What to Know About Shorthand, Court Reporting

Shorthand reporters have traditionally been recognized as the guardians of the record. As technology continues to advance, digital recording has taken over court recording. As digital recording increases in popularity, shorthand court reporting continues to decline. 

The 2013 Ducker Report form the National Court Reporters’ Association concluded that the demand for stenographic reporters would soon exceed the supply with a predicted shortage of 5,500 court reporters in the United States. As the reporter population aged, there were few schools left to meet the demand. 

When done correctly, digital court reporting can create a high-quality transcript. However, it does not offer rough draft transcripts or real-time services. Voice writing is the best solution to litigation realtime and CART/captioning.  

How Does Voice Writing Work?

Voice writing relies on inputting the spoken word. A skilled professional reporter respeaks what is said during the discovery and deposition and inputs that into the same court reporting software that shorthand writers use. The software translates the spoken recording to text and displays it in real time on the reporter’s laptop. The same as with a shorthand reporter, counsel can be connected to this display. 

When necessary, voice reporters rely on short-forms to quickly record the information of long words. Just as with traditional court reporting, the voice writer will later define their short-form in the software. 

Shorthand vs Voice Writing

Similarities:

• Identical court reporting software
• Schooling, job mentoring, training, and extensive experience are required
• Becoming a reporter is a substantial investment of time and resources
• Modern, advanced technology is used
• Experienced professionals have the ability to provide real-time and rough draft services 

Differences:

• Voice writing requires a shorter duration in school to achieve 200 wpm speeds. The average time for voice writing is nine months but is two years for shorthand writers. 
• The success rate in school is much higher for voice writers. Voice writers have a staggering 90% success rate, while shorthand writers only have a 10% success rate. 
• Lower equipment costs for voice writers. A shorthand machine costs a staggering $5,000. 

Connor Reporting

Only a knowledgeable reporter can deliver all the benefits of voice writing. The experienced, certified professionals at Connor Reporting uphold the highest standards for court reporting. For both verbatim record or real-time text display, we deliver accurate, timely transcripts for depositions, trials, hearings, and more. Our Certified Realtime Reporters combine professionalism and state-of-the-art technology of the leading litigation support software to provide an expert record. 

Visit our website or call us at 317-434-1713 to learn more about how we can meet all your court reporting needs with our exemplary litigation support solutions.