The Job of A Court Reporter

The many layers of man-power and skills employed in a particular department make it a complete team effort. In the legal profession, the Judge and the lawyers, also known as attorneys, are in the fore-front. Any layman would identify only these two to make up for a court without realising that many more work to run the whole set up. The others ironically are more important in the smooth functioning.

Courts are highly dependent on the administrative staff as it is one area which is so heavily relying on the records. These records aid in taking a decision and at times changing the course of a legal battle. Court Reporter service is sought by the court or by legal firms for the maintenance of oral materials put into pen and paper. The proceedings, being long and tedious, require a highly skilled person to handle it. Though seems a menial job but requires a special skill set which is more demanding than a normal secretarial job in any other department.

A court reporter with the right mind-set needs to be proficient in the local language which is the accepted official language of the court. The person should not only know to speak but be equally qualified in the language. These reporters need to understand the official lingo that is in practice to do complete justice to their work. Command over grammar is expected to be of the highest order. Any piece of written work when properly punctuated gives out the exact meaning. Sentences that are ambiguous would not serve the purpose. High speed in writing is preferred, particularly if there is proficiency in short-hand writing, all the more better. As proceedings of the court are long and tedious, the reporter is expected to maintain patience throughout. High level of concentration is required so that there is no deviation from the real time words uttered in court.

The working hours are long as the job does not end when the proceedings are over. A more tedious work is still waiting when after proceedings the same needs to be properly typed. Good typing speed is an added asset to directly record the proceedings on to the computer saving time. These scripts are then printed and filed chronologically for future reference. Often in decisions of the court, the records of the court reporter are a vital document and often the deciding factor. Good stamina is needed to sit silently through the whole proceeding and often a reporter has to go to different courts for reporting.

Many times, the court takes the help of these reporters for marking the records of an earlier proceeding and present it as and when demanded. Many reporters work free-lance and may be working simultaneously for many firms. This type of freedom also allows them to decide their working hours thereby not making the job very taxing. Finally the most important aspect needed is integrity towards the client and not give away important information.

The site Loweryreporters.com can be accessed for a team of expert court reporters in Oklahoma City, USA.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Thomas is an expert in the field of courtroom reporting and frequently writes many articles and blogs, helping people in picking up the skills necessary to get into this profession. He recommends Loweryreporters.com as the name to trust for any information relating to becoming a court reporter in Oklahoma.

John Thomas is an expert in the field of courtroom reporting and frequently writes many articles and blogs, helping people in picking up the skills necessary to get into this profession.