Are Court Reporters Certified?

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Capital Reporting Company is dedicated to providing you with highly qualified court reporters who can fulfill all of your deposition needs. In most professional fields, one means of determining qualification is through certification. Are court reporters certified? The short answer is yes. However, in the world of deposition services, there are many kinds and levels of certification, which we will explore in this post.

In 1937, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) issued the first certificates to 27 court reporters as a means of denoting their excellence and reliability. These court reporters earned their certifications by transcribing five minutes of literary dictation at rates of 160 words per minute (wpm). The NCRA distinguished these court reporters as Certified Professionals (CP’s)– what would today be known as a Registered Professional Reporters. Since 1937, the standards for certification have greatly evolved alongside court reporting technology. As of now, there are three major levels and many different kinds of court reporting certification, all of which require specific demonstrated abilities. The three main tiers of certification are as follows:

  • Registered Professional Reporter (RPR)- This is the foundational level of certification and the present-day equivalent of a CP. To obtain RPR certification, a court reporter must transcribe 180 words per minute in literary settings, 200 words per minute in jury charge and 225 words per minute in testimony settings–all with a minimum accuracy rating of 95%. Currently, 22 states use the NCRA’s RPR exam as their standard of certification. However, many states have their own state licensure and certification requirements. A court reporter in Chicago may have to fulfill different requirements from one in Washington DC.

  • Registered Merit Reporter (RMR)- Once a court reporter is registered as an RPR and a member of the NCRA, he or she may take an exam and become a Registered Merit Reporter (RMR). To become an RMR, a court reporter must, again, demonstrate skill in literary, jury charge and testimony transcription, but this time at a rate of 200 wpm, 240 wpm and 260 wpm respectively. Again, a court reporter must be able to transcribe this dictation with a proven accuracy of 95% in each section.

  • Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR)- RDR certification is a means of distinguishing outstanding professionals in the field. An RDR must be able to transcribe in literary, jury charge and testimony at a respective 200, 240 and 260 wpm. However, an RDR must also sit for a written exam and demonstrate additional skills across technology, reporting practices and professional practices. To take the RDR exam, a court reporter must be an RMR with 5 continuous years of NCRA membership, beginning with Participating or Registered member status. RDR certification is a means of distinguishing outstanding professionals in the field of court reporting.

The NCRA currently estimates that there are 11,000 Registered Professional Reporters in the US, over 2100 Registered Merit Reporters and over 450 Registered Diplomate Reporters.

Beyond the three tiers of proficiency, court reporters may also qualify for additional certifications. For example, one can become a Certified Realtime Reporter by passing a test in which one successfully sets up and operates realtime court reporting equipment, writes a minimum 200 words per minute with 96% accuracy, and then converts the files into a final text format. Other related certifications that court reporters may obtain include:

  • Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC)

  • Certified CART Providers (CCP)

  • Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS)

A court reporter may also obtain instructor certification as a Certified Reporting Instructor, a Master Certified Reporting Instructor or a Certified Program Evaluator (CPE).

To learn more about our court reporting company and our professionals’ abilities, contact Capital Reporting Company today, and find a highly qualified court reporter near you.

Shortage of Court Reporters Predicted

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Jill Cohen

Shortage of Court Reporters Predicted

According to the recent Court Reporting Industry Outlook Report commissioned by National Court Reporters Association, there will be an estimated 5,500 new court reporter jobs available by 2018 in the United States.  The greatest demand is expected in California, Texas, Illinois, and New York.  However, this demand for court reporters will likely exceed the supply within five years.  Already some states are feeling the impact of the court reporting shortage.  In South Carolina, criminal proceedings have had to be delayed because no court reporters have been available to record the proceedings.

The court reporting industry is experiencing this shortage as graduation rates from court reporting schools fall and the population of court reporters ages.  Seventy percent of court reporters are 46 years of age or older.  As older court reporters retire, younger court reporters are not rising up to fill the ranks, despite the significant advantages to a career in court reporting.  A court reporter has job security and the opportunity for growth without the expensive requirement of a four-year college degree.  And the average starting salary – currently $43,000 – is forecasted to grow 14% in the next five years.  A more experienced court reporter can make upwards of $100,000 annually.

To combat the shortage, court reporting schools are doing their best to provide attractive incentives to newcomers.  Some schools, such as the College of Court Reporting in Hobart, Indiana, are offering significant tuition discounts.  Most schools work hard to ensure all students are placed with a full-time position upon graduation.  In fact, most students will receive multiple job offers before they even graduate.

