3 Ways to Become a Better Court Reporter
Becoming a court reporter is no easy task. There is much to learn in order to complete a court reporting program and gain your certification. But learning doesn’t stop there. The judicial system depends on good qualified court reporters who can provide the best services. For a court reporter to get to the top of the field requires a continual expanding of skills, knowledge and experience. So how does a court reporter become a better court reporter?
1. Expand Your Skills
A court reporting career begins by graduating from a court reporting program and becoming certified. Beyond initial certification, there are many ways to acquire higher skill levels through further certifications. The National Court Reporters Association offers several levels of certification including:
Registered Professional Reporter (RPR)
Registered Merit Reporter (RMR)
Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR)
Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC)
Certified CART Provider (CCP)
Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS)
Certified Reporting Instructor (CRI)
Master Certified Reporting Instructor (MCRI)
Certified Program Evaluator (CPE)
Gaining higher levels of certification allows you to demonstrate your commitment to the industry and build credibility in the eyes of your clients. It allows you to build and showcase your skills. More doors of opportunity will open to you as you gain higher certification. This is one way to continue to advance your career.
2. Expand Your Knowledge
Another way to become a better court reporter is to expand your knowledge. This includes expanding your knowledge of the profession. A great way to learn more about your industry and profession is to get involved in your state and national court reporters associations. Associations will have opportunities for you to meet other court reporters. While networking with other reporters, you will be able to talk to a wide variety of reporters who have the same issues and concerns that you deal with every day.
Besides networking with other reporters, associations have a number of opportunities to get involved. You may wish to participate in workshops and seminars that will allow you to further your skill level and learn about topics of particular interest to court reporters. Associations often are involved in lobbying efforts on court reporting issues. If you’re looking for a way to give back, many associations can put you in touch with a pro bono program that will allow you to donate your services to low-income citizens in need of legal court reporting services.
3. Expand Your Experience
The best court reporters have a wide variety of experiences in different areas of the profession. Once you become a court reporter and get comfortable with the profession, you may consider broadening the types of assignments you take in order to begin to challenge yourself. For instance, if you’ve never taken medical malpractice cases, you may begin to look for resources to start familiarizing yourself with medical terminology, and let your employer know you’re interested in taking on the higher challenge of medical testimony. Or maybe it’s time to start working on your realtime skills. You may be interested in CART and find an opportunity to job shadow a local CART provider. If you’re interested in improving your speed, you might begin preparing for a speed contest. Look for ways to challenge yourself. Find one that’s right for you, and pursue it.
Becoming a better court reporter takes time. You can continue your journey one step at a time. Choose one challenge to work on. Once you’ve mastered that challenge, choose another. The reporters who are at the top of the industry have done exactly that. They have mastered one new area at a time, and have done so over the full lifetime of their careers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Jones is a court reporter, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Brown & Jones Reporting, Inc. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Google+.
