| Court reporters are responsible for creating transcripts | | | | it is most common for a court reporter to record the |
| of speeches and conversations that take place in legal | | | | events in the courtroom by microphone and then to |
| proceedings. A court reporter will usually be | | | | transcribe them later. |
| responsible for transcribing spoken information into a | | | | Court reporters will typically work 40 hours a week in |
| written transcript, which forms the basis of a accurate | | | | a comfortable setting and an increasing number will |
| legal record that can be reviewed on a later date. | | | | work as freelancers from home base offices. Training |
| Stenography is the most common form of court | | | | will vary depending on their specific duty, but the |
| reporting, and stenographers will use a special machine | | | | average stenographer will need 33 months of training. |
| that allows them to press multiple keys, allowing | | | | Most stenographers are certified by the National Court |
| information to be recorded quickly. Voice writing is | | | | Reporters Association, and some states also require |
| another form of court reporting that is utilized, where a | | | | official licensing in order to record court proceedings. |
| court reporter will speak directly into a microphone in | | | | In 2006, these professionals had about 19,000 jobs in |
| order to create a record of the events. | | | | America, with about half working for state and local |
| They will have a number of responsibilities, which will | | | | governments, and the rest working for law firms and |
| also include knowing the terminology that will relate to | | | | other agencies. Job growth is expected to be |
| the case on which they are working, in addition to | | | | excellent over the next 10 years as people want up to |
| providing written transcripts and making copies of | | | | the minute news on court proceedings. |
| these transcripts for the public and the court system. | | | | In 2006, the middle 50th percentile of these |
| Some court reporters will also provide services for the | | | | professionals made between $33,160 and $61,530, with |
| deaf and hard of hearing through the communication | | | | those working in local government making $45,080 a |
| access real time translation system, and speech | | | | year. Compensation and benefits for court reporters |
| recognition technology is sometimes used in order to | | | | will vary depending on the type of job and the region |
| transcribe the history of a court session. Due to the | | | | of the country in which they are working, although |
| complications of a computer identifying various voices, | | | | most received some type of benefits. |