Educational Preparation

• Students planning to become court reporters should be ready to attend school for an average of 2 1/2 years. Upon graduating and finding a position as a court reporter, it normally takes less than one year to become a beginning voice writer. To become a real voice writer, new court reporters need to work on their skills for at least two years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  
  Aspiring court reporters take classes at colleges, vocational schools or technical schools. The National Court Reporters Association certifies programs that require their students to achieve a minimum recording speed of 225 words per minute -- this is also the requirement for court reporters working in the federal court system. Students wishing to enter a certified court reporter program must earn a high school diploma or its equivalent, according to Criminal Justice Careers.
  
  

Certification

• Upon graduation from a court reporter program, court reporters in some states may be required to take an examination for certification as a court reporter.
  
  The National Court Reporters Association administers a four-part certification exam for registered professional reporters. Those court reporters who desire continuing certification may need to take continuing education courses. Voice writing court reporters can earn certification by testing through the National Verbatim Reporters Association.
  
  New court reporters or those preparing to graduate should study their state's requirements for court reporter licensing. Some states require their court reporters to become certified by taking the court reporter exam while others require their court reporters to become notaries public.
  
  Other forms of licensure include the National Verbatim Reporters Association, with three national certifications: certified verbatim reporter, certificate of merit and real-time verbatim reporter.
  
  

Job Expectations

• Court reporters' duties begin before transcribing at a trial. Voice writers or stenographic court reporters have to create a computer dictionary and maintain this so they can translate voice codes or keystroke codes into typed text. They may also have to customize the dictionary with parts of words, terminology that is specific to the trial, complete words or voice files. Stenographic reporters are also expected to edit the computer-generated translation, ensuring that the grammar is correct. Regardless of format, all court reporters have to ensure accurate identification of places and proper names. They also prepare written transcripts, run copies and give information from the written transcript to counsel, parties, the courts and to the public, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  
  

Methods of Court Reporting

• Methods of court reporting include stenotyping, which allows the court reporter to press more than one stenotype key simultaneously. Symbols representing sounds, words or phrases are recorded on a computer disk or CD-ROM for later transcription into text.
  
  Voice writing is the second form of court reporting, involving a court reporter speaking into a stenomask with a microphone. As she hears the testimony being given, she repeats it verbatim into the mask. She is responsible for recording everything said by people in the courtroom, including emotional reactions and physical gestures.
  
  A third method of court reporting is electronic reporting, with audio equipment being used to record the proceedings in a trial. The court reporter listens to the recording, ensuring quality and clarity, and takes notes to identify who is speaking.