Court reporting graduates in high demand
This blog has previously discussed how the court reporting industry is increasingly evolving. From its humble beginnings when reporters used only pens and paper, to the advent of the stenography, realtime court reporters are now able to instantly recall what someone said during a deposition or trial.
But, this isn't without extensive training, according to WPXI, the local NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The source recently spoke with students in the court reporting program at the College of Allegheny County, led by Mary Beth Johnson.
"All my friends and my sisters went to a four-year school and I watched both of them struggle to get a job and it made me nervous," Carolyn Graser, a classmate at the school, told the source. "But it's nice that I definitely have a guaranteed job."
According to the source, demand is rising for court reporters, as these professionals will often take on second roles providing the captions for live sporting events. Not only do the arenas need these individuals to provide the captioning for jumbotrons and other monitors, but major broadcasters will need their services as well.
Furthermore, new regulations stipulate that any internet content broadcasted on regular television must now have a caption option available electronically, increasing the need for court reporters to stream media sites such as Hulu and Netflix.
In addition, the pay for these employees is rising since they have a unique set of skills and are in high demand. Johnson told the source that many graduates earn six-figure incomes. But in order to graduate the program, students will need to pass three speed tests at 225 words per minute.
Lawyers and judges in the Midwest may benefit from partnering with Wisconsin court reporters as these well-trained professionals are capable of enhancing their practice with accurate deposition transcripts.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:39 am
Great news!