subject: Court Reporting Programs To Opt For [print this page] According to the US Labour Statistics (the ultimate voice in salary data), court reporters are in demand! And this demand is still growing! And you can enter this field with just a 10 month court reporting program!
A very attractive career especially when it comes to the training requirements. But what makes it equally interesting is that the salaries earned as a court room reporter is also appealing. Starting salaries around $25,360 for entry level positions and increasing to as much as $70K depending on your specialization, training and years of experience.
If you aspire to become a successful court room reporter you need specialized training in this field. English proficiency is critical, so if English is not your first language you need to improve it. Not that you can't enter a training program if English is not your first language but that you can show your proficiency. Having a legal background helps as you are required to be familiar with legal terms and medical legal terms. You will also be exposed to these areas in your training program.
An associate degree is ideally preferred by employers when looking for entry level jobs. These can be obtained within a period of two years. However if you want to specialize in voice transcribing reporting, you can complete the necessary training in less time. Some of these degrees can be done part time or online, if you are constricted in time. If you opt for the part time option you will need to dedicate 3-4 hours a day.
There are two modules you will need to master really well if you want to opt for the voice writing method and they are: Computer Aided Transcription or CAT and Speech Recognition Engines.
Diplomas in court reporting are also available and these are generally completed within a year. You can find these training programs in community colleges, business schools, court reporting school facilities or private colleges/universities. They can also be done via distance learning as well as online.
Upon graduation you are free to take up a court reporter position. Once you have a few years experience aim to join various court reporter registration bodies and pass the certification in your state if required. This would allow you to interact with other court reporters and form a network you can tap into.
The increase in demand for court room reporting professionals is primarily due to an increase in both civil litigation and criminal cases for individuals and firms in the courts in recent years. A trend that is likely to grow.
