In The News
Article: The News of the Day: Real-time reporting
Story by Career Connections. Originally published Fall 2008.
Court reporters are high-tech legal professionals who record what is said during court proceedings, public hearings and boards of inquiry. In other words, they sit in court rooms during trials (or in law offices during depositions) and are responsible for writing down every word that is said…essentially, creating a perfect record. This flexible and lucrative career provides many opportunities, according to Kimberley Stewart of the Canadian Centre for Verbatim Studies. “Court reporters are front and center at controversial and highly publicized cases—criminal trials, millionaire divorces, government corruption trials, and lawsuits against everyone from rock groups to elected officials to professional athletes.
According to Stewart, there is also no shortage of jobs. She says, “there is currently a severe shortage of reporters all over the world, and as older reporters continue to retire, reporting skills become more and more in-demand. As a result, many court reporters make six-figures or more, and there’s never a shortage of work or opportunity.”
Even though court reporting is little-known, it is a career that offers fantastic opportunities. “Court Reporting is a great way to have the freedom you want, while also making the money you need. There are very few jobs like that.”