With all of these perks, why aren’t more young professionals headed into the court reporting field? One of the key problems seems to be a low awareness of the profession.  Further, a career in court reporting is challenging.  Court reporters must have an extremely high attention to detail and be very strong in English grammar.  Given the nature of the work, court reporters may be required to work through the night or throughout a weekend to complete a transcript.  Most court reporting positions are also very independent.  Court reporters will largely work from their home, and when they are on the job they are expected to be “seen and not heard.”  The job does not provide the camaraderie and socialization that today’s millennial generation desires.

Although advances in voice-recognition technology continue to be made, this is still not a valid alternative to the accuracy of a court reporter, and likely will not be for years to come.

Court Reporting Machines: How Do They Work?

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Jill Cohen

Court Reporting Machines: How Do They Work?

In English a person can speak at a rate of 180 to 200 words per minute. Try to listen to a person speaking at that rate and typing their words on a conventional QWERTY keyboard. Even if you are a master typist, at best you may be able to type 80 words per minute. Enter the stenotype, a technological wonder that Washington DC court reporters like the ones at Capital Reporting Company have been using for decades. With the help of computers, however, these machines are faster and more accurate than ever. Using a stenotype, a court reporter can type over 200 words per minute. In fact, the world record for stenotype transcription stands at 275 words per minute.

Court Reporters in Washington DC use stenotypes to ensure court procedures move forward as quickly and fairly as possible. The stenotype, our court reporting machine, is a 22-key word processor. The left side of the stenotype is for the left hand to type initial consonant sounds. On the right, the final consonant sounds exist. Below these are the vowels. These keys can be pressed all at once so as to create syllables, words or even phrases in a single stroke. Think of a piano: with just 88 keys, a skilled pianist can combine notes to produce a lovely Christmas carol or a classical symphony and anything in between. With simply the 22 keys of a stenotype, one of our award winning Washington DC court reporters can reproduce the sounds of English words and phrases.

However, it is unlikely the words that your Washington DC court reporter transcribes will look anything like traditional English.  As you may see by now, the court reporter transcribes words by their sound rather than their spelling. Therefore to type “court,” a court reporter will start by pressing not a “c” but a “k” to give the initial sound. Using a single key or a combination of keys, the court reporter also recreates the “o” sound. The same goes for the later consonant sounds.Once this is done the court reporter will need the aforementioned computer to help to translate the words into conventional English orthography.

The court reporters at Washington DC’s Capital Reporting Company use up-to-date software to interpret the court transcripts. Each court reporter has his or her own glossary of sounds that tells a court reporter what a word or a set of sounds should represent. In this way, a Washington DC court reporter can distinguish between words such as “by” and “buy” when context does not make this distinction clear. Advances in technology such as this, in conjunction with years of training and court reporter experience, allows a court reporter to transcribe court dialogue with great accuracy. If you are looking for an experienced court reporter in Washington DC, you can contact us at 800-655-3679 or simply click here to schedule a Washington DC court reporter.

Why Are Court Reporters Necessary?

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Jill Cohen

In the 21st century, there are mountains of choices in hardware and software that can record and even transcribe the human voice. Why, then, you may ask, are court reporters still so essential to the legal process? For one, voice recording and recognition technology are nowhere near capable of detecting the subtle nuances of human speech. How many times have you spoken a command to your smartphone, only to have it completely misinterpret what you’ve said? The human ear, or more accurately, the human mind, is the most careful and precise analyst when it comes to human speech patterns.

In the courtroom, this can mean a difference in verdict or judicial interpretation. If a lawyer says to a witness, “you did it,” this phrase can be read any number of ways. It takes the accurate ear and linguistic knowledge of a court reporter, like those at Capital Reporting Company, to understand the subtleties of that simple, three word phrase. Was it a statement (“You did it.”) or a question (“You did it?”) and on which word did the emphasis fall? These are all inflections that the skilled, experienced ear of a Washington DC court reporter might catch.

Additionally, court reporters are able to accurately interpret other small variations within a language such as accents, speed, or sudden switches between English and one’s native tongue. Especially in a cosmopolitan area like the District of Columbia, Washington DC court reporting relies on trained ears and insightful analytical minds. The list of uses for an accurate human reporter goes on, but let us focus on one of the most important: written record. At the end of the day, judges rely heavily on the detailed written records that court reporters produce. When sound volume and technology fail, judges need reliable transcription of the day’s events.

