College is hard, and court reporting school is no exception. The team of experienced reporters at O’Brien & Bails would like to share the following tips to court reporting students.

To be a successful court reporter, you need to expand your vocabulary. Read any and all types of books, and if you come across a word that you do not know, look up the definition. Download a vocabulary app that teaches you a new word each day. Take the time to learn medical prefixes and suffixes, as well as basic legal terms. The more words you are familiar with, the better reporter you will be. You should also keep up with the news at a local and national level. This is a good habit to begin because once you are a court reporter, you could work on a variety of cases that pertain to current societal issues.

Research the technology and types of machines to find one that you are most comfortable using. Check into what is most often used in your geographical area. Once you have learned how to operate the stenograph machine, you need to practice typing each and every day. In order to become a certified court reporter, you must be able to type 225 words per minute (wpm) accurately. That doesn’t just happen over night. It takes hours and hours of practice to reach that speed and accuracy. Set aside time each day to practice. Many court reporters have claimed that they had to practice at least three to four hours per day to graduate. When you first begin practicing, focus on accuracy rather than speed. Being able to type at a fast speed does you no good if your transcript is full of misspellings and punctuation errors.

When you are practicing, make sure that you are positioned correctly and not looking at the keys at all times. You should be sitting up straight with both of your feet flat on the floor. Position your keyboard so that your forearms are parallel to the floor. You should feel comfortable while typing. If you experience pain in your arms or shoulders, try adjusting your chair or the height of your machine. Stretching your hands, arms and neck can help prevent tension. The more time you spend typing on your machine, the more natural it will begin to feel.

When practicing, start a dictionary on your stenography machine and program frequently used words. When you come across a word you have difficulty typing, pause and write the word down. Keep a running list of all the words that you struggle with. Then, practice typing that list of words repeatedly until you no longer struggle with them, and add them to your dictionary.

While in court reporting school, utilize your resources. Ask professors questions, meet up with fellow students to practice typing and seek out advice from experienced reporters. School can be challenging, and you need a support system to encourage you to keep going. The stronger your network, the better you will be. You can also look for an internship opportunity to be proofreader or a scopist for an experienced court reporter. Research the different types of court reporting—official and freelance to determine where your dream job is.

O’Brien & Bails wishes you the best of luck in your court reporting studies! Remember, nothing worth having comes easy. You can do this. For more court reporting tips, visit https://www.thejcr.com/or https://www.ncra.org/.  Do you want to learn what it takes to be a successful court reporter? Read our blog on the ‘Top 10 Skills of the Best Court Reporter.’

Because court reporting is a highly specialized skill, it takes a special type of person to be a court reporter and do it well. The best court reporters possess certain qualities and skills that make them good at what they do.

1. Punctuality
When a court reporter is given an assignment, the best court reporters will show up to the venue on time or a few minutes early. If a court reporter shows up 20 minutes late, that is 20 minutes wasted on the part of all attorneys, as well as the deponent. The best court reporters know that punctuality makes them more reliable and valuable to clients.

2. Confidentiality
Court reporters are involved in many different types of legal actions. Many times the testimony that is being recorded is confidential and sensitive information. The best court reporters understand that information heard in a proceeding is not to be repeated elsewhere.

3. Neutrality
As officers of the court, court reporters are to maintain neutrality when working on cases. Upon hearing testimony, they do not share their opinions about the case. The best court reporters simply record what is spoken. They do not enter into special contracts for services with one party over another. Instead, they treat each party equally, providing the same services with the same price structure to all parties.

4. Business Etiquette
The best court reporters are familiar with and use good manners and business etiquette. They understand how to introduce people in a situation where parties do not know each other. They are always on time. The best court reporters dress appropriately for a business setting. They know that using good manners and business etiquette go a long way in cementing a business relationship.

5. Grammar, Punctuation and Proofreading
Court reporters produce a written transcript of the spoken word. When a witness speaks, he or she does not provide punctuation. The best court reporters know the rules of punctuation and how to apply them to the spoken word. They are good at proofreading. Their transcripts will hold little to no errors, typos, or misplaced punctuation.

6. Assertiveness
During a legal proceeding, the court reporter will sit, listen, and record the spoken word. They are not an active part of the proceedings. However, there are times when a court reporter does need to speak up in order to make an accurate record. The best court reporters know when to stop a proceeding to ask a witness to speak louder. They do not hesitate to make requests from parties when necessary, such as ask for spellings of names, cities or streets mentioned in the proceeding at the conclusion of the deposition. The best court reporters know when to speak up and be assertive in order to make an accurate transcript.

7. Organizational Skills
Most court reporters work independently and have a large amount of control over their own schedule and work load. They have to balance many activities effectively. Organizational skills are needed in order to manage witnesses and exhibits during a proceeding. These same skills are needed when preparing a transcript and ensuring that it will be delivered on time. The best court reporters are well-organized and are reliable.

8. Time Management
Most court reporters spend a large part of their time working independently. The best court reporters know how to organize their schedule. They know how to manage their time in order to deliver an accurate transcript on time. The best court reporters know how to prioritize their tasks and activities in order to meet their responsibilities.

9. Customer Service
Customer service is important in any industry and especially true in court reporting. The best court reporters are committed to providing good service and accurate transcripts on time. They can anticipate some of the needs of their clients. They know that great customer service is one of the best ways to build a good working relationship with clients and gain repeat business.

10. Shorthand Writing Skills
Writing machine shorthand is a highly technical skill. Not everyone has a talent for learning the shorthand language and how to write it. The best court reporters have a gift for writing shorthand. They continually strive to increase their skills by obtaining higher levels of certification. These higher levels of certification require a court reporter to possess a higher level of knowledge of the industry as well as the ability to write at higher speeds and rates of accuracy. The best court reporters know there is always room for improvement and continually strive to obtain higher skill levels.

The best court reporters enjoy their career. They reproduce every spoken word into a transcript that creates an official record of testimony. They are punctual. They understand confidentiality and neutrality. They are good at time management, punctuation and grammar. The best court reporters provide an excellent service and superior customer service. When working with the best court reporters, attorneys can rest assured the record will be accurate and delivered on time.

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