Professional court reporting is a great profession because of the freedom and flexibility of work it offers. Majority stenographers and court reporters have identified the freedom of being self-employed as their major reason for picking this profession. It allows professionals to make an earning based on the hours of work they dedicate in court reporting. Let’s say if someone lacks the willingness to spend 8 hours a day in court reporting, he can easily do this. All he/she is required to do is to finish their transcripts in a timely manner, and that’s all. This article discusses four challenges professional court reporters face on a frequent basis.
1. Frequent Movements
Majority of professional court reporters state that the repetitive movements over the years are one of the biggest challenges of this profession. In all depositions, it is the job of professional reporter to be present in the court at the right time. If a court reporter has taken up multiple tasks, it is quite tiring to be available at all required places, in time. If the distance between the locations of deposition one is far away from the location of deposition two, of course a court reporter won’t have sufficient time to rest and regain energies for efficient reporting.
2. Keeping up with the latest technology
Although the aim of new technology is to bring ease into the lives of people, some people don’t feel comfortable with it because they have to learn a new skill, tool or equipment. With the new technological advancements, it has become bit of a challenge to keep up with the new developments. Particularly for old school and senior reporters, it is challenging to learn and use new tools for court reporting. Other than learning, the psychological barriers also prevent senior reporters from utilizing these technological advancements in their professional work. They simply like to work in the traditional manner, and don’t rely on new gadgets.
3. Remote Deposition Challenges
Given the Covid-19 situation, most of the professions are working remotely. Likewise, court reporters are also providing their services virtually, using new technology. However, quite frequently they have to struggle in writing court proceedings, and whatever they hear during legal proceedings because of the noise in the background. The noise in the background can distract and even compromise the quality of transcripts being prepared, which ultimately makes the credibility of a court reporter questionable.
4. Never Ending Anxiety
Majority of the professional court reporters have stated that the nature of job leads to anxiety. It is a never ending struggle right from the time of entering into contract with a party, till the final verdict by the court. A court reporter has a lot on his plate. He has to be in the court before time, and long before the legal proceedings he has to make arrangements for this deposition. During the court proceedings, he has to ensure the completeness and correctness of the records. Even after the deposition is over, a court reporter’s job is not done. Hence, keeping the reporter continuously engaged unconsciously as well as consciously.
Conclusion
Although there are a number of benefits for choosing court reporting as your profession, however, it comes with certain costs. If you are looking for professional court reporters or Notary Walnut Creek, get in touch with Pro Reporting. Our reporters have qualification, experience and training to handle all kinds of depositions with utmost professionalism and expertise.