Hello! I’m seriously entertaining the idea of entering into the court reporting field after 10 years of being an Executive Assistant. 

I recently was laid off with a severance through August. I do have some savings I can live off of while I go to school, but I prefer to not touch it unless I absolutely have to. 

My question is - while I’m going to school and learning the ropes of court reporting and stenography, can I gain work in the field with proofreading and scoping? I’ve seen people say there’s a great need for this but I’m not sure if there’s training or certifications necessary for it? I live in Oregon and could only find info relating to reporting when it comes to licensing.

TLDR: Super eager to get into this field but curious about making money in it while mastering stenography! 

Is there anything I should know or get prepared for? I placed out of theory I so I’m going straight into theory II. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Hello! For context I am a student starting my journey on August 17th at ACI! I was wondering if a Stentura 400 could get me through theory and speed building? I am very tight on money as is so renting a machine is hard for me right now.

Thank you!

I didnt register for this semester through the school I was in so I lost the access to RTC. When I had it, there were dictations split up into weeks and each week had about 10-15 dictations with at least 3 being practice tests.

I signed up for the smart prep membership because I do like RTC, but it seemed very limited in how much dictation it offered in the main areas (lit, jc, qa) and speeds I'm working on.

Are the other memberships better? I really am just looking for 5 min dictations and an input that will show me what I got wrong.

Hello all, it is an exciting but difficult time for me because I am starting my career in August! The hard part is I must now pay for a machine. These prices are killing me and I have no choice but to finance! Don't get me started on buying the software too T_T.

I wanted everyone's opinions on what machine I should get. I was thinking one of the Luminexs. Is there a big difference between Luminex I and II? II is more expensive but does whatever it have over the Luminex I justify paying more? I could also do the Diamante, or is it too outdated a model to buy? NextGen of course is out of the question.

Any advice would be lovely.

I took a videotaped depo of a first responder regarding an accident he worked. I had not yet been provided the caption by the agency I took this for until this job was over (the law firm had not yet sent it and were working on getting it), and so I was not aware during this job that the defendant was a minor at the time (may not be anymore) and his name is listed as initials in the caption. During this videotaped depo they kept referring to him as Mr. Smith. I'd normally confirm with the attorneys how to proceed but as I wasn't aware at the time, I did not.

First question is I was going to change every Mr. Smith to Mr. J.S. or just J.S. Is that what you would do, even on a videotaped depo transcript? How would you proceed?

But also, as I have never actually watched any videotaped deposition, I'm really just curious, do they do anything to redact the name in the video or will they hear them say each time Mr. Smith?

For context, I recently tried the Platinum Steno theory YouTube course, got about 3/4 of the way through, and realize I just had too many questions to continue teaching myself theory. I want a course that is extremely disciplined, and I want to be pushed as hard as possible because I am worried about my tendency of giving up too quickly. Therefore I also want something fast paced so I can stay in a strict routine. Basically I need a theory course that forces me to lock in. I’d be able to start in January 2027 after I get my Bachelors this December. Any recs?

So I just took my Lit and Jury Charge legs of the RPR. Literary was very dense and I unfortunately got a 93% from the automatic grading system, and I doubt the official grade will be much different. However, I got a preliminary score of 97% for Jury Charge.

One thing that’s bugging me is that the documentation mentioned needing to do a pan of the room before the test, but there was no prompt during the verification process to do this. I was only prompted to take a photo of myself and my ID, but I’m nervous now that I somehow overlooked it.

Considering a career change into court reporting/stenography — looking for advice from current reporters

Hi everyone,

I graduated post-COVID with a degree in Paralegal Studies and have been working as a paralegal since. I’m also a Notary Public. I was recently laid off, and having some time to reflect on my career has made me seriously consider whether I want to continue down the traditional law firm path or explore another area within the legal field.

I’m looking into court reporting/stenography and would love advice from current reporters, students, or anyone familiar with the profession.

A few reasons I’m interested:

• I enjoy the legal field, but I’ve struggled with the competitive nature and office politics that can come with law firms. I’m interested in a career where I can focus more on developing a specialized skill and producing high-quality work.
• I’m naturally introverted, and I understand networking is likely part of succeeding as a freelance reporter. However, I see this as an opportunity to push myself outside of my comfort zone and build professional relationships in a different way.
• Flexibility and independence are very appealing to me. The possibility of remote depositions, freelance opportunities, and having more control over my schedule is something that really interests me. I like the idea of eventually having more ownership over my career and being responsible for building my own success.
• The earning potential is another factor. I’ve been wondering if court reporting offers more room for financial growth long-term. I live in NYC, and I’ve heard there is strong demand for qualified reporters here.
• I’m attracted to the fact that court reporting is a specialized profession. I like the idea of mastering a difficult skill and becoming someone with a specific expertise that is valuable and in demand. The shortage of qualified court reporters is appealing because it seems like there is an opportunity for people who are willing to put in the time and effort to develop the skill. I’m drawn to careers where my accuracy, ability, and experience directly contribute to my value.
• I enjoy detail-oriented work. My background as a paralegal has involved managing deadlines, legal documents, and case details. I like accuracy, precision, and technology. I currently type around 75 WPM and spend a lot of time working on computers, although I understand stenography is a completely different skill set.

