How To – How Court Reporters Do It

“How do you get it all down?”  This is the most common question that court reporters face.  First off, they address the most interesting part for me – the transcribing machine.  A court reporter explains that the stenotype machine (which is, literally, a shorthand machine)is more like a piano than a typewriter.  To flesh out the analogy, the court reporter speaking says that, like a piano, if you hit one key you play one note, but if you hit multiple keys you can play a chord.  The stenotype machine works the same way.  If you depress multiple keys you can create whole sentences.

The National Court Reporters Association requires trained court reporters to record at 225 words per minute.  Just like on typing tests, those 225 words need to be flawless in spelling, grammar, and accuracy.  Not an easy feat when you’re recording a heated deposition, with lawyers and witnesses talking over one another.  Though the machine makes it easier, it is in no way an easy job.

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