10 Facts About Court Reporters in New York

Many law firms in the Empire State use New York court reporters extensively to transcribe court proceedings and depositions. But surprisingly, many of the attorneys at these firms are unaware that this only scratches the surface of what a court reporter can do. Here is a look at ten facts about court reporters in New York.

Some of these facts obviously represent the hallmarks of the trade, while others are "hidden talents" of these highly reliable, detail oriented professionals.

1. Court reporting - The most well-known service offered by court reporters. Using shorthand or transcription machines, court reporters will judiciously take down every word that is spoken by witnessed, attorneys and the judge in order to produce a complete, official record of the court proceedings.

2. Deposition reporting - Court reporters are often called in to record everything that is spoken at a deposition. Depositions are used when a witness is unable to appear during the trial, or if the witness' statements will need to be corroborated during court proceedings. Either way, the exacting standards of the court reporter is essential to the execution of this process.

3. Reporting at public hearings - Many public hearings can get a little chaotic. People are talking over one another in an effort to be heard. A court reporter in New York possesses the focus to filter out the excess noise and create a flawless transcript of every word that was spoken at the event.

4. Transcription services - Court reporters can also turn audio transcripts into written documents with ease. These trained professionals are excellent typists and always check their work thoroughly for accuracy. This comes in handy when the client needs a long audio broadcast turned into a 100+ page document.

5. Videographer services. Some court reporters are just as talented with a camera as they are with a pen. When a client needs a video record of a deposition or trial, a certain percentage of court reporters can film, edit and perform post-production on the proceedings.

6. Keyword indexing - Court reporters can organize complicated transcripts and other documents so that the most relevant information is easy to access. For example, if a deposition is taken and a key witness is mentioned several times throughout the document, the court reporter can highlight these mentions and sort the document accordingly.

7. Document formatting - Court reporters can take the documents they create and format them for a wide variety of uses. Perhaps the document needs to be turned into a PDF for universal acceptance. Or maybe the information must be broken out into an excel spread sheet for better organization. However the client wants their information, the court reporter can deliver it.

8. Closed captioning for the hearing impaired - Many court reporters can work as closed captioners for the hearing impaired. These individuals put their fast, accurate typing skills to use by transcribing the words that are being spoken into the written word for those with hearing problems.

9. Translation - Bi-lingual court reporters can serve a dual function in the courtroom or attorney's office. These special individuals can translate court proceedings or depositions into different languages after the initial transcription has taken place.

10. Court reporting is here to stay - No matter how many advances there are in technology, there will always be a need to turn the spoken word into the written word. And while many software programs are able to turn voice into text, none will ever be able to do it with the speed and accuracy of a human court reporter.