Court Reporters – Job description
Court reporters are professionals who produce word-for-word recordings of court proceedings using traditional shorthand techniques or shorthand (stenotype) machines. Court reporter’s positions are highly sought after because they are in demand to provide rapid, accurate transcriptions of often highly technical legal proceedings.
Court reporters work in both federal and state courts, as well as other settings such as law offices or other establishments, where they provide real-time captioning services for meetings and conferences that are simultaneously translated into text messages. Court reporters generally have excellent listening and stenography skills as well as an average typing speed of 200 words per minute (WPM) with an overall accuracy rate of 97.5%.
It’s also important to note that the court reporter profession is quite demanding and it requires a lot of skills. As it’s the court reporter’s job is to take down everything that is said in the courtroom, day after day, year after year, they are generally required to have the following skills:
- Language fluency & Stenography skills
- Accuracy – you must be able to accurately take down every word that’s spoken in the courtroom.
- Technical skills such as court reporting equipment operation and use.
- Typing speed and accuracy, all while keeping up with the verbal proceedings of the room.
A Court Reporter job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:
- Transcribing speech into written records after court sessions and Ensuring that records can be easily read and understood
- Using traditional shorthand, stenograph machines, or ‘real-time’ computerized systems to make accurate records of the proceedings;
- Attending court sessions and Reading back transcripts to lawyers while in court as required
- Editing texts and Producing final transcripts
Court Reporters Salary in California
Since Court reporters work for firms contracted by the Ministry of Justice to provide reporting services to courts of appeal, court reporters in California are required to have a license that is granted by the state and they are usually hired by attorneys, judges, or parties for court proceedings.
Court reporters are an essential part of the judicial process, their translated written transcripts are used for providing official records of what happens during trials, depositions, or other court proceedings.
How Much Do Court Reporters Make in California? There are a number of factors that go into the salary of a court reporter in California, they include the type of work, experience, and certification level. It is estimated that the annual median salary for a Court Reporter in California is $89,990.
The average hourly wage for a Court Reporter in California is $43.26, which amounts to about $89,990 per year. The lowest 20% makes about $55,500 annually, while the highest 20% makes about $120,510 per year.