by: Deborah S. Hildebrand

You’d like to work in the legal field but have opted out of being an attorney; thus, a career in court reporting could be the career for you.

Job Description:

According to the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), about 30 percent of court reporters work in the courtroom while some do freelance work taking depositions for attorneys and document proceedings of meetings. Others specialize as broadcast captioners, captioning live programming; as webcasters, capturing and transmitting information via computers; or as CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation) reporters, providing services to the deaf or hard-of hearing.

Just like any training, becoming a court reporter requires commitment. In addition, being a court reporting requires strong communication and listen skills as well as accurate grammar, punctuation and an extensive vocabulary. These skills are necessary to take and transcribe verbatim records of speeches, legal proceedings, meetings and other events.

There are several methods of court reporting including stenographic, using a stenotype machine; electronic reporting, using audio equipment; and voice writing, speaking directly into a voice silencer.

Education and Training:

While the amount of training varies

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