Court reporting is still a painstaking and highly valued task. Even as courtrooms across the country and in Washington DC cut costs, court reporters are still seen as indispensable within the judicial system. This is why awards for excellence in court reporting are still allocated, such as the “Best Court Reporting Service” award which Capital Reporting Company received from the Legal Times in 2013.

None of this is to say, however, that courtrooms or court reporters do not embrace technology. With today’s electronic advances, computers can instantly translate stenotype shorthand to provide judges with courtroom notes in real time. Combine that with the accuracy and experience of our Washington DC Court Reporters for the most accurate recording of your legal proceedings. Contact us or schedule your Washington DC court reporter here for courtroom transcription with unmatched accuracy.

Court Reporters: Typing Wizards or Technologically Savvy?

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Court reporters: Typing Wizards or Technologically Savvy?

A court reporter can type up to 99.5% of all dialogue accurately. This is important when finances, child custody or legal penalties are at stake. It is crucial that Washington DC court reporter reflect exactly what has been said, so that justice proceeds smoothly. For this purpose, a Washington DC court reporter employs a special machine known as a stenotype. This is how court reporters can transcribe courtroom speech and deposition testimony so quickly.

A stenotype is a kind of word processor, but unlike your computer, it does not use a typical QWERTY keyboard. Instead, the court reporter uses a 22-key machine. How does the court reporter type without all 26 letters of the alphabet? Simply by responding to sounds instead of words: the left hand transcribes the initial consonant sounds of words, such as the “K” phoneme at the beginning of “courtroom”. The right hand types the final consonant phonemes, but since there is no “M” sound at the right hand side of the keyboard (or anywhere for that matter), the court reporter uses a combination of keys that will represent the “M” sound. Below these sets of keys are the numbers and then the vowels. Just four vowel keys can be combined to represent the myriad of vowel sounds in the English language. Think of all the ways we can pronounce the letter “O.”

An experienced Washington DC court reporter relies on his or her ears when reporting, to highlight the unique sound of a word. This saves time and difficulty when guessing how to spell any unfamiliar terminology. While speech recognition technologies exist, they are yet to match the trained accuracy of a court reporter’s ear, and likely will not advance to that stage for many years to come.

At Capital Reporting Company, our highly trained court reporters work with stenotype technology to produce fast and accurate legal transcription. Court reporters, over the years, develop their own unique glossaries of sounds so that they may know, for instance, that “RORT,” typed on a stenotype, translates to “Report.” Using their cultivated shorthand vocabularies, a court reporting professional can translate and review his/her transcriptions to give an accurate, documented account of court proceeding or deposition. In this way, a court reporter can transcribe dictation at a pace of at least 225 words in a minute.

Founded by two attorneys and a seasoned court reporter, Capital Reporting Company combines the speed and accuracy of our stenographers with reliable courtroom technology. The National Law Journal/ Legal Times ranked Capital Reporting Company as 2013’s Best Overall Provider of Court reporting Services. Our court reporting accuracy and reputation for excellence speak to the quality of service you can expect from us. We provide court reporting services not just in the Washington, DC metro area but throughout the United States, to ensure your legal matters are reported carefully and precisely. Contact our Washington, DC office at 800-655-3679 to learn more about our legal transcription and other services.

How Long Is a Typical Car Accident Deposition?

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Jill Cohen

How Long Is a Typical Car Accident Deposition?

Just like court cases can last from just a few minutes to days at a time, the depositions can vary greatly in time length as well. The type and severity of a court case can affect the duration of a deposition. A typical car accident deposition will not last for days, however. Let us talk about what duration you can expect from such a proceeding. There are three questions to evaluate to determine the length of an automobile accident case: How big is the case? How important is the witness? And How complex is the case? These are the questions that can help lead you in the right direction.

How Big Is The Case?

Typically, smaller cases require shorter depositions, and larger cases require longer depositions. Extensive damages and injury entail more in depth questioning to uncover important causes and details, while “soft tissue” damages can lead to a more routine, quicker line of inquiry. The reason for this is simple: Depositions cost time and money. A lawyer’s time, as well as the production of a transcript do not come for free. If a case is smaller, it simply does not make logical or economic sense to invest money in long depositions when they are not needed.

How Important Is The Witness?

