In a legal setting, court reporters are called the guardians of the record. It is their responsibility to capture in real-time, each and every word being spoken in courtroom, create deposition transcripts, and maintain record of legal proceedings, and speeches. Court reporters are expected to perform their duties without any biasness, with full accuracy, and complete information.
Once you have obtained your degree in court reporting, there are many areas where you can start working professionally. Different types of court reporting include:
- Official Court Reporting: Maintaining records of all court proceedings.
- Freelance Court Reporting: Writing testimony and preparing spoken word verbatim, mainly at depositions, hearings, or arbitrations.
- Broadcast Closed Captioning: Providing feeds to media and working for talk shows, news, or sports channels.
- Real Time Closed Captioning: Providing real-time feed by being physically present at the location and recording information directly.
- Webcasting: Giving real-time information and providing reporting services for live events or internet-based meetings and seminars.
- Communications Access Real-time Reporting (CART): Includes providing specialized reporting services to deaf people or who have trouble hearing, especially in live situations.
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Court Reporter in Montana – The Guide
Experience/TrainingCertification and License
| Educational Requirements | Post-secondary education or an Associate’s degree |
| Key Skills | Confidence, Administrative Skills, Ethics and Integrity, Effective Communication, Impartiality, Dependable, Punctuality, English Grammar Skills, Punctuation and Proofreading, Follow Oral and Written Directions, Speed and Accuracy, Technical Skills, Work Independently |
| Annual Mean Salary – Montana (2020) | $ 65,240 |
| Job Outlook – Montana (2018 -2028) | 10% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*Net Online
Court Reporters in Montana – Job Responsibilities
The typical duties of a court reporter include:
- Attend courtroom proceedings and record all spoken words in real-time.
- Prepare transcripts and make verbatim official recordings to assist legal teams in court.
- Carefully prepare transcripts and share with the judges and legal teams.
- Be unbiased in reporting and prepare information with accuracy.
- Provide courtroom management support and perform administrative duties.
- Coordinate meetings and help maintain the schedule of judges.
- Help in maintaining law library, purchasing office resources and material, and answering phone calls.
The Steps
Below are the steps you have to complete to become a Montana court reporter.
- After getting high school education, you have to attend a court reporter training program to get an accredited certification.
- During the training program, students learn about legal procedures, different terminologies related to law, medicine, and industries, and court reporting ethics.
- There are specialized courses for using technological equipment, stenography training, and ability to type a minimum of 180 shorthand words per minute.
- The state of Montana does not make it necessary for court reporters to have a certification but getting one can benefit you greatly.
- Reputable bodies like the National Court Reporters Association provide certifications like Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR), Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), Realtime Systems Administrator, and Certified LiveNote Reporter (CLR).
- The next step for you is to apply for a job and get employed. Get your court reporter resume ready and start looking for jobs of your choice.
- Some court reporter jobs include Broadcast captioners, CART reporters.
- Communication access real-time translation (CART) providers, court recording monitors, court stenographers, court transcribers, and deposition reporters.
To maintain certification, you need to get some continuing education credits. Every institute and certification has its own continuing education credits requirements, so it is vital to get all the information beforehand.
- To maintain certification, you need to get some continuing education credits.
- Every institute and certification program has its own continuing education credits requirements, so it is vital to get all the information beforehand.
Employment Trend
O*Net Online forecasts a 10% employment growth for court reporters in the state of Montana from 2018 till 2028. In comparison, the national projected growth is 3% from 2020 till 2030. Montana is projected to recruit as many as 110 employees by 2028. Below are the States with the highest employment level in court reporters and simultaneous captioners:
| State | Employment |
| California | 1,400 |
| New York | 1,250 |
| Michigan | 990 |
| Florida | 810 |
| Indiana | 790 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)
Court Reporter Salary in Montana
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2021 figures, court reporters in Montana earned an annual mean income of $ 53,560. In comparison, the national average annual salary for court reporters in 2021 was $ 65,240. Below are the top paying states for court reporters and simultaneous captioners:
| State | Annual Mean Wage |
| New York | $ 100,270 |
| California | $ 83,720 |
| Texas | $ 81,460 |
| Iowa | $ 77,090 |
| Colorado | $ 76,410 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)