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Nation Faces Critical Shortage of Certified Court Reporters
© COPYRIGHT HUSEBY, INC. 2008

Many people assume that technology has reduced job opportunities for court reporters.  In fact, technology has only increased demand while fear of obsolescence has shrunk the work force.  Here are a few examples of how this career is booming.

New York Scares Off Certified Court Reporters

There are only 405 court reporters serving the eight million people of New York City, and the state has only itself to blame.

Several years ago, New York courts implemented a program to use electronic recordings in courtrooms.  This widely publicized change led to the belief that there would be no reporter jobs.  Court reporting programs closed for lack of students until only two schools were left in the city.

This alarming drop set off an alarm in the state government.  Realizing their mistake they worked hard to encourage young people to choose the court reporting career path.  Schools are opening again but there is still a critical shortage of reporters.

Florida on the Same Path

Florida seems to be repeating New York’s mistake.  They recently announced a similar program to implement electronic recordings in some court rooms.  “I think this is inevitable and it's progress,” said Ron Stuart of the Pinellas-Pasco judicial court.  “It's going to be a more accurate system. We certainly have no plans to go back.”

The president of the Florida Court Reporters Association, Rick Greenspan, disagrees.  “The best voice-to-text machine that anyone ever developed is the live human being,” he says.  Many agree and the state is expected to experience the same critical shortage of certified court reporters.

Effects Felt Outside the Country

The US is not the only one feeling the shortage, but US schools are reaping the benefits as other countries struggle to train the court reporters they need.

For example, the Bahamas is actively recruiting foreign workers to deal with the lack of native reporters.  Of only 33 reporters in the country, 18 are immigrants.  They are actively encouraging citizens to attend American court reporting schools such as Kilgore College in Texas.  Court reporters are in such need that the Bahamian courts are in a serious backlog.

Career Opportunities Across the Nation

These examples are not unique as states all over the union experience shortages of court reporting services driven by fear of job scarcity.

And yet, technology has only helped the profession.  New opportunities in live captioning of television and web broadcasts have given new opportunities.  Many corporations are finding uses for court reporters in everything from sales meetings to union negotiations.

Despite the opinions of some in the industry, our courts will always need certified court reporters.  A tape recorder can’t ask for the spelling of a name or ask a witness to clarify if he said he was “Joe King” or “joking”.  The reporter is the one person whose only interest is the creation of an accurate and complete record.

Court reporting is and will continue to be a lucrative and rewarding career for anyone who can meet the demands of the profession.

Huseby, Inc. provides premium worldwide litigation services with Registered Professional Court Reporters, Certified Legal Video Specialists, state-of-the-art videoconferencing, trial presentation and mediation services. Call us or schedule online for all of your real-time and verbatim court reporting services, bates stamping, document and exhibit scanning and management, videotape services, coding, electronic transcript and advanced litigation support needs

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