The second question evaluates the importance of the witness being deposed. Depending on how central a witness is to a case can impact the length of a deposition. Key witnesses entail more in depth questioning, meaning more time on the record, while ancillary witnesses do not demand as much time. The key witness in a typical car accident case will most likely be the injured victim. This victim’s testimony is probably much more important than a secondary fact witness, and will typically last longer.

How Complex Is The Case?

Are the facts clear? How complicated the issues and how severe the damages are can impact the extent of the inquiry needed to uncover what exactly happened. Personal injury lawyers may need to spend a significant amount of time exploring the facts to determine the reason for accidents with complex causes. Automobile accident cases that have additional claims underling them will need investigation into these extra claims as well. To explain, consider an accident that occurred while on the job: There may be a conjunctive workers compensation case that the victim may be involved in that will require more time to explore. Or consider an automobile accident that was the cause of a vehicle malfunction: A products liability case could make the investigation of the accident more complex and time consuming.

These are the questions, but what are the answers? How long is a typical car accident deposition? There are no exact answers, but there are some general trends that can help you know what to expect. In a small accident deposition, here is what you can anticipate:

Main Injured Plaintiff 2-3 hours
Defendant 1-2 hours
Witness .5 – 1 hour

Again, there are no exact numbers to calculate. Every case and witness is different and requires their own time to uncover the important information. These questions, however, are a great starting point to predict how long a deposition will be.

What It Takes To Be A Certified Court Reporter

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Jill Cohen

What It Takes To Be A Certified Court Reporter

In the year 1935, the first 27 court reporters to be officially certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) earned their certificated of Proficiency by transcribing 5-minute dictations of literary material at 160 words per minute.

The NCRA has come a long way since then. Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the organization has built themselves as a valuable resource for professionals pursuing a career in court reporting. Today, the NCRA has set much higher standards for certified reporters to earn their title. In 1935 these 27 Court Reporters Became “Certified Professionals” (CP). A CP is the modern day equivalent to a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), the first of 3 certification levels. The second being a Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), followed by a Registered Dipomate Reporter (RDR).

Each of these levels has their own standards for achievement. Stenographers are able to become an RPR by scoring at least 70% on the RPR exam. This exam focuses on three areas: Technology, Reporting Practices, and Professional Practices. Additionally a court reporters transcription skill’s in literary, jury charge, and testimony settings have to exceed a minimum of 180, 200, and 225 words per minute, respectively, with a 95% accuracy rating on the final transcription, a far cry from the testing standards in 1935.

To progress to an RMR, a court reporter must pass these areas of evaluation at 200, 240, and 260 words per minute. An RDR, however, must pass a written exam to test one’s knowledge and experience. This is the highest level of achievement for a court reporter and allows veteran court reporters to distinguish themselves as excellent professionals in the industry.

Court reporters are able to extend their skill sets to other certifications as well. A Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), for example, must prove during testing that they can set up and operate realtime equipment, write at a consistent 96% accuracy level at 200 words per minute, and convert their file into a final text file format. Other certification programs include a Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC), a Certified CART provider (CCP), a Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS), a Certified Reporting Instructor (CRI), a Master Certified Reporting Instructor (MCRI), and a Certified Program Evaluator (CPE).

Certification test centers exist all over the country, including many here, in the Washington, D.C area. They provide the opportunity for aspiring reporters to build valuable knowledge and practice to pursue successful careers in the court reporting industry.

What Is A Deposition? Please, Someone Explain It!

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Jill Cohen
What does a witness know?

The purpose of the discovery process in legal proceedings is to find out exactly that. This discovery process is a period of investigation to gather the evidence and knowledge essential to legal counsel in building a successful argument in court. Information is shared among parties proceeding the case dismissal, settlement, or the taking before trial. The discovery process can entail several methods of investigation, including answering interrogatories, the production of documents, requests for admissions, as well as the conduction of a deposition.

A deposition exists as a part of this discovery process to uncover the facts that will help them prepare to go to trial. But what is it? It is an out-of-court oral testimony in which a witness is sworn under oath to answer a series of questions relevant to the legal matter. In depositions, witnesses are called before counsel and sworn in by a court reporter to unearth the facts of the case.

In such proceedings, a certified court reporter is called to record these testimonies and preserve them for later use. Using a stenograph machine, and often video recordings, the proceedings are documented to be later transcribed.

