Jill Cohen

How To Become A Washington DC Court Reporter

Skills, Education & Certification Tips For Court Reporters

 

So, you’re interested in becoming a court reporter in Washington DC? Great! Court reporting is an interesting career that can be financially rewarding as well – court reporters make a nice living on their salary, especially those who are highly-qualified. With projected employment of court reporters to grow by 14% from 2010 to 2020 and over 80,000 lawyers in the Washington DC metropolitan area, court reporting is a stable career choice in high demand. But what does it really take to become a court reporter?

 

Skill Set

 

Court reporting requires high-level attention to detail as well as the ability to focus for long periods of time. Additionally, court reporters must have a superior command of the English language (e.g. grammar, spelling, punctuation). Legal professionals often use specialized legal and/or medical jargon during depositions and court hearings, so court reporters must also be well-versed in legal terminology. Not an English scholar or law school grad? Not to worry. As part of their curriculum, most court reporting programs spend a significant amount of time focused on improving students’ grammar and punctuation. These programs also offer courses dedicated to legal and medical terminology as well as anatomy to help expand your working vocabulary.

 

Education

 

While there are no brick and mortar court reporting schools located in Washington DC, there are a large number of online programs available. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has a list of court reporter training programs that have met the General Requirements and Minimum Standards (GRMS) established by the NCRA’s Council on Approved Student Education (CASE), thereby earning a “NCRA Certified” designation.

Programs focusing on mask or digital recording may be as short as 6 months, while programs in which students are taught to use stenotype machines may last 2 to 4 years. Stenography programs may lead to an Associate’s degree and typically cover the principles of machine shorthand writing, instruction using computer-aided transcription (CAT) and RealTime software, and live simulation of deposition and court proceedings.

 

Certification

 

The need for a court reporter to be certified and/or licensed varies by state, but Washington DC is among those that do not require certification for freelance court reporters. However, certification can be a differentiator when seeking employment, as a certified court reporter may be more highly regarded and has the potential to accumulate greater earnings by charging higher per-page rates. But how do you get certified if the state doesn’t require it? The NCRA has been administering a certification program for court reporters since 1937 and those who pass the exam earn a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation. The growth in demand for RealTime reporting has also led to the creation of a Certified RealTime Reporter (CCR) designation, bringing with it the possibility for even further career potential.

Hopefully now you’ve got the information needed to get you started on an exciting career as a court reporter. In the future, should you be seeking employment in the Washington DC area (or nationally) please consider Capital Reporting Company. We’re always looking for new great additions to our team!