Court reporters play a major role in our court systems. According to experts, their average salary is $49,885 per year. Maybe these wages are making you consider a career as a court stenographer.
Becoming a court reporter is easier than you think. You’ll have to earn a high school diploma, a certain number of college credit hours and meet your court’s licensing or certification requirements.
States like Texas and Florida require you to take a certification exam. If you want to work in the Federal Courts, you’ll need to become a notary public.
Getting the required academic and licensing credentials is a start. However, it’s vital to learn what court reporters do before beginning your journey.
Want to learn the typical responsibilities of a court stenographer? Here are the top 5 duties of court reporting.
1. Attend Court Proceedings to Create Official Recordings
Court reporters support judges by attending all court proceedings that require transcriptions. You’ll attend the hearings and procedures to keep an official record of what happened in court.
These records may be referenced later in the case or when the judge files their decision. You may record official and unofficial meetings as well.
2. Perform Administrative Tasks
As the right hand of a judge, you’ll also take care of the typical administrative tasks to maintain the office. Taking phone calls, preparing expense reports and purchasing office supplies such as this collection of labels are examples of these tasks.
3. Take Notes During Court Proceedings
Judges may also require you to take notes during a court proceeding to record important events. Your account of the court proceedings will help locate and evidence prior testimony. You may have to review notes for names of speakers and technical terms as well.
4. Maintain Court and Judge Calendars
Besides record keeping, a court stenographer is in charge of coordinating with the clerk of the court trials and court proceedings for the judge. You’ll also schedule all meetings and maintaining the calendar for the judge and court.
These tasks may vary depending on the court. If you help more than one judge, you may need to maintain the calendar for several judges.
5. Perform Clerk Duties
These court reporting duties aren’t the same as the administrative tasks. These responsibilities refer to administering oaths, maintaining and marking records.
You’ll also be in charge of transferring court reports and notes to authorized officials. Another important clerk duty is providing copies of court transcripts and recordings to counsels, courts, and parties.
Can You Handle the Responsibilities of a Court Reporter?
While it may seem overwhelming, you can handle the duties of a court reporter. It comes down to getting any required certifications and studying at a great college. Before attending school, you should research to learn about the best court stenographer programs in your state.
Don’t dismiss taking an online program. However, the key is choosing a court reporting program with a great track record that fits your budget and prepares you for your court reporting job.
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