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The Olympics of Court Reporting
What Does a “Freelance” Court Reporter Do?
Among court reporters, they generally designate themselves
as either an official court reporter or a freelancer. When they refer to
“freelancer,” though, that doesn’t have the same meaning it does in
other industries. So what does it mean?
In court reporting parlance, a freelance court reporter is
one who does not work in a courtroom. For the most part they take depositions,
but also report board hearings, shareholder meetings, or essentially any
proceeding where participants want a verbatim record.
Freelance court reporters can be employees of a court
reporting firm, an independent contractor working with multiple firms, or
completely self-employed with their own attorney clients. Very few court
reporters are completely self-employed anymore; those who are tend to be in
rural areas.
Freelance reporters who are employees of a court reporting firm
are generally salaried but have the option to earn extra income by assisting
with transcript production, for which they’re paid on a per-page basis. They
are expected to be available during regular business hours and don’t have any
say-so over which jobs they’re assigned to. They receive reimbursement for
using their personal vehicle to travel to depositions and some other travel
perks.
Court reporters who are independent contractors for a number
of firms have the advantage of being able to choose which assignments they’ll
accept and aren’t required to be available every day, but are also not
guaranteed they’ll have the amount of work they need or want. They’re paid
either a percentage of the total the firm bills the attorney, or a set per-page
rate. Reporters who have a reputation for being dependable and producing
quality work, though, can negotiate higher rates or more favorable assignments
from firms.
The In-Between
Many times government boards, such as a Utilities Commission
or Workers Compensation Board, have a court reporter on salary. There are also
court reporters who are government employees who take down verbatim testimony
during hearings on Capitol Hill. They aren’t “official” court
reporters in the sense the court reporters at the United States Supreme Court
or in a state courtroom are, but have the advantage of a regular salary and
benefits.
Court reporting is an intense and demanding profession, but
with the variations between official reporters and different freelance
reporting arrangements reporters are usually able to find the type of
employment that fits their lifestyle at the time.
The Olympics of Court Reporting
Why Do Some Court Reporters Have the Title “Official”?
If your work brings you in contact with court reporters, or
if you happen to be one of those lucky people with more than one court reporter
in your circle of friends, you might have heard some court reporters referred
to as “Officials” and others as… well, not officials.
Is an official court reporter better than other court
reporters? The short answer is, no. The title “Official” has nothing
to do with a court reporter’s skill set. It merely refers to the venue in which
they practice their craft.In this week’s post we’ll take a look at what an
“Official” court reporter does, and next week we’ll take a look at
what makes up a freelance, or non-official, court reporter’s job.
Official court reporters are employed by the government,
either by a state or a federal court. During the average workday they are in
the courtroom, taking down the proceedings in either civil or criminal courts.
If a transcript is ordered, usually because one party is appealing a ruling or
verdict, the reporter has to prepare that during non-courtroom hours.
Official court reporters receive a salary, but they aren’t normal
salaried employees. Oftentimes they must pay for their own equipment and its
upkeep. They are paid separately for any transcripts ordered, but if the
ordering party is indigent they receive a set (and usually quite low) rate from
the state. These earnings are counted as self-employment income.
Even though transcripts are produced outside of the
courtroom and are separate income, court reporters are held to strict timelines
for appellate transcript preparation in order to ensure a timely appeal process
for the parties. In North Carolina, most appellate transcripts must be produced
within 60 days from the date they’re ordered;in capitally-tried murder cases transcripts
must be produced within 120 days. That seems like a long time. A week-long
civil case will, on average, generate a 1,000-page transcript, which that
reporter must produce essentially at night and on the weekend. Because of this,
court reporters in busy jurisdictions routinely work 60- to 80-hour work weeks
and employ typists, scopists, and proofreaders to help them meet deadlines.
If that seems like a lot of work, it is. But official court
reporters usually stay with their jobs because they have an assured in-court
schedule, a steady paycheck, and benefits, and many freelance reporters do not.
In next week’s blog, read about the pros and cons of
freelance court reporting!
The Olympics of Court Reporting
We’ll be the first to admit court reporters can be a little quirky. Since the
subject matter of the cases they work on runs the gamut, they’ve obtained a
little knowledge (and a lot of opinions) on virtually every topic. A court
reporter’s professional life is never dull. Combine that variety with a
seemingly flexible schedule, and it’s understandable that a career in court
reporting is an interesting option.
Not everyone is cut out to be a court reporter, though, even if that’s the career
they’ve always dreamed of. Here are four traits successful court reporters
have in common:
1. Perfectionism
Maybe they’re a little, dare we say, obsessive-compulsive? (This can
sometimes lead to raging debates about whether or not to use semicolons or
the proper way to note the introduction of an exhibit.) When they hear an
unfamiliar word or term, they’ll ask counsel for a spelling at a break, or they’ll
research it on their own after the deposition. They’re not satisfied with
guessing. They’re sticklers for proper grammar and punctuation.
2. Punctuality
If a deposition is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m., the reporter is there, ready
to go on the record, at least 10 minutes before. They’ve scheduled the extra
time into their commute. And since they’re intellectually curious, they’ve
brought along a book they can read if they didn’t need the “extra time.”
3. Discretion
You wouldn’t believe the things reporters hear on the record, let alone off the
record! Successful reporters know that anything they hear while on the job
isn’t their information to share with anyone.
4. Assertiveness
The best court reporters know they have to speak up to ensure a good
record. They’ll interrupt to tell a witness to slow down, or that they can’t hear
what’s being said, or to inform a witness or attorney that they’re mumbling.
They’ll ask to look through exhibits to get the correct spelling of names and
terminology.
The next time you talk to your favorite court reporter, watch for examples of
these traits. We guarantee you’ll see at least one of them!
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