As we’ve discussed at length in a previous post, Court Reporter Shortage: What This Means for the Industry and for Reporters, the legal and court reporting industries are experiencing a shortage of approximately 5,500 qualified court reporters.
Several factors have contributed to the shortage, including increased demand in the legal field and other industries, significant retirement rates and low enrollment rates at court reporting colleges. Although high demand, high retirement and low enrollment are a bad combination for the industry, there is a silver lining. Never has there been a better time to begin a career as a court reporter. In this post, we’ll detail how to increase awareness about this rewarding profession and combat the shortage.
Probably not. As most experienced lawyers and judges recognize, qualified court reporters are essential to the legal process. While technology is transforming the legal industry, it cannot completely supplant the skills, experience and humanity provided by court reporters. Digital recordings often result in inaccurate testimony and equipment failures, as documenting the nuances of human language requires human judgement. In other words, court reporters aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Between flexible education requirements and attractive job prospects, court reporting presents a lucrative career option for young professionals. However, many young professionals never consider a career in court reporting. Why? Because they don’t know that becoming a court reporter is an option. Low awareness among prospects has contributed greatly to the current shortage.
The industry as a whole would benefit greatly from increased visibility, recruitment and outreach. Skilled court reporters are indispensable in the judicial process. As such, court reporting firms, experienced reporters and court reporting schools should all advocate for the manifold benefits of picking up the stenotype. Given the current shortage, opportunities for young prospects are boundless. High demand means increased pay for incoming reporters, and nowadays a career in court reporting is not limited to the courtroom. From freelancing to closed captioning for live events, young professionals have the opportunity to make what they want of a career in court reporting.
Despite the industry-wide shortage of court reporters, Connor Reporting has the capacity to handle your court reporting needs. Whether you need a verbatim record or realtime text display, Connor’s experienced, certified professionals deliver accurate, on-time transcripts. Click here to schedule a reporter now.
