Court Reporter

Court Reporters document spoken testimony, ensuring there is always a verbatim record of legal proceedings, meetings, depositions and trials. There’s more than one type of Court Reporter, so if you’re considering the field, you can choose your area of expertise based on your strengths and interests.

Most commonly, Court Reporters transcribe using stenotype machines that allow them to push several keys at once to record phrases as they are being spoken. These machines don’t use the standard keyboard you’re used to seeing on your computer. Instead, the keypad is comprised of symbols that represent words and sounds. When these symbols are strung together and put through a computer, the end result is a transcript of what was said in sentence form.

Other types of Court Reporters create transcripts using audio devices that record proceedings. They monitor the device at trial, write down names, take notes, and combine these elements afterward to create a complete transcript. Court Reporters also capture testimony using voice silencers, which are hand-held masks that make your voice inaudible. As someone speaks, you repeat what they say and any gestures they make into the mask, where it is recorded.

As a Court Reporter, you’re way more than just a Typist. Ever notice during televised trials that whenever the Court Reporter needs a break, the Judge complies? It’s because you’re that important. It’s vital to legal proceedings that accurate transcripts are kept in case the Judge, jury or Attorneys need to go back and read what was said. Kudos to your eyes and ears, and to your precise and reliable nature.