While a new court reporter or a current student may think the only things that matter in the profession are the speed and accuracy with which statements can be transcribed, there is one other thing that is simply critical for a reporter to have: a sense of ethics.

Court reporters are responsible for creating the official record in many different situations. In this way, they can be seen as having the "last word" in any deposition, trial or other event. This is a tremendous position of public trust for an individual to be in, which is why it is essential for court reporters to not only act ethically at all times, but also ensure that their behavior never gives off the appearance of any type of bias or conflict of interest.

Any failure on this front could significantly damage the reputation of certified court reporters everywhere. The National Court Reporters Association's (NCRA) Code of Professional Ethics offers a concise set of guidelines to help working reporters ensure that they are on their guard against "not only the fact but the appearance of impropriety" and able to "maintain the integrity of the reporting profession."

To promote awareness of the importance of impartiality to the court reporting profession, the NCRA is currently pushing a program called Ethics First. The initiative encourages court reporters to educate their colleagues, including lawyers and members of their staff, about the need for them to maintain neutrality in both fact and appearance.

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