Court Reporting Diplomas

If you are working towards a career in court reporting, this article is for you! Our hope is that after reading this article, you will have a better, more realistic understanding of what to expect.

Becoming a skilled court reporter is much easier said than done. In fact, statistics indicate only 10% of those who enroll in a court reporting course actually earn all of the certifications required to become a qualified court reporter. Becoming a court reporter requires skill, determination and 100% of your focus.

Contrary to popular belief, having a diploma in court reporting is not all you need in order to become a court reporter. There are different types of court reporting certifications that are based on the amount of words you can type per minute, and only certain levels of these certifications are recognized by most court reporting firms.

Unfortunately, having a court reporting diploma for 160 words per minute just is not adequate enough to become a professional court reporter. If you have a court reporting diploma for 160 words per minute, you may be able to take on less involving tasks, like transcribing audio recordings that can be replayed in order to achieve the highest level of accuracy. But using software like Word and macros will allow you to type on a keyboard as fast and more accurately than using your shorthand machine at 160 wpm.

When it comes to court reporting, replaying proceedings is not an option. Once something has been said, it is gone. That is why it is so important for court reporters to capture every word as it is said—being able to type at least 225 words per minute with an accuracy level of at least 97% is a court reporting prerequisite. After all, the smallest detail or subtlety could make a huge difference in the outcome of a trial.

Accuracy is also important if you are providing CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) or Captioning services. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing are relying on you to be their ears. The accuracy of your services will allow those with a hearing loss the understanding and information they need when providing voice-to-text services. At Neeson & Associates, all of our stenographers possess shorthand speeds of well over 225 words per minute, all with a general accuracy level of 99%. In addition to outstanding transcription, arbitration and captioning services, we can also provide records for US depositions. If you need a space to hold your proceedings, you can take advantage of our conference room rental or meeting room rental services, complete with meeting room client care staff.