Court reporting is the transcription and documentation of speeches and judicial proceedings in a written form for the purpose of official records and legal proof. A person who performs court reporting is known as a court reporter. The two methods of court reporting are steno typing and voice writing. A lot of information about this fascinating career can be found on many court reporting blog.

A stenotype reporter is a court reporter who practices steno typing. It involves using a stenotype machine to transcribe speech using machine shorthand. On the other hand, a voice writer repeats word-for-word into a stenomask (Handheld mask equipped with a digital recorder and a voice silencer) all that which is spoken in the court by various individuals such as the judges, lawyers and others. The voice silencer prevents the court reporter’s voice from being heard thereby preventing him from disturbing judicial proceedings, while the digital recorder records his voice. Speech recognition systems in the stenomask instantly turn the voice into text in a laptop. Apart from recording speech, a voice writer also documents actions and gestures of witnesses or litigants.

Court reporting requires the court reporter to possess a multitude of skills. These include speed and accuracy of transcription, excellent hearing and listening ability, attention to detail, and excellent language and grammar skills. Voice writers should possess the ability to quickly reproduce in speech that which they hear. Court reporters should be well versed in legal terminology and judicial procedures. Court reporters also need be skilled with the equipment they use to record speech and also the speech recognition systems used to translate voice to text. Now many people in this profession turn to court reporting blogs as a way to stay up to date with trends in the industry.

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