Important Skills to Become a Successful Court Reporter

By: Jilio-Ryan | Posted in: court reporter

Court reporting is a complex job in a highly specialized field that requires a strong commitment to excellence. It is the job of the court reporter to capture the words spoken in court and to maintain an exact and official transcript of the proceedings. This allows the judges and attorneys to have immediate access to the information in real-time.

Skills That Can Help You Become the Best Court Reporter

The following skills are a must when it comes to court reporting. They all provide the necessary elements that are required to do the job and do it well.

• Speed and Accuracy

  In order to qualify as a certified court reporter, you must have a typing speed of up to 200 words per minute and an overall accuracy rate of 97.5%. They should also be able to keep up with the pace of the conversation.

• Punctuality

  Court proceedings cannot start until the court reporter has arrived and is ready to record the proceedings. Court reporters must maintain excellent time management skills and professionalism in the courtroom and with meeting deadlines for the delivery of the transcripts.

• Confidentiality

  Court reporters are responsible for maintaining classified records that may contain confidential details such as financial statuses or information about the private lives of others. They must keep this information confidential since any access by unauthorized parties could jeopardize the case.

• Neutrality

  As a court reporter, it is not up to you to take a side. A professional court reporter understands the importance of recording accurate information while maintaining impartiality.

• Proper Protocol

  Court reporters should be familiar with social etiquette in regard to the courtroom and proceedings. They should act with professionalism and have the ability to remain composed during stressful situations.

• Attention to Detail

  Accuracy is a must, not only in collecting information but also in how it is presented in a document. Court reporters are responsible for punctuating sentences and proofreading transcripts for grammar, punctuation mistakes, and misspellings.

• Organization

  Being reliably organized as a court reporter requires having equipment and people set up correctly before and during the proceedings. Some court reporters will need to cover more than one case. This requires someone with the ability to multitask and balance different activities effectively.

• Technical Skills

  Court reporters need to have mastery over their technology including stenography machines and computer-aided transcription software. They should be able to keep up with the growing and changing technology needs of deposition reporting.

Consult Jilio-Ryan Court Reporters for a Quality Court Proceeding Transcript

As a court reporter, you are the one who will be in charge of keeping accurate records of everything that happens in a deposition or courtroom. The skills you have should be like finely tuned pieces of equipment. It’s up to you to maintain them and always has them available when you are called in to handle a job. At Jilio-Ryan Court Reporters, Tustin, CA we only have the best court reporters on hand. When you need a court reporter with outstanding skills, we are the ones to call. Contact us today to get started.