How fast can you type? If you have ever wished to be a deposition court reporter, the minimum is 225 words per minute to be certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). The NCRA has about 20,000 stenographers in the U.S., but professional court reporting is about more than simply being able to type lightening-quick.
What Is Appealing About the Job?
Other than the words per minute requirement, the job of stenographer may seem like a good job. Unlike some office jobs, a deposition court reporter has very clearly defined tasks associated with their job. This straightforwardness could be appealing. The projected job growth for court reporters is expected to increase by about 10% by 2022, so there will be a need for skilled typists. Job descriptions may include: closed captioning; realtime captioning; communications access realtime reporting (CART); webcasting; and of course, court reporting.
Schooling for Deposition Court Reporters.
You do not need a degree to be a court reporter. Some of the court reporter certification programs recognized by the NCRA may result in a degree upon completion, but that distinction is not a requirement to be licensed. It is important to know the specifications for deposition court reporters in the state you intend to practice. The specifications may be very similar, but it is better to know then not. It is important to note that certain jobs require a different certification. For example, a stenographer hoping to work with realtime captioning would need to earn their Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) certificate.
The deposition court reporter is an integral part of the court room. As the official record keeper of the proceedings, accuracy is perhaps the most important requirement trustworthiness. It is a job that is attractive because of its straightforward nature, the fact that it is one of the few well-paying jobs today that does not require a degree, and for its projected growth. But remember: court stenographers hear and record testimonies. It is a certainty that there are days that the court reporters hear things they would rather not know, as with other jobs within the justice system. If this does not bother you, then perhaps a job as a deposition court reporter would suit you.