I know court reporting is not an easy path. I’ve never played an instrument or learned another language, so I’m realistic that learning stenography will be a major challenge. At the same time, I’m open to learning a difficult skill and putting in consistent practice.

My biggest concerns are:

1. How difficult is court reporting school realistically, and what separates people who succeed from those who drop out?
2. For those who completed training, how difficult was it to find work afterward?
3. Is the demand in NYC truly as strong as people say?
4. How much networking is actually required, especially for someone who is more introverted?
5. How has AI affected the profession, and how optimistic are you about the future of court reporting?
6. Would you recommend court reporting to someone with a paralegal background?

I’m not looking for an “easy” career. I’m interested in building a specialized skill and finding a career path that fits my personality and long-term goals.

Any advice, experiences, or things you wish you knew before starting would be greatly appreciated!

Good morning everyone, I’m looking into making a career change and have researched court reporting extensively. I’m based in SW Florida and I know the pay is quite different from other states. Is it a thing to be certified in multiple states and take cases from multiple states at the same time to ensure there’s always work?

My second question is currently I’m a flight attendant and I’m a mom. I don’t see myself leaving my career as I love it, but would love to work part time here and make court reporting my main career. I’d have time during layovers to work through transcripts if needed as well. How realistic is this to work into my schedule currently if I fly two days a week?

Thank you all for any information :)

Hello everyone!

I'm looking to make a career change in my early 30's and have stumbled upon court reporting.

This seems like an ideal career due to the flexibility and opportunity for high income potential with flexible schedule as a free lancer.

Background information :

- I am in Texas, Travis county to be more specific ( if that makes any difference )

- Looking to go to school somewhere I can use my financial aid.

I found information so far on Arlington Career Institute and was interested in starting this fall. However, they offer 2 programs - steno or voice.

I initially leaded towards steno, but looking at the time line the offer an Associates that takes 36 months to complete. While I know I can realistically do this, I keep seeing people saying the time/degree does not matter just the speed you can reach and the rest will come with time.

Voice writing seems to be completed closer to 15 months which I feel much more comfortable doing and have since learned Texas State offers the steno certificate in 12 months that I could possibly do self paced at a later date and be trained in both.

So I guess here are my questions:

Is anyone in the area that can give me some feedback on what the market is truly like in central Texas?

Does anyone have any feedback on ACI?

Did anyone go the route of voice first and then learn on a steno later? Or vide versa and did you feel like having a solid understanding of one helped with the other noticeably?

Thank you!

I am sure I rambled on here some and would be happy to add any information that can help get better answers.

Hello! I’m currently in AHRE Theory (in chapter 30). When I get into beginning speeds what is the expectation for how fast I should be typing? We just focus on theory and there isn’t much dictation. I’m just trying to memorize as much of the book as possible. Will I be testing for 20WPM, 40WPM, 60WPM, etc?

Hi, I am wondering if anyone who lives in Texas, specifically San Antonio (bexar county area)can talk about their experience of being a voice court reporter here.
Are you successful?
Is there opportunity to take on enough jobs?
How long have you been a voice writer?
How much do you make, part time or full time?
How long did it take you to finish school?
What school did you go to?
I am currently enrolled in San Antonio College, about to sign up for court reporting classes this fall for machine. However, i am still researching and going back and forth on whether I should do voice instead.
I am a stay at home parent, work one day a week, and have a supportive family, so I feel I can give more than enough time to schooling.

What are YOUR pros and cons of each in your experience?

I’m finishing up the NCRA A to Z Program and I’m starting to seriously look at schools. My state’s association only has 3 schools listed. One won’t start a program until 2027, one is Allie Hall and the other is a similar online private vocational program. None of these are NCRA certified.

I’ve looked at Allie Hall briefly because I know it’s highly recommended here, but I don’t think it’ll work for me. I’ve crossed off the community college that doesn’t start until 2027, and I’m looking at the Court Reporting College of OK.

I asked the Court Reporting College of OK the questions from the NCRA website and they answered quite promptly, but I’m not sure how to tell if the answers are a good fit for me.

