Legal processes are quite complex. And practically not a single person can do all the jobs. That’s why there are designated people to do their respective jobs. One such job is of a court reporter. Unlike what many assume, a court reporter acts as an official record keeper. But that’s not all!
The position demands more than that. You can find various types of court reporters, starting from helping you win or lose a case to the one that might have business relationships with the opposition. All in all, not everyone has the same skill set or resource.
Let’s understand more about them.
Court Reporters- Decoding The Types
Primarily, you’ll find two types of court reporting. So, the reporters that work for judges and courts are often designated as “official court reporters.” However, with the officers providing services outside the courtroom, the term “independent court reporter emerged as well.
Earlier, the reporters used to be government employees, but later various jurisdictions started relying on an independent Deposition Reporter to meet the needs and reduce overall expenses. In other words, they are not court-appointed employees rather the one who provides the court with reporting services.
What Are Their Qualifications?
It might have been a little different earlier. But to work in a legal system as a court lawyer, one must have proper knowledge and education to develop the skills that courts or clients need today. Further, there should be an understanding of the terminologies and language to provide professional services related to deposition or litigation.
Is that all? Not really!
It’s because they must have knowledge about current technology trends that can impact the litigation process, especially if it’s a part of recording, archiving, or record retrieval. So, usually, the court reporters must pass the Professional Reporter Certification (RPR). Not only that, but the court reporters are also required to pass the written knowledge and skill set.
The higher level is the Registered Merit Reporter when you maintain the RPR status for three hours. Other than that, Certified Manager of Reporting Services and Certified Legal Video Specialist, depending on the education and the length of time the person holds the previous certification. To those who are still unaware of the kind of skills expected from a deposition reporter, keep on reading, and you’ll find out.
? Creating a verbatim and producing a transcription of criminal/civil court proceedings and stenographic records during court proceedings.
? Work with federal prosecution.
? Collaborate with courthouse personnel to gather records or information for preparing the transcripts or legal documents.
Wrapping up
The need for a court reporter is more than just transcribing the reports. They hold importance at every step of the litigation process. That’s why so much is expected from court reporters nowadays. They must be a resource at every step of the process to allow their clients to feel less burdened with the legal services you provide.
All in all, they make the already complicated process streamlined with their knowledge and expertise. And continuously evolving their ways, such as remote reporting to meet the needs of the modern legal system.
