A day in the life of a court reporter

As their job title suggests, court reporters commonly work inside courtrooms, but their specialized skills also open doors to other workplaces. Court reporters’ services are useful at speeches, conventions, legal proceedings, meetings and many other events. Proficient court reporters will find work in comfortable, professional settings, such as attorneys’ offices, courtrooms, legislatures, conventions or schools. Some even choose to work in home office settings as freelance court reporters.

No matter the setting, court reporters must ensure that their records are complete, accurate and secure. Sometimes, a court reporter’s work primarily benefits the deaf or hard-of-hearing. When these individuals require assistance, the court reporter’s services provide closed captioning or real-time translation of spoken words.

One variation of the work performed by a court reporter is Communication Access Real-Time Translation, or CART. CART reporters work with hearing impaired students and individuals who are learning English as a second language. They accompany these students to their classes and provide closed captioning and transcription services. Computers and more widespread use of the Internet also allow these services to be provided off-site. So in some instances, the CART reporter may work from a remote location, and would not be needed in the actual classroom.

There are three primary court reporting methods:

1. Stenographic Reporting:
   • The reporter uses a stenotype machine to document all statements that are made
   • The stenotype machine allows the reporter to push multiple buttons at once to create letter combinations that represent sounds, words or phrases
   • The symbols are electronically recorded, translated by a computer, and displayed as text (this is called Computer Aided Transcription, or CAT)
2. Electronic Reporting:
   • Audio equipment is used to record court proceedings
   • The court reporter takes notes and listens to the recordings to ensure clarity and quality of the sound
   • After the proceedings, the reporter creates a written transcript of the event
3. Voice Writing:
   • The court reporter speaks into a voice silencer— a hand-held device that contains a microphone and that prevents the reporter from being heard by others nearby
   • The reporter repeats everything that is being said in the courtroom by judges, witnesses, attorneys or other parties
   • The reporter also makes note of the gestures and emotional reactions that accompany any statements made in the courtroom
   • After the proceeding is over, the reporter transcribes all of his or her records
   • Stenographic or voice writers create and maintain the computer dictionary they use to translate their keystroke codes or voice files into written text (the dictionary can also be customized to fit the material that is being transcribed)
   • These reporters also edit the computer translations to ensure correct grammar and accurate spelling of proper names and places
   • All court reporters make copies of their transcripts and distribute these to others after the proceeding has ended