How Do I Become a Court Reporter?
A court reporter can be an exciting and profitable career choice.
The job requires a very high level of speed and accuracy to efficiently transcribe the spoken word into written text.
In many cases, the job needs to be done in real time.
In other instances, a court reporter can transcribe his work at a later date.
The services of a court reporter are needed in courtrooms, lawyer’s offices, business meetings, religious services, training seminars and television stations that offer close captioning for the hearing impaired.
So, how do you become a court reporter and what training is required?
It will depend on what level of court reporting you wish to do as to whether or not you will need lengthy training or limited training.
One form of court reporting, a steno typist will demand 33 months of formal training in a community college or vocational training center.
Whereas, if you decide to become a voice writer, you are looking at less than a year of training and electronic court reporters receive mostly on-the-job training.
Court Reporter Certifications
Some states require licensing even for a voice writer. The National Verbatim Reporters Association offers three different types of certifications to voice writers that is equivalent to what is needed to obtain a license.
Individuals seeking these certifications must pass a written test consisting of spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, legal and medical terminology.
They must also prove that they are efficient with regard to speed, accuracy and silence in dictation and transcription.
There are three main organizations that offer certifications and/or support for court reporters.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), The United States Court Reporters Association (USCRA) and The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT).
Within these organizations, there are different levels of certification.