Reasons Why Court Reporting Is A Suprisingly Dynamic Job
Court reporters work in a number of areas. The classic view of them taking dictation in the courtroom still holds true, but with a few caveats. Today, there are a number of duties that reporters hold beyond trial work.
Anyone hoping to be a court reporter will have to be ready to be diverse. Here are some things court reporters do in places the average reader might not expect.
- Television Closed Captioning
Closed Captioning (CC) for the hearing impaired must be as accurate as possible. There is little room for mistakes. In an America sensitive to the needs of those living with physical impairments, television producers want only the best transcribers do their closed captioning. They also want to ensure that there is nothing that causes problems with censors. Therefore, court reporters, professionals used to working under pressure, have become the ones asked to perform this sensitive job.
- Business Board Room Meetings
With corporate executives increasingly facing legal and public relations problems, it is small wonder that they want to have their words recorded. There always seems to be some leak of emails presenting a businessperson in a bad light. So, executives want a fuller, official record to show to the public and government authorities when needed.
Court reporters can take down the minutes of board meetings. What once was the purview of administrative assistants has become something for licensed reporters.
- Medical Transcription
Doctors also employ court reporters. Medical malpractice lawsuits are quite common in this litigious society. Physicians must protect themselves. An official record of what procedures they performed and what they said to patients is sometimes just the sort of protection needed.
- Notary Service
In many states, a court reporter may double as a notary public. Reporters can transcribe statements and then stamp them as official. They are also present in hospitals and businesses to do the same for any other paperwork needed for legal reasons.
- Depositions
Legal depositions are occasions when people offer testimony outside the courtroom. Lawyers ask questions to ascertain the fact pattern of an event. These statements become part of the evidence presented before the judge and jury, if needed. Therefore, the record must reflect exactly what the witnesses spoke.
Court reporters handle the transcribing for most depositions. In many instances, the law requires a licensed reporter, demonstrating their significance to the American legal process.
A Dynamic Job
Court reporting obviously entails more than what most people expect. Anyone interested in joining this profession should speak first with a practicing court reporter like one from Farrell Court Reporting for more advice.
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