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COURT REPORTER / STENOGRAPHER

Court reporters document all statements made in an official proceeding using a stenotype machine, and present their record as the official transcript. Because there is only one person creating an official transcript, accuracy is vitally important. Although many court reporters record official proceedings in the courtroom, most court reporters work outside the courtroom. Freelance reporters take depositions for attorneys in offices, and document proceedings of meetings, conventions, and other private activities. Others capture the proceedings in the U.S. Congress, State and local governing bodies, and government agencies at all levels.

Court reporters use stenotype machines, which allow them to press more than one key at a time to record combinations of letters representing sounds, words, or phrases. The symbols are then recorded on computer disks. The disks are loaded into a computer that translates and displays the symbols in English—this is called computer-aided transcription. Stenotype machines that link directly to the computer are used for real-time captioning. That is, as the reporter keys in the symbols, they are instantly transcribed by the computer. This is used for closed captioning for the deaf or hearing-impaired on television, or in courts, classrooms, or meetings. Court reporters who specialize in captioning live television programming are commonly known as stenocaptioners, and work for television networks or cable stations captioning news, emergency broadcasts, sporting events and other programming.

Stenographers take dictation and then transcribe their notes on a word processor or onto a computer diskette. They may take dictation using either shorthand or a stenotype machine, which prints shorthand symbols. General stenographers, including most beginners, take routine dictation and perform other office tasks such as typing, filing, answering telephones and operating office machines. Experienced and highly skilled stenographers take more difficult dictation. For example, they attend staff meetings and provide word-for-word records or summary reports of the proceedings to the participants. They also supervise other stenographers, typists and clerical workers. Some experienced stenographers take dictation in foreign languages; others work as public stenographers serving traveling business people and others. Technical stenographers must know the medical, legal, engineering or scientific terminology used in a particular profession.

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS

Court reporters work in the offices of attorneys, courtrooms, legislatures and conventions. An increasing number of court reporters work from home-based offices as subcontractors for law firms and transcription services. Stenographers usually work in clean, well-lighted offices.

Sitting in the same position for long periods can be tiring, and workers can suffer wrist, back, neck or eye problems due to strain, and risk repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. The pressure to be accurate and fast can also be stressful.

Many court reporters and stenographers work a standard 40-hour week, although about 1 in 4 works part time. A substantial number of court reporters, however, are self-employed, which may result in irregular working hours.

SPECIALIZED SKILLS

Although requirements vary, applicants with the best speed and accuracy usually receive first consideration in hiring.

EDUCATION

Court reporters generally complete a 2- or 4-year training program, offered by about 300 postsecondary vocational and technical schools and colleges. About 110 programs have been approved by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), all of which teach computer-aided transcription and real-time reporting. NCRA-approved programs require students to capture 225 words per minute. Court reporters in the Federal Government generally must capture at least 205 words a minute.

Some States require court reporters to be notary publics, or to be a Certified Court Reporter (CCR); reporters must pass a State certification test administered by a board of examiners to earn this designation. The National Court Reporters Association confers the designation, Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), upon those who pass a two-part examination and participate in continuing education programs. Although voluntary, the RPR designation is recognized as a mark of distinction in this field.

Stenographic skills are taught in high schools, vocational schools, community colleges and proprietary business schools. For stenographer jobs, employers prefer to hire high school graduates, and seldom have a preference among the many different shorthand methods. To qualify for jobs in the Federal Government, stenographers must be able to take dictation at a minimum of 80 words per minute and type at least 40 words per minute. Workers must achieve higher rates to advance to more responsible positions.

ADVANCEMENT

Stenographers can advance to more responsible secretarial positions, especially if they develop their interpersonal and communication skills. Some stenographers complete the necessary education to become court reporters.

NATIONWIDE EARNINGS

Court reporters and stenographers had median earnings of about $410 a week in 1996. The middle 50 percent earned between $340 and $550; the lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $280; and the highest paid 10 percent earned over $840 a week.

Court reporters generally earn higher salaries than stenographers, and many supplement their income by doing additional freelance work. According to a National Court Reporters Association survey of its members, average earnings for court reporters were about $1,080 per week in 1995. Regardless of specialty, earnings depend on education, experience and geographic location.

NATIONWIDE JOB OUTLOOK

Court reporters medical transcriptionists and stenographers held 98,000 jobs in 1996. More than 1 in 4 were self-employed. Of those who worked for a wage or salary, about one-third worked for State and local governments, a reflection of the large number of court reporters working in courts, legislatures and various agencies. About one-fourth worked for hospitals and physicians' offices. Other stenographers and court reporters worked for colleges and universities, secretarial and court reporting services, temporary help supply services and law firms.

Overall employment of court reporters and stenographers is projected to grow slower than the national average for all occupations. Employment of court reporters should be stable. The growing number of conventions, conferences, depositions, seminars and similar meetings in which proceedings are recorded should create demand for court reporters. Although many of these events are videotaped, a written transcript must still be created for legal purposes or if the proceedings are to be published. Also, the trend to provide instantaneous written captions for the deaf and hearing impaired should strengthen demand for stenocaptioners.

In addition, demand should grow for court reporters willing to freelance or take depositions for court reporting service bureaus. However, budget constraints should limit the ability of Federal, State and local courts to expand, even in the face of rising numbers of criminal court cases and civil lawsuits. Competition for entry-level jobs is increasing, as more workers are attracted to the occupation. Opportunities should be best for those who earn National Court Reporters Association certification.

The widespread use of dictation machines has greatly reduced the need for office stenographers. The traditional "steno pool" is almost a thing of the past. Audio recording equipment and the use of personal computers by managers and other professionals should continue to greatly decrease the demand for these workers.

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