As with any new profession, it is difficult for inexperienced people to gain experience. This is also true with court reporters. Due to the nature of the business, many court reporting firms are hesitant to hire new court reporters fresh out of school unless they already have interning experience and have passed the requirements for certification either nationally or for their state. There are a variety of ways that court reporting students can gain experience before joining the work force. While they may still be a little bit inexperienced, a helpful or ambitious employer willing to take on the responsibility as mentor can bridge the gap between inexperience and competency.
School
Court reporting students must pass many rigorous standards to graduate from school. Many schools adopt the requirements of state or federal guidelines, then raise the bar a bit higher. They must pass speed and accuracy tests before they are granted a diploma or certificate. Students must take timed tests in increments as they progress through school. They are usually prohibited from taking a higher level class until they have passed the speed for the level before it. Unlike conventional university or college courses, court reporting students will not graduate until all required classes are passed.
Internships
Part of the court reporting student curriculum is to have a specified number of hours of hands-on experience. An internship is the most common method of gaining these hours. Students are paired with a professional court transcription service, where they can learn the ropes up close from veterans. One of the most important parts of
the internship is to shadow a professional court reporter, also called a court stenographer. They "sit in" on depositions, hearings, trials and other types of proceedings. This gives them the experience of seeing what it is really like without the responsibility of having to create a certified transcript. While the intern may prepare a transcription of the proceedings, it is for practice only. The veteran stenographer produces the job as usual and offers many tips for the student, such as how to act, what to wear, where to park, and how to handle a variety of situation. The intern may also receive pointers on how to prepare a transcript faster and more accurately. Interns also learn the ropes from the firm's office staff. They may be asked to work in the office for several hours and assist with answering the telephone, preparing schedules, binding transcripts and producing electronic formats.
New Reporters
Even after graduating from school and passing certification tests, some new court reporters may have a difficult time finding a job. It takes a patient, benevolent employer to hire someone just out of school. The first several assignments are usually "dress rehearsals" until the head of the company is comfortable with the proficiency of the new stenographer. This requires a number of assignments when they are sitting in with veterans and learning the nuances of the company, such as format, grammar and identification rules. Most rookies are kept off of medical malpractice and serious criminal cases until the firm's decision-maker is comfortable with their ability to meet company standards.
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