Some wonder if, with increase of technological breakthroughs occurring nearly every day at a seemingly unstoppable pace, court reporting is a profession that is bound to go the way of the dodo or punch card machine operator. Technology can be a very slippery slope, and it is conceivable that one day voice recognition software will be so advanced that it reaches automatic capabilities, but if this ever occurs, it will not be for some time. The reality of the matter is on the contrary, in fact. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics actually projects the number of court reporting jobs to increase by 25% by the year 2016.
| Court reporter school is sometimes known as Criminal Justice or Civil Service school, depending on which institution is offering the program. These programs are usually less specialized, and will not provide the level of intense training that most aspiring court reporters should be looking for when considering schooling. It is best to seek out a community college that lists an offered court reporting degree, or to find a school that is simply known as a school of court reporting. These are rare, and few are accredited by the National Court Reporters Association, but those that are often prove to be the best options, and there is really no large difference between them other than their locations. However, some are unique in their methods and achievements, and some of those will be showcased below. | Bryan College of Court Reporting, located in Los Angeles and Sacramento, California, is probably one of the most lucrative court reporting schools in the country. According to its website, of the top five highest paid court reporters working out of Los Angeles today, four of them were educated at Bryan College. The highest paid court reporter shown earned $200,000 per year, which is a salary it is likely no human being would disdain, although you can never tell. Bryan College also boasts a nearly 100 percent placement rate, which is also one of the highest reported placement rates of any court reporting program. A unique counseling process is also one the perks of this university. It is also accredited by the National Court Reporters Association. The Community College of Allegheny County is another notable court reporter school in that its Court Reporter Scholarship Program is highly endowed, and this line of study is one of the most supported by the college. It offers both a Court Reporting Certificate track of study and a Court Reporting Associate’s Degree track of study. Specialization such as this is always crucial when looking for study in such a technical job as court reporting. This demonstrates the institution’s willingness to focus on the real world needs of a student of court reporting, rather than fostering a diploma oriented approach that provides no measure of insight or in depth teaching. Alvin Community College is similar to the Community College of Allegheny County because of the scholarship program. Like the intensity and diversity present in the curriculum, it is equally important that the school you decide to attend offers some sort of scholarship program for court reporters. Even if you do not qualify somehow for these scholarships, the mere fact that these schools are endowed with them speaks volumes about their dedication to the study of the profession. Lack of the proper standards and operating procedures can present a problem more commonly than one might initially believe. Diploma mills are all too common in this day of swindlers, and if the institution you happen to attend isn’t really worth its salt, you will surely be paying for it in more ways than one. There is no reason to spend any money on unworthy endeavors, and to that end you must be willing to perform the necessary research regarding every university you are considering applying to. Of course, it seems that there are no known nightmarish reviews on any court reporting program to be found, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There are poor teachers and teaching methods found at every university, even those listed in higher echelon of education, so asking around attempting to understand the sort of experience you might find at each university is very important. |
