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Judicial Court Reporting Everybody has seen a judicial court reporter, whether in person or on television. They’re the person usually sitting near the judge in the courtroom, busily typing away on a strange looking little machine. Just about everybody knows what they’re doing—transcribing the court proceedings—but how do they do it? It seems impossible that a person could effectively type everything that is being said by everyone in the courtroom. The answer to that curious question lies in the device that the court reporter is using. The little machine court reporters type on is called a stenotype. A stenotype allows the court reporter to type words as they sound, rather than how they are spelled. This use of phonetics allows the court reporter to type at a preternatural speed, some even reaching 300 words per minute—though you only need to type 225 words per minute to be certified as a court reporter which is set by the NCRA. Computer-aided transcription, or CAT, then translates the court reporter’s transcript into English text. This text can then be transferred to a variety of formats for corrections, research purposes, or to be used in further court proceedings. These days, court reporters are able to use new technology to provide even faster results, supplying the court with instant transcripts on computer monitors as the trial or deposition happens. This program, known as “realtime”, allows the judicial court reporter’s transcript to be instantly converted into English text. This text is then displayed for viewing by all in the courtroom. This new form of court reporting is particularly helpful in providing deaf, hard-of-hearing people, and those for whom English is a second language with the same legal rights as everyone else. Though most of us think of the person typing furiously on the stenotype in a courtroom when we think of court reporters, they do have another role to play. Court reporters are not limited to just the courtroom. In fact, only about 27% of court reporters actually work in a courtroom. The rest of them find employment with lawyers or law firms, who need them to transcribe depositions given by clients and others—a vital role indeed. If you are interested in becoming a judicial court reporter, you have a few options. There are plenty of schools of court reporting out there— some even online—willing to teach you how to use the stenotype effectively, and all of them will prepare you for working in a courtroom or for a lawyer. There are benefits to both sides of the coin, as most of us know. It mostly depends on what you are looking for in your career as a judicial court reporter. Working as a court reporter for a government, whether local, state or federal, offers steady, reliable work, stability, and great benefits. Working privately for a lawyer or law firm, a court reporter may find more day-to-day variety and room for advancement. Whichever way you choose, someone with judicial court reporting skills will always have options when looking for a job. Another related type of reporting is Realtime that has its developments in broadcast captioning. |