What is a court reporter?
Also known as a stenographer, a court stenographer is a person who is tasked with recording every word that is spoken in legal and other procedures where an accurate recording is required. There are several methods to perform the reporting function, but the vast majority are done stenographically (using a shorthand machine). Legal services careers are diverse. Some reporters work in federal, state, and local courts; the remaining balance of reporters work in the freelance world reporting depositions, hearings, meetings / conventions, and other miscellaneous matters where an accurate transcript may be needed later.

Choice of career.
Both personally and financially, careers can be very rewarding. The personal challenges of achieving your professional certifications from the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), knowing that your efforts are helping justice be served, working as a team to meet client needs, meeting or exceeding deadlines to maintain and get new business, all that keep your attention and increase confidence in your reports; which, along with strong earning potential, create the recipe for a successful lifetime occupation. Learning court reports is not for the faint of heart. A high level of skill is required to achieve the necessary shorthand writing speeds. Historically, previous experience with playing a musical instrument or rapidly achieving very high typing speeds showed the connection between the brain and the fingers necessary to accomplish this feat.

Earning potential:
The income potential is very good. Wisconsin court reporters and national court reporters earn a median income ranging from $ 30,000 to $ 60,000. Freelancers tend to earn more, with the top 10% making more than $ 85,000. Depending on the certifications you receive and your desire to develop your skill beyond the basic Registered Professional Reporter certification, your income can rise to more than $ 100,000. At Gramann Reporting, our overall average income among all active reporters, including the and half time, is $ 65,000.

Future outlook:
With many reporters reaching retirement, in addition to the need for captioners as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there will continue to be a constant shortage of court reporters. These career options will remain attractive even as electronic recording threatens to take on some of the roles of court reporter in certain courts and other situations. The need for the stenographic reporter is strong given its unique ability to transcribe in real time and the ability to produce transcripts more quickly from the spoken word in contrast to other methods.

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