Accuracy and speed are the hallmarks of all great court reporters. However, there are other crucial characteristics that set excellent reporters above the rest.
There are other important assets that hiring managers must look for and crucial skills that will keep these professionals highly sought after and relevant in the years to come. Here are important qualities that every court reporter should have.
Knowledgeable
In any court setting, reporters can expect testimonies on a wide range of subjects. This is why having an excellent vocabulary is important. When you need reporters for your legal firm, you want professionals who can demonstrate knowledge in a variety of subjects and should have the initiative to learn about different subjects. Great reporters understand that they will become better if they have an understanding of different topics in the proceedings.
Organization
Filing documents, organizing the workspace, and learning how to use the stenotype machine requires a high level of organization skills from the court reporters. Organizational skills are of the essence because many people depend on the records of legal proceedings.
Well-organized documents ensure that none of them gets lost or misplaced. Furthermore, court reporters must plan their time well to ensure that they are on time for any appointments or depositions.
Punctuality
Punctuality is an important characteristic that every court reporter should possess. Certified court reporters a crucial part of legal proceeding and their punctuality is of the essence. Court reporters should never be late for depositions or any legal hearings. Reporters working virtually should check their technology early so that they can start on time. If the court is waiting for the court reporter, then this does not reflect well on the company that hired them in the first place.
Flexibility
Legal proceedings need reporters to be respectful and accommodating of other people’s time. In most cases, all the parties involved in the case will be stressed. Punctuality and professionalism demonstrate that the reporter values the time of other people and these qualities will enable them to build a solid reputation.
Not all court reporting jobs will take place during the regular working hours. Some may need working after business hours or in other locations apart from the courtroom or conference room.
Confidentiality
Court reporters handle different types of legal actions. Most times, the testimonies being recorded are sensitive and confidential information. You will definitely hear information that is not meant for the public and you should keep it private and should never repeat this information elsewhere. Your work is just to give accurate records of what is said and not to give comments on it or share it out.
Irrespective of the type of case that your law firm is handling, the results may hugely depend on the accuracy of the deposition and interview transcripts. Whether you are working in an unfamiliar area or are expanding your office, you need a court reporting agency that can offer detailed, prompt transcripts and professional quality services.
To get the best reporting services, you should consider court reporters with the aforementioned qualities.
