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Is Court Reporting the Right Legal Career for You?

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The law is important, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon – which is why those in search of a stable career should take a long look at potential careers in law.

There are a lot of ways to make a living working in the law, from law enforcement to courtroom lawyers, judges, and more. Today, we’ll be looking at a vital role that doesn’t always get the attention that it deserves: that of a court reporter.

Make a living in law

When we think of careers in law, we may think first and foremost of lawyers. Lawyers have rewarding careers that allow them to help others, according to expert New Jersey attorneys. For instance, lawyers can represent people in personal injury cases, defend the accused in criminal law, and more.

You don’t have to be a lawyer to work in personal injury or another legal area. You could be a paralegal or legal assistant, in which case you’d help lawyers with everything from document discovery and paperwork to more complex legal considerations. And law offices also employ secretaries and other professionals.

This can be very regarding, but there are drawbacks to careers as lawyers and in law offices. The training necessary can take years and require hefty loans. The hours can be long, and for some, the amount of time spent in courtrooms and on actual legal proceedings can form too small a part of the work.

One alternative is a career as a court reporter. Court reporters, who are also called stenographers, are the people who record the proceedings in a courtroom. They transcribe every word said by lawyers, judges, witnesses, and others. It’s an exciting and important role. Court reporters can make more than $50,000 per year. The hours are not as demanding as those of many attorneys, and the work – while not easy – is important and rewarding.

And court reporters are in demand, explain expert court reporters in Fort Lauderdale. All courtrooms need court reporters, and the job is likely to stay in demand for a long time. Experts agree that, at least for now, this simply is not work that robots and computers programs can do adequately. That means we still need the human professionals.

How to become a court reporter

If you think a career as a court reporter might be the best way for you to build a career in law, then you need to know what your next steps are for becoming trained, certified, and hired as a court reporter.

For starters, you need to learn how to do the job. There are degree and certificate programs in court reporting, so your best bet is to start there. Court reporting is a specialized skill, so you’ll certainly need practice and experience. Court reporters use a specialized machine called a stenotype to quickly record what’s going on in court, and they have to know how to type a form of shorthand that works with the stenotype. You’ll also have to learn how to handle issues like crosstalk and other situations that demand that you make a quick decision about how to represent things in the court’s records.

The more you train, the more your career options will open up. It’s worth taking a look at what requirements there are for court reporters in your area or state, as you may need to go for different training programs or certifications depending on your location.

If you succeed in becoming a court reporter, you’ll gain a steady job and a great career. You’ll also become a vital part of our legal system, which means you’ll be helping to ensure that all of us get the rights that we deserve.

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