I love my profession and all the opportunities it has afforded me. From being able to manage my own working hours, becoming a small businessperson, educational and leadership programs, and fantastic travel opportunities, I’ve tried and enjoyed a bit of everything.
But by far one of the best things about my participation in this career path is the friends I’ve made along the way. I’ve met court reporters and captioners from across the country and around the world. When I was a student, I met incredible reporters who inspired me and who have now become friends (how does THAT happen???!). As a new reporter, I went to a convention and shared a room with someone I didn’t know and we’ve been friends for over 20 years. I met another “bestie” as a mentee but we’re like sisters, despite 15 years’ age difference.
The thing is, court reporters just simply GET each other. This thing we do – protecting the judicial record or providing communication access – is a skill few people possess or even understand. It’s a challenging skill to master and to integrate technological advances into. But we do it. And we LOVE it.
If you know someone who is interested in the law, or who is a good musician (good hand-eye-ear coordination), who loves the English language, or who is a gamer who enjoys the challenge of beating a high score, tell them about this profession. It’s one that does NOT require a four-year degree, but is geared to someone who is self-motivated, deadline driven, able to manage multiple tasks, and who is interested in a challenge.
They can contact me here or, if they’re interested in a national association, either the machine writers (www.ncra.org) or voice writers (www.nvra.org) can get them started on their research. Search for this hashtag to see the posts court reporters made during the week! #crcw2024