4 Skills That Make For A Good Court Reporter
on account of difficulties appearing at first sight to be insurmountable...
-From the book Stenography: Or A Brief and Simple System of Short-hand
By Morris Coleman, 1858
So you want to be a court reporter? Court reporters have an incredibly important job. They take the spoken word and capture history in the making. There are a multitude of skills required to become a court reporter. This article - while not exhaustive - is a good place to start to see if you have what it takes to become a court reporter.
1. Court Reporters Strive For Accuracy
Are you a detail-oriented person? Court reporters need to be conscious of the finer points of several subjects including grammar, transcription and the stenograph machine. You`ll be a great court reporter if you`re good with details and enjoy striving for accuracy.
- Are you a person who is detail oriented?
- Are you a person who shows up on time?
- Are you a person who likes to be professionally dressed?
- Are you a person who is easily stressed out?
- Are you a person who is confident in front of others?
Much of what a court reporter does is punctuate what others say. As a court reporter you will be spending almost as much time punctuating and proofing transcripts as you will be in court or in a deposition. A good court reporter needs to have excellent English grammar skills. One simple rule is to use short sentences. In other words, use a period as soon as possible and avoid the over-use of the comma.
3. Court Reporters Strive To Be Excellent Though Not Perfect
Court reporters strive to be excellent listeners as well as stenographers; however, nobody is perfect and an unhealthy sense of perfectionism can actually be a hindrance to becoming a court reporter. Are you a perfectionist? Successful court reporters strive for excellence instead.
4. Court Reporters Are Diligent
Like learning any new skill, becoming a court reporter requires diligent effort. And once one becomes a court reporter, diligence and hard work are expected. If you are a person who perseveres and consistently can work towards a goal, becoming a court reporter just might be the right profession for you.
These four skills are just some of what it takes to become a successful court reporter. The good news is that any individual can learn these skills even if they don`t happen to posses all of them in the beginning. With patience and hard work, you can become a court reporter and enjoy the many benefits of working in the legal field.
05/15/2008
