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For Newly Graduated Reporters
What career options are there for a court
reporting school graduate?
- Freelance - The freelance court reporter works at diverse locations,
has flexible hours, and is paid for each job with a per-page transcript
fee.
- Closed-captioning - Working with broadcast television
programming, enabling hearing-impaired individuals to read the words
spoken
- CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) - Used to assist
hearing-impaired students to function in a classroom setting in a high
school or college.
- Official - The official court reporter works in the same courthouse
every day, 9 to 5, and receives a salary and a per-page transcript fee.
- New York State Civil Service - Opportunities to take exams to
work in State Government, including the Workers' Compensation Board, NYS
Unified Court System, various City Courts and Family Courts, and others.
Is graduating a court reporting school enough to
prepare a new reporter for the demanding career of court reporting?
Not really. If a court reporting school has helped the student to reach
a speed of 225 wpm with clean notes, very few mistakes and has exposed the
student to the complicated task of filling out information sheets,
understanding and getting all the billing from the attorneys as well as a
consistent exposure to three-voice testimony, then that court reporting
graduate is ready to begin our intern program. Even if the school has
given its students all this information, they still need to sit in on
depositions and transcribe them. Building a dictionary and learning how to
edit a job are critical elements of the profession. Knowing how to prepare
a salable transcript while following a format is the key to working for an
court reporting company. Professional attire and conduct are important for
first impressions.
What does the intern program at Realtime
Reporting, Inc. require?
Graduation speed of 225 wpm and passing our English test.
How long has this program been in existence?
It was started in 1992 and has successfully given many new reporters
the knowledge and confidence needed to become competent and professional
court reporters.
How long is the program?
It is a very individualized program. After an in-depth interview is
conducted and an English test is performed, each prospective intern will
be given a program based on his or her individual needs. He or she will
then sit in with one of our experienced reporters for an evaluation of his
or her notes and the ability to use colloquy symbols as well as speed on
the job. Based on this information, a program is set up for sitting in, speedbuilding and/or accuracy techniques, transcription of testimony and
filling out information sheets. Upon satisfactory completion of all these
tasks, the intern is ready to be put to work as a court reporter. This can
take anywhere from five weeks to six months based on how many days a week
the intern is available to sit in, how many transcripts they are able to
complete and how accurate they are in editing their work.
What kind of guidance is available for the
inexperienced reporter once they complete the program and begin working?
Experienced reporters will mentor new reporters and are available for
any questions that may arise during depositions or transcription. Personal
attention is given to transcripts for accuracy, content and format.
Can a student who has not yet graduated from a
school get into the program?
Yes, if the student has attained a solid speed of 200 wpm, passed our
English test and has good notes, he or she can start sitting in. We will
evaluate the student's notes and ability to take colloquy. Speedbuilding
must continue in school, but the student will have a head start at
learning about all the other aspects of working in the field. However, it
is necessary to finish all speed requirements before we will put anybody
to work.
Who has the information on the program?
For information, please call (516) 938-4000 and leave your information
for the program chairperson to call you back.
For Reporters and Legal Community | For Newly Graduated Reporters
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