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Court reporting entails converting the oral proceedings into contractual legal transcripts. Other than working in the courtrooms, they also take records during board meetings, legal depositions and speeches where a written transcript is essential. Over the years, the demand for court reporters has been on the rise. A research represented by Ducker Worldwide, in partnership with National Court Reporters Association, brings a staggering twenty thousand court reporters under the employed category.
The Professional requirements
Finding a court reporter hasn?t been passed as an easy task considering few people have the ability to acquire and retain math and computing skills while similarly developing the artistry. A court reporter must possess the skills to operate a 23 key machine which requires thumb strokes on the vowel keys. The state exam passed by National Court Reporters Association requires that one should have a dictation speed of 225 words per minute for an average of five minutes at a 95 percent accuracy mark. To ensure that speed is contained, a court reporter should be familiar with the use of shortcuts of each specialty; for example ?it is? at the end of a medical term referring to a form of inflammation. It is like learning another language in a written form as opposed to verbal.
The mode of service delivery
Not all court reporters work in the courtroom environment. Some opt to work from home or central offices where they can broadcast captions for various television stations or for the hard of hearing persons. A recent research shows that more than 70 percent of the states of a slightly exceedingly fifty thousand court reporters offer their services while at home or in offices through legal videoconferencing.
Hiring a court reporter
Finding a court reporter who is certified may need deep scrutiny. When looking for a court reporter for hire, they need to possess a high school diploma. A majority of the community-technical institutes and colleges offer post-secondary certificate programs for court reporters. The program takes an average of thirty-three months and two weeks where one requires licensing from the state or certified by a professional association to work in a legal setting. Any aspiring court reporter should strive to perfect the acquired skills by transcribing spoken words under a set number of hours, preferably fifteen hours each week. It will likely furnish the court reporters? mastery.
The career path
Finding a court reporter requires intense verification not only of the individuals speed but also the language prowess needed in the profession. The legal term can be misguiding if not recorded or interpreted correctly. A senior court reporter requires one year of work experience as a court reporter and, at least, three years word for word reporting experience in the court while still holding a certification. However, once licensed a court reporter can either operate individually or join an existing firm that requires the services.
