How to become a court reporter: All you need to know

How to become a court reporter takes a straight-forward process, like other simple career paths; you discover more in this article.

Court reporters, often referred to as stenographers or stenographers, are the professionals who are called upon to ensure that all spoken words and gestures in a procedure are recorded to produce an accurate transcript. These courtroom professionals, who are often referred to as record keepers, must be impartial, responsible, and trustworthy, and must be properly educated, trained, and certified to perform their jobs expertly.

With excellent job and salary potential, it’s no wonder many are pursuing careers in court report writing and shorthand. But before embarking on a career as a court reporter, candidates must complete a comprehensive court reporting program and, in many states, meet the requirements for licensure or certification.

How to become a court reporter

Here’s how to start a career in court reporting:

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1. Choose a career path

There are several paths within the field of court reporting, so it is important to find a path of interest before beginning a court reporter program.

Although all court reporter programs have the same basic structure for preparing students for the state licensing and/or professional certification, some schools divide their court reporter programs in various ways to better prepare students for specific reporting areas. while others provide a more comprehensive approach to court reports.

For example, some schools offer a broad approach to stroke, allowing students to study several areas within the profession, including:

Court reports: keep records of court proceedings, depositions, and administrative hearings

Closed Captioning / Streaming – Provide live broadcasts to a streaming network
CART (Communications Access Realtime Reporting): specialized services for deaf and hard of hearing people
Other programs may separate court reporter programs by:

Court Reports / Stenography – The stenography method uses a computer and stenotype machine for closed / broadcast captions, court reports, and CART.

Court Reports / Voice Typing – Involves speaking into a steno mask device that feeds the reporter’s voice into specialized voice recognition and translation software on a laptop.

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Prepare for the court reporter program

Students in court reporter programs must purchase their manual stenotyping machine, which typically costs between $ 100 and $ 250. Most schools do not endorse paperless writers, as learning to read notes on paper is important.

Students often must rent or purchase a computerized writer model for CAT classes. Purchasing a new computerized writer can cost more than $ 2,000, while used models can be purchased for as little as $ 400. Given the cost of computerized writers, many students choose to rent these models. Software for computerized writers can also cost an additional $ 100 to $ 500.

Individuals must also be prepared to take entrance exams before being accepted into a court reporter program. Entrance exams are typically typed and in English, and students must have an excellent command of the English language before applying to a court reporter program.

3. Complete a court reporting program

The path to a career as a judicial journalist is pretty standard in terms of education. Specifically, individuals must complete a recognized court reporting program. However, where you get this education can differ, as court reporting programs are available at various institutions, from community colleges to dedicated court reporter schools. Therefore, a court reporting program may result in an associate’s degree or a professional diploma or certificate, depending on the institution in which the program is located.

It is common for court reporting programs to be quite flexible, with many institutions offering some online courses and day and evening classes to suit today’s busy lifestyles. Some programs, particularly in dedicated court reporter schools and technical schools, even offer combined court reporting programs that include online academic courses with on-site speed practice classes.

What does not vary, however, is the education received from these institutions. Because court reporting programs prepare students for state licensing and / or professional certification, they must contain a similar curriculum and students must be able to achieve a minimum standard of skills for mechanical shorthand that, according to the Association of Reporters of the National Court, is

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• Literary at 180 words per minute
• Jury load at 200 words per minute
• Testimonial / Questions and answers at 225 words per minute

Most court reporting programs deal with shorthand, or rather mastery of it. As such, a minimum accuracy should be achieved in machine shorthand, which is typically 97 percent. Most programs also require students to achieve a minimum GPA in both speed development classes and courses.

In addition to teaching students court reporting skills through the use of a stenography machine and often computer-aided real-time technology, court reporting programs are designed to provide a comprehensive education in:

• English grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Medical and legal terminology
• Legal studies
• Investigation
• Transcription procedures
• Technology

Many programs culminate in an apprenticeship, which provides students with practical and real-life training and preparation.

4. Meet state licensing requirements

Depending on the state in which court reporting is practiced, a state license may be required. Most licensing states have their court reporting exams, consisting of a written exam and skill test, and many accept the Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) exam through the National Association of Verbatim Reporters or the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation through the National Court Reporters Association instead of state examinations.

Even in states where there are no licensing requirements, it is common to find many employers seeking the RPR designation, which is the entry-level designation for the National Court Reporters Association.

Join a mentoring program for court reporters

Going from the classroom to a career can be overwhelming. With the opportunities provided in a mentoring program, students and recent graduates can accelerate their transition, gain real-world counseling and training, and become a successful deposition court stenographer. Join Planet Institute, Planet Depos’ one-on-one mentoring program. Mentors help you bridge the gap between graduation and your first court reporting position.

You now have an overview of how to become a court reporter. Read the rest of our material and visit the Planet Depos website for more information. You can take a look at what a court reporter does every day and how important it is. We look forward to accompanying you on your journey.

Pass the certification or licensing exam

You’ve worked hard, so the test isn’t sweat. You’ve done school-wide examinations of court reports.

The Registered Professional Reporter exam requires 95% accuracy and 225 words per minute. There is also a written test component. The licensing exam and requirements for court reports can vary from state to state, so check your state’s requirements.

With certification, you are on your way to where you want to be. You can even travel with teams abroad or work for a judicial reporting agency like Planet Depos. We have offices all over the world. Do you know a second language and want to travel? Even better.