. The AAERT is the electronic court reporting and transcribing industry's professional association in the United States, founded in 1994. The AAERT offers electronic reporters and transcribers three certifications: certified electronic reporter (CER), certified electronic transcriber (CET), and certified electronic reporter and transcriber (CERT).
The International Alliance of Professional Reporters and Transcribers (IAPRT.org) is a member-based not-for-profit consortium engaged in the ongoing development of all methods of court reporting and transcription, and guiding public and private court reporting professionals worldwide toward the common goal of producing a verbatim and verifiable record. IAPRT offers on-line training and certification for members who participate in continuing education programs.
Required skills of a court reporter are excellent command of the language being spoken, attention to detail, and the ability to focus for long periods at a time. The most highly skilled court reporters can provide transcription in realtime
and have significant earning potential.
environment, court reporters utilizing any of the three methods may make suggestions regarding proper procedure, do research for items in the official record, and assist in other ways. Importantly, realtime reporting has proven beneficial for the judiciary, and many judges insist that their reporter be realtime capable. Digital recordings allow judges to instantly playback or review any portion of the recording.
Many court reporters work as freelance reporters or independent contractors outside the courtroom in depositions and other situations that require an official legal transcript, such as arbitration
hearings or other formal proceedings. Court reporters also often provide realtime transcription for public events, religious services, webcasts, and educational services. Regardless of the method, stenographic, stenomask or digital, a transcript can be produced on an hourly, daily, expedited or standard turnaround.
Court reporters are also employed by television
producers
and stations
in order to provide realtime closed captioning
of live programs for the hearing-impaired
.
Emerging internet technologies, such as Deposition Source
, have added to the earnings potential of court reporters. With this type of technology
, court reporters earn residual income from their work product
when it is sold as a witness research tool to attorneys
and other legal professionals.
There are differing accounts of the earnings for court reporters. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
had earnings of between $30,680 and $60,760 for the middle 50% of court reporters. Due to large backlogs and resultant high overtime pay, salaries can, however, be much higher.
The term "court reporter" can also be used to refer to a journalist who specialises in covering court cases.
Stenotype
A stenotype, stenotype machine or shorthand machine is a specialized chorded keyboard or typewriter used by stenographers for shorthand use...
reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech
Interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication is usually defined by communication scholars in numerous ways, usually describing participants who are dependent upon one another. It...
into written form, using machine shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts
Transcript (law)
A transcript is a written record of spoken language. In court proceedings, a transcript is usually a record of all decisions of the judge, and the spoken arguments by the litigants' lawyers. A related term used in the US is docket, not a full transcript. The transcript is expected to be an exact...
of court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
hearings, deposition
Deposition (law)
In the law of the United States, a deposition is the out-of-court oral testimony of a witness that is reduced to writing for later use in court or for discovery purposes. It is commonly used in litigation in the United States and Canada and is almost always conducted outside of court by the...
s and other official proceedings. The only difference between voice writing court reporters and stenographic court reporters is the method of making the record. The voice writer repeats verbatim what attorneys, witnesses, and others are saying in a proceeding. The training on a stenograph machine requires the person to pass typing speed tests of up to 225 words a minute on their machine in the United States, as set forth by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) in the United States. Only a small percentage of court reporting students per year are actually able to do this. The drop-out rate of stenographic court reporters is very high, due to the difficulty. The training with voice writing equipment required the person to pass dictation speed tests of up to 250 words a minute in the United States, as set forth by the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA). Digitally recorded proceedings provide the ability to verify the written record as verbatim after playing back the recording. Digital recording systems used in courts are not just like any recording. Multi-channel, digital audio allows for isolated playback of channels during transcription. The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) certifies reporters and transcribers. AAERT certified reporters monitor the recording continuously during a proceeding, and create an extensive set of log notes which are individually time-stamped. The time-stamps correspond with the location on the digital recording for instantaneous playback, either upon request during a proceeding or at a later time. The log notes provide any authorized person the opportunity to quickly search and identify any segment of the proceeding they wish to review. Some courts train clerks or other court personnel to operate the digital recording equipment. Courtroom monitors are responsible for listening to the recording through headphones while the proceeding occurs to ensure recording quality. The digital recording method is widely used in federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the United States. Digital court reporting utilizes sophisticated recording technology with multi-channel capabilities. It is not to be confused or compared with an individual using a standalone tape or digital recorder.
In the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
The court reporter in some states is required to be a notary publicNotary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
who is authorized to administer oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
s to witnesses, and who certifies that his or her transcript
Transcript (law)
A transcript is a written record of spoken language. In court proceedings, a transcript is usually a record of all decisions of the judge, and the spoken arguments by the litigants' lawyers. A related term used in the US is docket, not a full transcript. The transcript is expected to be an exact...
of the proceedings is a verbatim account of what was said.
Skills and training
It typically takes anywhere from two to four years to learn the basic skills to become a stenotype court reporter. Training to learn the basic skills to become a voice writer reporter typically takes six to nine months. To become realtime proficient in voice writing takes a year to a year and a half. Candidates usually attend specialized certificate courses at private business schools, or sometimes associate's or bachelor's degree programs at accredited colleges or universities. Distance learning and online training courses are also available for both methods. After additional on-the-job training and experience, many court reporters then move on to real-timeReal-time transcription
Realtime transcription is the general term for transcription by court reporters using Computer Aided Transcription technology to deliver computer text screens within a few seconds of the words being spoken...
reporting.
