Is court reporting a good job for introverts?

I consider myself shy and introverted, though don't mind interacting with people occasionally, and I'm interested in pursuing a career as a court/real-time reporter. I am easily stressed and drained in situations in which I have to deal with people a lot, however, and I'm wondering if working as a court reporter in a courtroom requires a high level of interaction with others. I know court reporters are required to read back text occasionally and ask for repeats if they misheard something. Is that the extent to which court reporters are required to speak or interact with others while doing their work?

Also, I've read that court reporters have to freelance for a few years to get experience before being able to get a job in the courts. What kind of work do court reporters seek out during this period and is it easy to find work as a freelance court reporter? Are there other options? Can you get a job working for a court reporting service or something like that to start out?

The reasons I'm considering court reporting are the fact that the work doesn't require lots of social interaction (or so I've heard), that it's a job based on a specific skill that can be learned and practiced and improved upon (rather than on communication or interpersonal skills), that it's easy to be self-employed as a court reporter (which sounds very appealing to me), that there's a shortage of court reporters and lots of work available, that it's possible to make decent money working part time as a court reporter (want to start a family down the road), and that there is a very high earning potential. Is all of this true?

I'm also drawn to it because I've always been an impeccable speller, have good writing and grammar skills, have an eye for detail and catching mistakes, and have a high typing speed (whether or not that means anything when typing on a steno machine). Thanks!

I was a court reporter for ten years, and earned my RPR before I finished school. Go to courtreporterconnect, to feel for the court reporting world. Court reporting school is not easy because it's a talent and skill, and not something you take courses and get a grade.

It is a good job for introverts. In depos you swear in the witness, ask to repeat if you are unsure, read back when asked.

Whether you can get into trial work depends on your skills. Most courts have certain reporter requirements to get into court (like state certification or RPR).

I am a court reporting school drop out. It's a hard skill to learn! The drop out rate is about 92% for court reporting school. I am a paralegal now.

Court reporters read back testimony - that is a very stressful thing to have to do. Also, I have been cold-called by court reporters trying to drum up some deposition work - so you might have to sell your services. At depositions you might sometimes have to speak up and tell people to stop talking over one another. (Well, that was common for the attorneys I worked for.) You also have to interact with attorneys and paralegals when they want to buy a transcript.

I don't think there is a shortage of court reporters anymore. The court reporters I know are all extroverts, but that may be coincidence.

Go to courtreporterconnect.com. Much better.

It does not matter if you are an introvert or an extrovert. An introvert may have trouble speaking up when a firm treats them badly, or when lawyers speak over each other, or when a witness is inaudible or unclear. You have to have good personal skills if the lawyer speaks with you; it is a plus on getting called again for a job.

Mark Kislingbury is the world's fastest court reporter that we know of, and he is definitely an extrovert. There are less court reporters I've met who are not.

A firm gives you the work when you first get out of school. Firms are looking for someone dependable, professional, and it is a plus if you have additional certifications (RPR + CSR). It is easy to find work as a freelance if you will move to where the work is. In a lot of firms, the best reporters (CRR and RMR's) get the best jobs. Firms sometimes try to be fair, but they do not want to put you in over your head either.

Just realize that court reporting is a very high-skill (225wpm+), high stress (2 week transcription time, many tests to pass, multiple speakers, 90% dropout rate), high risk (only 2% of the graduates pass the CSR) profession, and most people only focus on the high pay (which varies).

Good grammar is a plus, but typing skills isn't as great as having video gaming or piano skills. I say video gaming because both Mark Kislingbury and the best court reporter in Hawaii were video gamers prior to great court reporters. Typing is not the same, but finger dexterity is a plus.

You want to be consistent and deliberate in practices. Don't miss a day. Find a shorter theory, and it will pay off big-time in the long run. A longer theory (StenEd, Phoenix, Roberts Walsh Gonzalez) is a sure way to hinder progress. If you do get stuck with one, learn briefs! Last note, don't attend an expensive school (you don't even need a degree to be a CR); community colleges are usually in your best interest.

90% drop out rate? Wow, I wasn't aware.

200+ wpm? Wow. Seems high.

Do lawyers still buy transcripts? With the way everything has been cut back, I'm thinking this would also be cut back unless things were on the cusp of trial. I mean, clients won't pay for document review, abstracting, etc., so why buy transcripts unless trial is imminent? If this is the case, the current troubles in the legal field would also ripple through the court reporter profession. Any thoughts, as I'm only speculating.

Yes, still need deposition transcripts so you can do page line designations for trial. Transcripts are always ordered and it's all electronic and searchable now. You only print it out if you need to and sometimes that's never. Clients won't pay for summaries so they aren't done, but you can search by key word or whatever. The money saving comes in when you settle cases prior to any depositions.

Over ten years ago, my firm ordered all transcripts as a matter of course. At my last firm in last decade, they frequently only ordered them if the case couldn't settle and trial was imminent. To me, it seems unnecessary to pay for transcripts if you can save the cost. I guess all reviewing and abstracting of records and depositions is now a thing of the past too. That right there constitutes the majority of the things I did in law firms. It makes sense that there are no paralegal jobs anymore with this being the case. With the way things are getting squeezed, the legal industry is going to have a lot less people in it in another decade.

I became an official court reporter right out of college and I've been working in the courthouse for four years now. I think the instruction in school is sufficient in order to jump right into the courtroom. The main difference I noted was the length of time you're on your machine on the job. Stamina is something that you can work towards though, and while it's physically taxing, the mental stress is not bad.
The hard part is definitely speaking up when you didn't hear someone clearly. Most of the time that is the speaker's fault, and it's amazing to me how many attorneys have approached me after and apologized, saying "I know, I'm a fast/mumbled/quiet talker." The judges I work for are quick to interrupt a lawyer though if I give him or her a look or simply say, "Judge?" and shake my head.
I don't experience a lot of interaction with a lot of people. Some days I only talk to my fellow reporters and exchange some pleasantries with the judge before going to court. I have had to read back twice since I started.
When it comes to stress, my experience has been the job is only as stressful as your ability (or inability) to manage your time wisely and prioritize. In Illinois, we have seven weeks to prepare appeals for folks taking their cases to the appellate court in Springfield. That is more than enough time to prepare even days upon days of jury trial transcripts.
Sometimes people will request transcripts, and due to their lack of planning, are anxious to get it quickly. I have had some late nights where I've worked way past regular hours in order to get their requests fulfilled in time. Although since I work from my laptop, I can do it all from home from the comfort of my couch and in my PJs. And while it is stressful and draining, we are compensanted well for it. And frankly we should be. We devote a lot of time to ensuring the accuracy of these transcripts and we're being paid for our time and our skill.

clearady in Cypress, Texas said: It does not matter if you are an introvert or an extrovert. An introvert may have trouble speaking up when a firm treats them badly, or when lawyers speak over each other, or when a witness is inaudible or unclear. You have to have good personal skills if the lawyer speaks with you; it is a plus on getting called again for a job.

Mark Kislingbury is the world's fastest court reporter that we know of, and he is definitely an extrovert. There are less court reporters I've met who are not.

I believe I have the skills to become a court reporter, but there are no schools nearby for a full-time worker. Do you know any reputable on-line schools and what shorter theory would you recommend? (btw I've read all the negatives and the willingness to practice, practice, practice is necessary to achieve speed).