In federal cases, depositions are governed by rule 30. This is directive that stipulates the circumstances  of witness appearance, formal requirements in the reasonable notice of deposition, the production of documents, the requirements in methods of recording (audio, audiovisual, or stenographic), as well as the protocol of the deposition; This meaning the conduction of the officer, as well as the necessary on-the-record statements. Rule 30 also stipulates grounds for termination of the deposition, in addition to regulations for certification and delivery of the transcript and any exhibits that may be cited during the proceedings. A notable piece of Rule 30 is its conditions of an errata, which gives time for a witness to review the testimony and state any changes to the record as an addendum meant to clarify statements for accuracy and full understanding. Most state courts have rules that parallel the regulations set by rule 30 as well.

What Does A Court Reporter Do?

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Shari Broussard

A court reporter plays a pivotal role in the documenting of depositions, hearings, and various other courtroom proceedings. Court reporters, also known as stenographers, use stenotype machines to provide a record that will be used for the transcript. These stenotype machines are unlike common keyboards and allow reporters to phonetically type multiple letters per stroke, resulting in maximum efficiency in the courtroom. Stenotype machines are equipped with word processing capabilities that have the ability to translate each reporter’s shorthand language into the written English language while the stenographer is typing.

There are various types of reporters, but the most common are audio reporters and stenographers. Audio reporters differ in that they are recording the proceedings and not physically typing up what is being said at the time of the court room proceeding. Afterwards, they will either transcribe the audio recording on their own, or send it out to be transcribed by another resource. Stenographers actually type up what is being said on the record and will only use their recordings as a supplement if they so choose. The more experienced stenographers also have the ability to type in real time with at least 95% accuracy as a requirement of the NCRA (National Court Reporter’s Association).

When discussing the concept of court reporters, it is important to note their role as independent keepers of the record. This requires every reporter to be impartial to either side. Court reporters are all independent contractors that are simply vetted. Overall, this requirement is important when trying to maintain objectivity during the legal process.  In order to become a court reporter in some states, one must obtain certification.  Other states, and the District of Columbia, do not require certification.

Stenographers and audio reporters are able to earn their accreditations a variety of different ways such as: technical school, vocational school, or college. Reporters can even obtain their certification online as well. It is very important that the school chosen is certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or The National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA). It is not a requirement for non-government agencies; however, government agencies do not use reporters that have attended an institution without this certification. The government also offers a specialized field for Federal Reporters. Court reporters who want to work in a federal court can earn a Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR) certification. As with most degrees, once schooling has been completed, testing is required in order to earn certification. A Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) is the most common type of reporter certification. In order to receive this accreditation, it is required to pass a series of three timed tests. Of course there are many types of certifications that can be pursued, but it is important to note which avenue appeals the most to one’s interest.

What Should I Wear To My Deposition?

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Shari Broussard

Projecting Professionalism Is Important During A Deposition: Dress Accordingly

Depositions can be stressful, and the last thing you want to be worrying about is whether you are wearing the right clothing. Capital Reporting Company handles many, many depositions each and every day, and our goal in this article is to give you some sense as to what we observe from witnesses in depositions.

For starters, let’s break things down into two categories: conventional depositions and video depositions. In a conventional deposition, the only evidence of the deposition itself will be the transcript. There will not be any photographs or video of you; accordingly, in theory, it does not matter what you wear because you won’t be seen. In a video deposition there will be a videographer and a stenographer at the deposition. The stenographer will transcribe your testimony, and the videographer will be placing your testimony on a digital memory card. When a deposition is video taped, what you wear becomes far more important.

It’s Better To Overdress Than Underdress

Even though – again, in theory – you will only be seen by a jury if the deposition is video taped, the witnesses we observe in most depositions are dressed professionally. What does “professionally” mean? In practice, witnesses are dressed as if they were attending a job interview, and some of the same rules apply. Being over dressed is better than being under dressed. Make sure your clothes are clean, neat, and pressed. Dress conservatively. Common sense governs here, of course.

Moving to the nitty gritty, here are some things we see when we serve as the court reporter:

  1. Most men will wear a collared shirt, oftentimes with a jacket and tie.
  2. Most women will wear a pants suit, or a skirt.

If you will be having your deposition taken and you are simply a witness, then what you wear is not critical. If you are an expert witness, or you are the plaintiff or defendant, always act on the side of caution. For example, if you have been involved in an automobile accident, or are going through a divorce, then you should definitely wear a suit (and tie if you are a man). But if you are simply a witness to a car accident, then what you wear is much less of an issue.

Good luck with your deposition!