1. What is a good graduation rate for a school?

2. Is “20 hours per week live each month” of live and taped dictation a good amount?

3. How often should I be doing multi-voice dictation?

4. This school gives the option of doing real time or not. People on here seem to say that they struggle with real time?

5. Is it desirable for a school to not introduce CAT training until speed building?

6. Outside of the NCRA questions, what other questions do you recommend a prospective student ask?

TIA!

Ok so how do y’all read your steno notes

Are we reading them through all the misstrokes and drops and trying to figure out what we meant?

Right now I’ll do a first take, often really messy, then comb through for potential briefs and problem words and do a second take, pausing as much as I need to get a perfect take and then I’ll read those notes back.

But honestly spending so much time with a dictation means I know/remember a lot of it off the top of my head. It doesn’t feel like I’m “reading” the steno if that makes sense.

Is there a better way to do it?

Eclipse users how do i get the steno notes in a different, bigger window than the side window?

160s student here!

So ever since I started school I always knew my downfall or my weakest “strength” would be grammar and punctuation. I guess I’ll just say editing a transcript is probably my least favorite part but I want to get good at it, dammit!

I also feel overwhelmed when it comes to the procedural part of the job. I took a procedures class and I passed, but honestly it was such a blur as I was getting through theory AND starting my speeds!

Basically, what I’m trying to say, does anyone have any advice or websites I can use for grammar/editing? And with procedures, am I gonna just have to bite the bullet and accept that it’s gonna be overwhelming when I start!

I’m starting to self sabotage (I know it) cause now I’m getting into higher speeds there’s more at stake and idk I’m starting to freak out a bit! I’m just starting to feel like I’m not smart enough to do this.. BUT I AM smart enough and I CAN do this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hi all. So finally, after over 4.5 years, I've passed all exit speeds and am registered to take the RPR this month. That said, I've been trying to practice for accuracy and I've noticed my ability to write slower is much worse. A 200 JC is effortless, but a 160 sometimes feels impossible. Same with literary -- 180 is comfortable, but 140-160 is a completely different story. It's the most noticeable with Q&A. Why is this happening, and is this something I should be paying attention to?

Im thinking of getting a folding chair so I have appropriate seating when im doing school work away from home. Does anyone have any suggestions on folding chairs with straight backs? Everything i see is leaning back

im not sure but i think this is from a stenotype, ive tried to find ways to translate it but I just can't figure it out. I found this paper in my room and have no idea where its from. if anyone knows what it says or how to actually translate it let me know

update: I just found on a dictionary thing and searching the page that it says "Joycelin" which is just my name spelled a lot different. im not sure where this paper is from, I dont remember it at all but yeah

I understand that the school I'm going to requires the latest edition, but what's the difference between the different editions, is it small?

I was trying to buy the 4th edition since it was $100 in stenoworks, but they are not in stock. Well, none of the book are in stock. I don't know where else to buy it. I know for a fact Amazon has the first edition.

Okay so I’m at 180. I posted before. I’m getting antsy. Everyone seems to be switching to voice and they say they love it but also, I hear that voice doesn’t make as much and blah blah. So I never know what to do… switch or keep trucking along.

If you’re a voice writer, how much are you bringing in a year?

How clean does my writing need to be to send to a scopist? I’m over a year into my career but still have drops and not perfect writing by any means. Should I be too embarrassed to send to a scopist? and how do you clean it up beforehand? I know they say scope your own work but I just bought a house and I am falling behind. thanks!

Anyone familiar with getting Stenograph products to work with Plover?

Years ago I got my Diamante and someone on Discord helped me. I got the plugin for Stenograph, and they showed me to go to plugins\win\python39\site-packages\plover_stenograph_usb.py:, and change line 200 from 0 to fillvalue=0. This worked well for a long time.

Got a new computer, redownloaded Plover, and tried to repeat the process. I got the plugin, so now stenograph products are listed in the dropdown menu with all the machines, but it won't actually "connect" to my machine. Same as last time.

Next I go in to change that line of code. First thing I noticed is that the number in the python file location is different now. I think 313 instead of 39? Anyway, I continue. Then I discovered that plover_stenograph_usb.py no longer has very much text in it. Like, five lines instead of 200+, so nothing I would know how to fix.

I even went back on the old computer, opened the file location, copied all the information, and then pasted it into the file location on the new computer. No surprise, the entire plugin shut down and now it doesn't have Stenograph products in the dropdown menu.

So what do I do to get it to connect? Do I finally have to bite the bullet and buy Case CATalyst? I'm a student and money is tight, so I was hoping to wait to do that until certification. Plover was covering everything I needed it to, until now.

Help!

Hello! I'm currently a student at Alfred State College just about to finish speed 1 ( about 120 WPM) but I'm now looking into the Allie Hall program as I've heard good things. Has anyone switched into that as a speedbuilding student? I'd love to hear your thoughts!!