The Student Corner

What is Court Reporting?

According to the NCRA, court reporters are “highly trained professionals who share a unique ability to convert the spoken word into information that can be read, searched and archived.” Court reporters, also known as stenographers or Certified Shorthand Reporters (CSRs), capture and preserve a record of what transpired during legal proceedings, including depositions, hearings, arbitrations and trials. The final deliverable, a verbatim transcript of the proceeding, can be used as evidence at trial. In addition to legal proceedings, court reporters can also provide closed captioning service for live television broadcasts as well as other events.

What are the Different Types of Court Reporters?

As court reporters are highly trained professionals, there are a variety of job opportunities, including:

• Freelance: As a freelance court reporter, you will be an independent contractor working directly with attorneys, corporations and other business entities to capture the record during depositions, mediations, arbitrations, business meetings and more.
• Legislative: As a legislative court reporter, you’ll work in the United States Congress and state legislatures around the country.
• Official Court Reporter: As an official court reporter or deputy court reporter, you will work directly for the courts, within the courthouse. This includes during highly publicized criminal trials, lawsuits and other proceedings.
• Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Provider: CART Providers provide realtime translation streaming in-person or remotely for the deaf and hard of hearing community. 
• Broadcast Captioner: A Broadcast Captioner provides a realtime translation feed for televised events such as sporting events and news broadcasts.
• Scopist: Scopists edit transcripts created by court reporters, helping to ensure an accurate record.
• Proofreader: A proofreader reviews and makes notations on the transcript of any errors such as spelling, grammar, punctuation and formatting.

How Can You Get Started with a Career as a Court Reporter?

How do you know if the court reporting profession is for you? Register for a free 6-week Basic Steno Training course through Project Steno to learn the basics of shorthand theory and become familiar with the stenograph keyboard and machine. After completing your introductory course, you can enroll in school to begin your journey to becoming a court reporter.

There are court reporter training programs located across the country at various schools, community colleges and universities. These programs typically take 2-3 years and require strict dedication to honing your skillset. See a list of programs through NCRA and Project Steno Partner Court Reporting programs.

U.S. Legal Support Student Mentorship Program

Joining our mentorship program empowers students to hone their skills, build their industry knowledge and develop strategies to navigate their professional growth and development. Students are invited to participate in weekly virtual mentor meetings with experienced court reporters, covering a variety of topics including:

• Remote reporting
• Realtime technology
• CAT software
• Financial wellness
• Job types
• Deposition procedures
• File management
• Life cycle of a deposition
• Health and wellness
• And much more!

During each mentor meeting, students will have the ability to ask questions, receive feedback and further develop their career goals. Each meeting is recorded and available within the Student Corner Unit section of our StenoLife Facebook group.

After joining our mentorship program and meeting personal speed goals, we invite students to join our internship program – see below for more details.

To learn more and join, email [email protected].

U.S. Legal Support Court Reporting Internship Program

The U.S. Legal Support Court Reporting Internship Program is available to high-speed or qualified court reporting students and Notaries in applicable states, as well as newly certified reporters.

Students will be matched with an experienced court reporter who will offer real-world lessons and experience as well as guide them through practicing a variety of skills. Opportunities within the internship program include:

• Job shadowing
• Having your jobs proofed and reviewed
• CAT software training

In order to participate, students must be actively enrolled and participating in the U.S. Legal Support Mentorship Program.

For more information and to get started, please download our U.S. Legal Support Court Reporting Internship Program application and return it to [email protected]