Licensed court reporters are required to attend continuing education courses to maintain their licensure. Some states require court reporters to be notaries public in addition to being a Certified Court Reporter (CCR). There are three national court reporting associations in the United States, The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), and the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA) and the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT). The minimum speed needed to become certified by the NCRA is 225 words per minute. The NVRA requires a minimum speed of 250 words per minute to qualify for certification. AAERT requires 98 percent accuracy on transcripts, and both reporters and transcribers must pass both a written and practical examination. Depending on the court reporting method of choice, one tends to join either the NCRA, NVRA or AAERT. The NCRA offers the title Registered Professional Reporter
Registered Professional Reporter
The Registered Professional Reporter is a nationally recognized certification program for court reporters in the United States. It is provided by the National Court Reporters Association ....
(RPR) to those who pass a four-part examination and participate in continuing education programs. The NVRA offers the title Certified Verbatim Reporter
Certified Verbatim Reporter
The Certified Verbatim Reporter is a nationally recognized certification designation for court reporters in the United States. It is provided by the National Verbatim Reporters Association ....
(CVR) to those who pass a four-part examination, including both a skills and written exam, and participate in continuing education programs. A reporter may obtain additional certifications that demonstrate higher levels of competency such as Certified Real-time Reporter (CRR) or Real-time Verbatim Reporter (RVR). Both of these associations offer equivalent examinations to test reporters for speed and competency on their method of reporting. The Canadian Court Reporter John M. Weir (CVR) could do 350 words per minute during legal hearings. The AAERT is the electronic court reporting and transcribing industry's professional association in the United States, founded in 1994. The AAERT offers electronic reporters and transcribers three certifications: certified electronic reporter (CER), certified electronic transcriber (CET), and certified electronic reporter and transcriber (CERT).
The International Alliance of Professional Reporters and Transcribers (IAPRT.org) is a member-based not-for-profit consortium engaged in the ongoing development of all methods of court reporting and transcription, and guiding public and private court reporting professionals worldwide toward the common goal of producing a verbatim and verifiable record. IAPRT offers on-line training and certification for members who participate in continuing education programs.
Required skills of a court reporter are excellent command of the language being spoken, attention to detail, and the ability to focus for long periods at a time. The most highly skilled court reporters can provide transcription in realtime
Real-time transcription
Realtime transcription is the general term for transcription by court reporters using Computer Aided Transcription technology to deliver computer text screens within a few seconds of the words being spoken...
and have significant earning potential.
Work
In a courtroomCourtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
environment, court reporters utilizing any of the three methods may make suggestions regarding proper procedure, do research for items in the official record, and assist in other ways. Importantly, realtime reporting has proven beneficial for the judiciary, and many judges insist that their reporter be realtime capable. Digital recordings allow judges to instantly playback or review any portion of the recording.
Many court reporters work as freelance reporters or independent contractors outside the courtroom in depositions and other situations that require an official legal transcript, such as arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
hearings or other formal proceedings. Court reporters also often provide realtime transcription for public events, religious services, webcasts, and educational services. Regardless of the method, stenographic, stenomask or digital, a transcript can be produced on an hourly, daily, expedited or standard turnaround.
Court reporters are also employed by television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
producers
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and stations
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in order to provide realtime closed captioning
Closed captioning
Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
of live programs for the hearing-impaired
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
.
Emerging internet technologies, such as Deposition Source
Deposition Source
Deposition Source is an Internet-based repository of legal depositions for attorneys and legal professionals in the United States. It is a privately held corporation. Lawyers search the Deposition Source database for expert witness testimony by professionals, such as doctors, to find nuances or...
, have added to the earnings potential of court reporters. With this type of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, court reporters earn residual income from their work product
Work product
Work product is something created by an employee that is considered to become the property of the employer -- for instance, a design, patentable process, recipe, etc. -- given certain conditions. It becomes trickier when the employment relationship is one of contractor-client...
when it is sold as a witness research tool to attorneys
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and other legal professionals.
There are differing accounts of the earnings for court reporters. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...
had earnings of between $30,680 and $60,760 for the middle 50% of court reporters. Due to large backlogs and resultant high overtime pay, salaries can, however, be much higher.
The term "court reporter" can also be used to refer to a journalist who specialises in covering court cases.
See also
- Registered Diplomate ReporterRegistered Diplomate ReporterThe RDR, Registered Diplomate Reporter, is the highest certification offered by the National Court Reporters Association for court reporters....
(RDR) - Registered Merit ReporterRegistered Merit ReporterThe RMR, Registered Merit Reporter, is the second highest certification offered by the NCRA, or National Court Reporters Association, for court reporters....
(RMR) - Registered Professional ReporterRegistered Professional ReporterThe Registered Professional Reporter is a nationally recognized certification program for court reporters in the United States. It is provided by the National Court Reporters Association ....
(RPR) - Certified Verbatim ReporterCertified Verbatim ReporterThe Certified Verbatim Reporter is a nationally recognized certification designation for court reporters in the United States. It is provided by the National Verbatim Reporters Association ....
(CVR) - Certificate of Merit (CM)
- Realtime Verbatim Reporter (RVR)