The world of court reporting offers unique advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before pursuing the career. Some benefits include positive job growth projections, less extensive academic requirements, and flexible opportunities to freelance. [1] With these benefits come challenges, both mental and physical, that many are unable to avoid.
Physically and Mentally Exhausting Sessions
Court proceedings can often last for hours without a break, and court reporters are meant to be sitting down and looking at a screen for the entire duration, and remain alert in order to capture an accurate representation of the proceedings. Being able to sit still throughout the entire proceeding can be difficult, especially when they also need to keep their focus on the person speaking and ignore distractions like unnecessary sounds. The mental and physical stamina needed to endure these sessions can become exhausting.
Stressful
A court reporter is meant to be able to type on average 225 words per minute with 95 percent accuracy [2]. The pressure to type quickly while retaining a keen ear for complex legal jargon and intricate testimony requires a remarkable blend of multitasking and focused concentration. Not only do court reporters have to combat the mental fatigue of multitasking for hours at a time, they are often faced with tight deadlines to meet each day. Taking time at the end of the day to de-stress is vital in maintaining a calm and collected headspace which allows court reporters to work for longer periods of time.
Long working hours
While there are short breaks during proceedings, the nature of the courtroom is that there is always something going on which needs to be documented by the court reporter [3]. Once the proceedings have concluded, the court reporter still has more work to complete, like producing transcripts based on their stenography notes. This work involves reviewing, editing and conducting further research into their notes to ensure that they have accurately transcribed what was being said. These are just three of the largest challenges court reporters face but with proper care, they are able to mitigate these challenges and have long and successful careers. [1] Indeed Editorial Team. “9 Pros and Cons of Being of a Court Reporter to Consider.” Indeed.com, 2022, www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/pros-and-cons-of-being-court-reporter. [2] OTR Report. “How Does a Court Reporter Type So Fast? – OTR Blog.” On the Record Court Reporting Inc, 22 June 2017, www.otr.report/2017/06/22/how-does-a-court-reporter-type-so-fast/. [3] Bartelt Reporting. “Bartelt | Nix Reporting, LLC.” Barteltreporting.com, 2019, barteltreporting.com/2019/01/common-challenges-faced-by-a-court-reporter-in-phoenix-az/.