Job Description in Specific Areas of Short Hand Reporting

A licensed/certified court reporter will have the knowledge and skills to serve in a number of

capacities within the profession, as the majority ofcourt reporter programs offer a

comprehensive education in court reporting, from deposition/courtroom procedures and

computer-aided transcription to closed captioning and real-time reporting.

However, depending on the needs of the employer or the technology employed, a court reporter

job description may have the title of: court reporter; closed captionist, webcaster, CART reporter,

or voice writer.

A job description for a court reporter may appear in one of many ways, including:

Court (judicial) reporting: Involves taking records of court proceedings, depositions, and

administrative hearings; it may be a freelance or employee position (may be stenograph

court reporting or voice writing)

Closed (broadcast) captioning: Involves working for talk shows, news, and sports for

national broadcast companies, local television stations, or television/movie studios

Realtime captioning: Involves providing realtime captioning for television broadcasts,

sports events, weather disasters/emergencies, and other live television events

Communications Access Realtime Reporting (CART): Involves providing specialized

services to deaf or hard-of-hearing people in live situations, such as college classrooms,

lectures, speeches, cultural presentations, religious services, civic events, and seminars

Webcasting: Involves providing realtime reporting services for Internet-based events,

such as corporate sales meetings, press conferences, product introductions, and training

seminars

Although there are a number of careers within the field of court reporting, all of which will

require their own, distinct set of requirements, there are a number of standard requirements and

duties:

Standard Requirements Among Court Reporters

While job descriptions for court reporters will, of course, depend on the industry in which they

work, they often have very similar standard requirements, including:

Court reporters must have proficient knowledge of:

Principles, practices, methods, and techniques of court shorthand reporting

Clerical and legal recordkeeping practices and procedures

Legal, medical and related technical terminology

Advanced spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and grammar skills

The English language

Court reporters must have the ability to:

Operate a stenographic machine at 200 wpm

Read back verbatim records

Work independently

Perform legal clerical work with a high degree of accuracy and speed

Court reporters must be able to successfully:

Follow oral and written directions

Remain seated for long periods of time

Concentrate for long periods of time

Communicate effectively in writing and orally

Establish and maintain working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, and members

of the public

Operate a variety of equipment, including transcription machines, computer terminals,

audio equipment, and printers



Typical Court Reporter Duties

A court reporter within a courtroom or legal setting must be prepared to:

Attend courtroom proceedings and other proceedings to make verbatim official

recordings and to record formal and/or informal meetings

Read back transcripts during trial and courtroom proceedings

Prepare transcripts according to standardized formats

Review and certify the accuracy of printed transcripts

File transcripts with the county clerk in a timely manner

Review court calendars and making arrangements for other court reporters to provide

services when needed

Provide administrative and court management support, as needed

Take court notes during hearings to note significant events and to locate and present prior

testimony

Perform clerk duties, which include administering oaths, marking documents,

maintaining logs and other forms, transferring stenographic files and notes to authorized

personnel for reference

Coordinate meetings and maintain the calendar for the judge and/or court

Schedule trials and other court proceedings (in cooperation with the clerk of court)

Perform administrative tasks, such as: answering phones, purchasing office supplies,

maintaining law library, and preparing expense vouchers

A court reporter working in a closed captioning, realtime captioning, webcasting, or CART must:

Be punctual, dependable, and flexible

Have extensive knowledge of world-events, sports, business and entertainment

Maintain a flexible schedule, particularly for realtime captioning

Possess extensive job dictionaries

Possess stamina, concentration and endurance for commercial-free and/or intense

programming

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