Friday, July 8, 2011

Becoming a Courtroom Stenographer

By Bob Beckman


Do you dream of working in the courtroom recording the speech and dictation in connection of legal proceedings? Are you interested to witness the great trials in your community and be the one recording and reporting it? Then you should enroll in school for court stenography.

Court stenographers are tasked to be the one taking down notes about the entire record of a live trial using shorthand writing. And then they will translate it in words to present the official transcript of the proceedings. Usually, they earn as much as $65, 000.00 as an annual salary.

Stenography is usually offered as an associate's degree. Topics should include legal terminology, machine shorthand, transcription and auditory language skills. There are many schools offering this course program but one should be knowledgeable enough to decide which school to enroll with. One of the factors that one should take into consideration is the location of the school.

Many job opportunities are offered in the urban places compared to rural sites. Completing an internship is also a consideration. One should see to it that the internships are supervised by the practicing court reporters.

This should also be authorized by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). They are the one contributing the standards of the schools and universities presenting the course.

Some of the famous court stenographer schools which present this category of course are listed below. Aim to take a glimpse of the school and decide whether or not you would liked to take up the course with them. 1. Miami Dade College 2. El Paso Community College 3. Oakland Community College 4. Central Mexico Community College 5. Ceritos College 6. Cuyahoga Community College 7. San Antonio College 8. Community College of Alleghany County 9. Monroe Community College 10. University of Mississippi 11. Cyprus College 12. Madison Area Technical College 13. Erie Community College 14. West Valley College 15. Del Mar College 16. Midlands Technical College 17. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 18. Saint Louis Community College-Meramec 19. Hinds Community College 20. Taft College

Before deciding, one should be aware of the schools track record. Try to double check the certification of the said school if it is NCRA accredited. Then ask if possible the school's certification passing rate. Weigh the tuition costs of each school on your list. If it is a public school, know the difference of the in state and out of state students. Schools that refuse to give out their tuition fee should be removed in your list.

Ask if the school is credible for federal financial aid. Discover their devices used. Write down notes also of the program duration. Ask if they give internship or externship and the areas of the training to be able to have the details of whether or not it is a better one. Good luck with your endeavor for the court stenographer schools that fits you.