There are so many things associated with the job of court reporters. While it generally is more of a serious job there are a lot of fun facts about court reporting that not a lot of people are aware of. So what are the fun facts about court reporting?
1. Court Reporters are Part of American History
There were scribes present with our Nation’s Founding Fathers as the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights were drafted. As well as, President Lincoln entrusted scribes to record the Emancipation Proclamation.
2. Many Famous People have Worked as Court Reporters
Charles Dickens began his career as a court reporter while he was 16 years old. It was during this four-year career as a court reporter and law clerk that he first learned how to use short-hand. Michelle Pfeiffer also studied to be a court reporter before the roles that made her famous.
3. Court Reporting is an Ancient Practice
When we look back at law history, we can see that there has been a need for accurate reports and transcripts. Capturing the record of important proceedings has dated back to the Fourth Century! Without accurate court reporting, who knows how the modern world could look different?
4. How Does a Court Reporter Type so Fast?
In addition to their typing training, court reporters rely on specialized technologies like stenotype machines. With a stenotype machine, court reporters type up to 225 words per minute by pressing multiple keys at once, representing syllables, words, or phrases in shorthand. With only 22 keys, this specialized machine allows for fast, accurate transcription during legal proceedings, ensuring real-time, official court records.
5. What does a Court Reporter Speak Into?
There is another method of court reporting which is referred to as the “masked method”. This is where a court reporter will record the deposition and then transcribe the recording later. A court reporter uses a stenomask, a voice silencing mask with a built-in microphone, to quietly dictate court proceedings. The mask captures their words while preventing others from hearing, and the spoken content is then converted into written text, ensuring accurate and confidential transcription.
6. Court Reporters are Going Digital
Due to present-day technology court reporters can work remotely with video access and the internet, making remote court reporting an extremely popular option. Some people believe that court reporters would be replaced by further advances in technology but all it has done is made it easier for court reporters to do their job. It has been proven that the human touch just can’t be replaced when it comes to the importance of court reporting.
7. The First Stenography Machine
The first stenograph machine, invented by Miles Bartholomew in 1877, punched holes in paper and allowed for ten keys to be pressed at once. This created a series of dashes and dots similar to Morse code.
8. Many Court Reporters Preferred the Old-Fashion Way
Even after the stenotype machine was invented many court reporters wrote by hand. The last handwritten transcript was recorded in the early 1970s.
9. Court Reporting Found on Stone Slabs
The profession actually dates back to the 4th century, which is the first time that shorthand was discovered. It was found being inscribed in a stone slab. There were also court reporters documented working in court rooms in Julius Caesar’s day. Early ancient scribes used paper notebooks and shorthand or speed writing techniques to ensure they got everything down just like today.
10. A Growing Industry
The court reporting profession is expected to grow up to 14% in the coming years and is moving into separate avenues as well such as live reporting, video depositions and real time reporting.
The Cal Dep Difference
- Experienced Realtime Court Reporters
- Last-Minute Scheduling
- Secure Online Office, Scheduling, and Document Repository
- Personal service that meets or exceeds our clients’ needs.
- Our best assets are our clients. Our mission is to provide professional services that meet or exceed our clients’ expectations.
- We believe the difference between the competition and Cal Dep is the court reporters we work with. Their personal commitment to excellence is unparalleled.
- The professionalism and congeniality the office provides clients is yet another reason to choose Cal Dep.
Court reporting is a serious business, but that doesn’t mean that some humor doesn’t come from the most benign situations. We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about court reporting. If you need a last minute court reporter we are here for you contact us today for more information!
