Court reporting agencies pick up slack as state and local governments cut funding
Ongoing efforts to wring savings out of state and municipal budgets have had public officials looking at the judicial system for years. Funding cuts have hit the courts hard in many areas, contributing to the buildup of lengthy case backlogs.
In some jurisdictions, court reporting positions are being eliminated to save money. Not all proceedings need to be transcribed and local officials are taking advantage of this fact to cut costs.
However, people charged with lesser crimes and those involved in civil litigation doubtlessly feel that the outcome of their cases is quite important. In these situations, the parties or their attorneys may be responsible for arranging the creation of any deposition transcripts that are necessary for them to make their case.
This is putting more demand on private transcription services firms. Hopefully the positive outlook for litigation services jobs will continue to draw new talent into the field to meet the growing demand.
We recently looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed that despite the pressure being placed on publicly employed court reporters, the outlook for the profession remains strong.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), as well as analogous groups at the state level, continue to offer support to individuals who are interested in becoming a court reporter.
Later this month, the NCRA will be conducting a webinar titled “Realtime Tips and tricks.” According to the organization’s website, the online seminar will provide attendees with practical techniques that they can use to become better at performing transcription services.
The webinar, which promises to offer “something for everyone,” will be held on Thursday, January 31, at 8 p.m EST.
The NCRA has also planned several other events for 2013, including the organization’s annual convention, which will be held in August at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN.
