What Needs To Be Done To Become A Court Reporter

There will usually be two kinds of people that are interested in the requirements for a court reporter, which includes those that are thinking of making court reporting their career, and those who are wanting to hire court reporters. No matter which category you fall under, knowing all of the different requirements of a court reporter can help you with your decision. These are some of the different requirements that must be met for someone to be a very successful court reporter.

Education Requirements

The time and education that is necessary for becoming a court reporter will depend a great deal upon the reporting that someone pursues. Foe example, it will take about 33 months of study to become a real-time stenographic reporter, which includes the basic court work. However, real-time voice writing will require about 24 months of study to become proficient. While there are different disciplines when it comes to court reporting, as well as different lengths of study, every court reporter will have to start by tackling the same core courses ranging from the history of the court reporting field to different workshops on styles and helping to create speed while typing.

Licensure

To become a court reporter, the process is similar to that of an attorney being that the prospective reporters have to be able to pass a state test to practice court reporting officially. Reporters are also able to substitute state licensing with one of the tree different national voice writing certifications that are put out by the National Verbatim Reporters Association, including Certificate of Merit, Certified Verbatim Reporter, and Realtime Verbatim Reporter. Just as you would have to do for the state license, certification through National Verbatim Reporters Association will call for testing.

Post Education

Most attorneys will usually practice any area of law with a specialty in a particular area. By the same token, a court reporter can take on a variety of reporting assignments, yet they may specialize in certain kinds of court proceedings and depositions, much like those that focus on medical, business and religious matters. If you are someone working for an organization that needs to procure a court reporter, look for one that is familiar with the specific kind of proceeding.

Personal Requirements

If you feel that court reporting relies on qualifications and education alone, you should think again. Just as any other occupation, this is a field that requires a lack of bias and a capacity for boredom. Movies and television will often sensationalize various legal proceedings and the litigation support around them. The court reporters and legal professionals will usually end up in proceedings that are less than stimulating. A good reporter will be able to weather any scenario and offer a transcript that is unbiased and dependable.