If you love the drama of the courtroom and have a knack for typing, court reporting programs might be right for you. Legitimate training programs can train you for this career that offers excellent prospects and the opportunity to work in the legal field. City, state and federal courts need court reporters to type transcripts of the dialogue during trials, so there are accurate, inclusive and secure records of the legal proceedings. It’s an important career that can take you places.

As a court reporter, you will be responsible for the information that is recorded in legal trials, and you may also be called upon to organize and search for official records that may be needed by a judge or attorney during a trial. These records may be stored as audio recordings, digital files, paper format or as stenographic notes. In addition, once you have completed one of these court reporting programs, you may also find work in the corporate setting because companies need people to make records of conversations, events, meetings and speeches. So just what kind of training is involved in these court reporting programs?

There are about 70 court reporting programs that have been certified by the National Court Reporters Association. These programs will teach you how to use computer networks, digital audio equipment and stenotype machines that are required for your job. You’ll need to be able to type fast and accurately to get the job done. If you are going to become a court reporter, you may also be required to earn a Certified Court Reporter (CCR) designation depending on which state you live in. But regardless of where you live, you will definitely have to receive training to be ready for this tough job. If you live in a state that requires CCR designation, you will need to pass a board-administered state test. There are also Certificate of Merit (CM), Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) and Real-Time Verbatim Reporter (RVR) certifications that are offered by the National Verbatim Reporters Association.

If you can complete one of the accredited court reporting programs and have the ability to type quickly, this might be the career choice for you.

Institutions offering quality Court Reporting Programs include Miami-Jacobs Career College, Sage College, Court Reporting Institute of Dallas and Houston and The Academy of Court Reporting.