Court Reporter

Also known as:

Stenographer
Shorthand Writer
Verbatim Reporter

Introduction

Court reporters attend court to make a verbatim record of the hearings. They record witnesses' evidence, the judge's summing up, the verdict and any later sentencing hearings.

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Work Activities

There are two main reasons for reporting what happens in court. In long cases, lawyers need to see a transcript of the day's proceedings to remind them of what has taken place and help them prepare for the next stage of the case. When a case goes to an appeal court, a record of the original case is used by legal professionals to help them prepare and to see how decisions were reached at the time.

Court reporters listen carefully to the court proceedings. They record proceedings by using a stenographic keyboard linked to a computer-aided transcription (CAT) system. This system enables reporters to input whole words or phrases at the touch of a button. Depending on the system used, some reporters must wait until the end of the day to transfer their record from computer disk to a word processor before they can produce a transcript. It is the court reporter's responsibility to produce a clear and accurate transcript. They may have to edit their text to make sure it is grammatically correct and easy to understand.

Increasingly, reporters are able to type directly on to a computer that can produce a transcript straight away for judges and lawyers. In this 'real-time' recording, reporters must have even higher standards of speed and accuracy.

Court reporters must be prepared to travel over a wide area to attend court, perhaps for just one day.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You must have good powers of concentration and the ability to pay close attention to detail. You must have excellent written and spoken English language skills, to produce grammatically correct edited transcripts. You must also have good computer keyboard skills.

A good understanding of legal terms and jargon is also important. You must be capable of speedy and accurate work, so very strong listening skills and a high level of concentration are crucial. Stenotyping speeds of at least 200 words per minute are essential for experienced court reporters.

You must be punctual; a court case cannot start until the court reporter is present. You must have a confident nature because occasionally a judge will ask a reporter to read aloud a part of the text to the court.

You need good hearing to understand speech which may be mumbled or in an unfamiliar accent or dialect.

You will also need a smart appearance.

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Pay and Opportunities

Earnings for court reporters vary depending on skill level and experience.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Court reporters in Scotland tend to earn in the range of £12,000 - £17,000 a year. In England and Wales earnings can be £15,000 - £30,000 a year. Experienced top-level reporters, in both cases, might earn considerably more.

Earnings are made up of a daily rate for court attendance, plus an additional amount for the production of transcripts. However, fees can vary considerably between firms.

While most courts sit between 10:30am and 4:30pm, hours can be irregular, so court reporters must be flexible in their hours of work. Part-time work may also be available.

Most court reporters work as self-employed, freelance reporters who find work with firms of shorthand reporters. In Scotland, these firms provide court reporters to work in the Sheriff Court, the High Court and the Court of Session. Court reporters may also work outside the legal profession as shorthand writers or verbatim reporters. There are only a very few firms which cover the whole of Scotland.

This is a small profession and opportunities in court are becoming fewer as, increasingly, court proceedings are being taped.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Entrants with relevant skills and experience, for example, gained as a shorthand secretary or legal secretary, have an advantage.

Courses in machine shorthand are available full-time, part-time and by distance learning from Sorene Court Reporting and Training Services.

Most court reporters work as self-employed, freelance reporters who find work with firms of shorthand reporters.

• 95% of people in occupations such as court reporter are self-employed.

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