Check out our Court Reporting commercial on YouTube!
A career
in court reporting is a career of opportunities. From transcribing court proceedings to captioning
your favorite TV programs and more, the training
you’ll receive at the Court Reporting program at Orleans Technical Institute
will prepare you to succeed in this growing field. We offer
an Associate in Specialized Business (ASB)
degree and the only court reporting program in the tri-state
region approved by the National Court Reporters
Association (NCRA).
Upcoming Open House
Saturday, August 14 at 10am -The Court Reporting Program at Orleans Technical Institute
Register by calling 215-728-4426
Program Objective
Students
will develop computer-compatible, conflict-free
realtime machine shorthand skills of up to 225 words
per minute and learn to transcribe and edit their
own shorthand notes using computer-assisted transcription
equipment. Students will become familiar with medical
and legal terminology and court reporting procedures
and will refine their knowledge of written English
as needed for the production of salable transcripts.
Employment
Opportunities
Graduates
are employable as entry-level reporters and conference
reporters. With a minimum of additional training,
the court reporter’s skills can be used in
emerging realtime closed-captioning positions.
With advances
in computer technology, today’s court reporters
are information managers who are in-demand, working
in a variety of professional settings in and out of the courtroom:
Courtrooms
Court reporters are in the middle of the action!
They play an essential role and are highly valued
by the legal community as “guardians of the
record”—transcribing depositions or
court proceedings. Court reporters are employed
by the government as official court reporters or
work as an independent contractor with a court reporting
firm.
Broadcast
Captioning
The unique skills that court reporters learn can
be applied to the exciting world of television.
Court reporters provide closed captioning of news,
entertainment, sports, live broadcasts, and other
programming for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
CART
(Communication Access Realtime Translation)
Court reporters’ ability to capture spoken
words instantly enables them to provide personalized
services to the hearing-impaired community. CART
reporters accompany clients as needed—for
example, to college classes—to provide an
instant conversion of speech into text using the
stenotype machine linked to a laptop computer.
Other
Career Opportunities
Court reporters can also work for businesses or
anywhere immediate access to communication is needed,
such as conventions, sales meetings, press conferences,
stockholder/board meetings, and seminars and instantly
transmit them to all parties involved. Opportunities
in this profession are endless, and flexible—court
reporters can travel or work remotely from home.
Career Outlook
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job opportunities for court reporters are expected to be excellent as job openings continue to outnumber jobseekers in some areas. Employment of court reporters is projected to grow 18 percent, faster than the average for all occupations between 2008 and 2018. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook,” 2010-11 Edition.
Graduate Testimonials
The Court Reporting Program at Orleans Technical Institute has turned dreams into realities for many graduates. See what some of our graduates have to say about achieving their career goals in the field:
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“I made a career change to Court
Reporting, and it’s given me the life
I’ve always wanted.”
Debbie,
Orleans Technical Institute, Class of 2007
Hometown: Horsham, PA
Job Title: Freelance Court Reporter
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“Working as a Court Reporter can
be lucrative, and there’s the added
benefit of a flexible schedule.”
Clarence,
Orleans Technical Institute, Class of 2007
Hometown: West Philadelphia, PA
Job Title: Official Court Reporter
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“I didn’t need a 4-year degree to
become a professional Court
Reporter. Plus I got immediate
job offers.”
Jennifer,
Orleans Technical Institute, Class of 2008
Hometown: Collingswood, NJ
Job Title: Freelance Court Reporter
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“Court Reporting isn’t like an office
job. I can be at a different location
every day, or work from home.”
Dana,
Orleans Technical Institute, Class of 2007
Hometown: South Philadelphia, PA
Job Title: Freelance Court Reporter
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| Testimonials: December 2009-January 2010 |
How the Steno Machine Works
A court reporter's captions and transcripts don’t magically appear on their own. The technology requires the use of a specialized machine called a stenotype, or shorthand machine, to enter information phonetically—at a much faster pace than letter by letter on a standard computer keyboard—because multiple keys are pressed simultaneously (known as "chording" or "stroking") to spell out whole syllables, words, and phrases with a single hand motion. The information is instantaneously converted through computer software into readable English text that can be researched, corrected, telecommunicated, stored on computer media, integrated with a videotape, or simply printed out in a conventional transcript.
Steno keyboard layout:
Sample transcript:
