Court typists are also known as court reporters, and they use a stenographic machine to type down all of the verbal communication that the court needs from the proceedings. A court typist will almost always have completed a program that they have used to become certified in one capacity or another. Some states will also require that you are licensed to be a typist for the court as well.
What Do You Need To Become A Court Typist?
Training can come in all kinds of forums, including degree programs, certificate programs, and vocational diplomas. There are around one hundred schools within the United States that currently offer programs that give you the tools necessary for this profession. Most of the courses that you are going to find will offer transcription learning and real-time reporting. This will also help give you a good idea of where you stand as a reporter. You can see how fast you can type and how accurate you are with what you are typing. A lot of programs will require you to type faster than 200 words per minute.
Professional Court Typist Certification
One of the best things that you can do is volunteer yourself to get professionally certified for this position. One of the more common certifications is the RRR (Registered Professional Reporter). You can take this certification test with only a diploma, and it looks extremely good on your resume. You will be required to pass a written test along with a practice skills test. During the skills test, you will have to achieve 185+ words per minute with a 95% accuracy rating. There are also tons of other certifications that you should look into after you get this one. The more you have, the better your chances are of getting hired.
State Licensure & Specializations
Your next step should be to get your state licensure, if you are indeed in one of the states that requires it. Even if you know that your state does not require one, you should still look into what you can get instead. Often times states will have awards and certifications of their own that you can get to put on your resume along with all of your others. For those of you that live in states that require licensure, it is best to get it done as soon as possible so you can begin your career.
Specializing in a certain area is a good move no matter which profession you are in. You could end up specializing in dealing with those that are hard of hearing or many other special circumstances. This also gives you a good reason to extend your education even after you have landed a job. You never know when you are going to need that additional education to get you another job. Not to mention you can make a lot more money when you have more typing skills and specializations to your name.