• Have the ability to stay focused and concentrate for long periods of time
• Enjoy and be comfortable with technology and have the ability to learn advanced skills
• Have good keyboarding skills
• Have the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Be an audio learner – Reporters spend a great deal of time listening
• Be able to tune out background noise and get in your zone
The educational requirements to become a court reporter vary with the specialties and the type of reporting you want to pursue. You can become a novice voice writer within about a year, but a real-time stenotypist requires around three years of training. And the more experience you gain, the higher pay you will make along with working in higher profile court cases.
Court reporter training is offered by, vocational schools, technical schools, and colleges. There are many types and levels of court reporter certification, depending on the specialty chosen.
The National Court Reporters Association or NCRA and other certified programs require students to complete an approved preset curriculum, prior to being eligible to take the certification exam.
To graduate, students typically will need a machine shorthand speed of 225 words per minute or higher. The exam tests written knowledge, speed, and accuracy.
In some states, a state certification is required, which means you will need to take the exam offered by the state. Otherwise, in order to be certified, you need to take the certification exam offered by the NCRA. You should check to see what your state and the Federal Government requires in the line of education and certification for your desired specialty.
In order to maintain the certification, reporters must earn 3.0 continuing education units (CEU) every three years. One CEU equals 10 hours of additional instruction. CEU's may be lectures, classes, or other educational experiences approved by the NCRA.
Membership with the National Court Reporters Association is an organization every student should consider. They offer an abundance of information to their members and have a reduced fee for students.
Court reporting is an exciting career. You will work alongside attorneys, judges and other legal staff in a courtroom setting. The career opportunities are good and the outlook for a position as a court reporter is growing as legal proceedings are not going to be cut back anytime soon. If you're interested in working in a legal career, but the thought of years of school to become an attorney sounds like to much to you, then consider a career as a court reporter. You'll be where the action is at. In addition, the pay is excellent and the opportunities are growing every year.
Becoming A Court Reporter
However, one job sector that looks stronger than ever is court reporting. California court reporters can look forward to a future of rising salaries and job security at a time when other industries are failing.
Why is court reporter a good career choice in California?
There are several reasons why court reporting is such a good career move for Californians in today's job market.
- The job cannot be outsourced. While many positions in the customer service industry or industrial sector are being sent overseas, it is impossible to do so with a court reporter. They must be present at the proceedings, so finding cheaper labor in another country is not an option.
- Court reporters cannot be replaced by technology. While there have been significant advances in speech recognition software, a human being will always be required in order to execute a court reporting job accurately and intelligently.
- There is a growing demand for court reporters. California court reporters have the advantage of living in one of the most litigious states in the country. And as the number of court cases continues to grow, so too will the need for people to record them.
In fact, a nationwide study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that court reporting job openings will increase by 25% over the next several years.
Salaries and benefits for California court reporters
Some individuals shy away from the court reporting business because they mistakenly believe that the job does not pay a sufficient salary. In actuality, the average income of an accredited court reporter last year was almost $72,000.
Other growth areas in California court reporting
In addition to standard court reporting services, many other peripheral services are bringing about growth in the industry. In California, there has been a significant rise in the demand for real-time closed-captioning for the hearing impaired. This is a task perfectly suited for court reporters who are, by design, skilled at transposing the spoken word into text quickly and accurately.
Also, many non-legal-related fields are utilizing the skills of court reporters. Businesses throughout the state use court reporters at internal meetings, shareholder functions and other events where maintaining a written record of the proceedings is crucial.
A challenging field to enter
Court reporters must undergo rigorous training before they can begin their careers. In fact, the challenging nature of this training is one reason why court reporters are in such high demand. According to several sources, as many as half of those individuals who begin training as a court reporter drop out before their education is complete.
But for those who stick with it, the benefits can be considerable. And the difficultly of the training process insures that every law firm who requests a California court reporter is getting a high-quality individual who will be able to execute the job with proficiency and professionalism.
Both J. Charleston & Mark Etinger are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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