Facts about Court Reporters

January 6, 2017 7:45 am Published by

You see court reporters on television shows and live court proceedings and wonder if we’re always in the courtroom. The answer is a definitive no! It’s one of the facts about court reporters that you might not know. Our skills extend past the legal setting and can be used in closed captioning, business settings, and community meetings, to name a few.

Court Reporters are not just for legal teams.

While reporters play an important, if not integral, role in depositions and court proceedings, we’re not just for legal teams. Our skills can also be applied to other services including closed captioning, real-time reporting, business events like seminars and webinars, arbitration, church services, community and board meetings, and services for the deaf and hearing impaired.

We’re in demand but there’s a court reporter shortage.

According to the Ducker Worldwide Court Reporting Industry Outlook Report, by 2018 there will be a shortage of at least 5,000 court reporters across the nation. California is set to be hit in a big way with an estimated shortage of more than 2,300 reporters. This is due in part to the demand for services outside the courtroom as well the aging court reporter population who are retiring in the coming years.

The average age is higher.

The average age for court reporters is about 53 years old, about a decade older than the average American worker. That represents a need to not only fill current positions where reporters are retiring but to also fill the new needs in the marketplace. That’s good news for new reporters who can expect to make an average of $42,000 right out of court reporter school. With experience, you can make six figures and that’s all without a requirement of a four-year degree.

Technology isn’t replacing the human factor.

While some courts and businesses rely on recordings, we find the quality to be less than desirable. People tend to talk over one another or there are noises recorded that can make discerning what is being said and by whom nearly impossible. The better option is to hire a reporter and/or a legal videographer. There’s really no replacing the human factor when it comes to getting an accurate account of events!

Whether you’re a business in need of live captioning for a webinar or a Sacramento area attorney with an upcoming deposition, we have the experienced court reporters to meet your needs!

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This post was written by anne

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