If you are considering entering the field of court reporting, be prepared for the rigors of the job. A certified court reporter is a well-paid professional but success requires serious dedication.

Many years ago some experts predicted that technology would cause a shortage of jobs for court reporters, leaving many in the career with no employment opportunities. In fact, members of the profession are in more demand today than ever before. Here are a few case studies showing how the opportunities are booming.

There have been a number of people in the court reporting profession who have expressed concern over the rising use of digital recordings in courtrooms and legal depositions. This technology when used correctly is a powerful tool for the court stenographer and not the threat to the profession some people perceive.

For many years, the greatest technological advance in court reporting was the stenography machine. An offshoot of the modern typewriter, this “mechanical wonder” allowed court reporters to transcribe even the fastest speakers accurately.

Sometimes important legal services are out of reach for the people who need them most. Unprivileged individuals are often at the greatest risk in terms of being wronged (or being sued) yet few can afford the expensive legal fees that are put forth by the best law firms.

Government agencies on all levels are making drastic cuts to their budgets to adjust to reduced revenue. The nation's court systems are not exempt and functions such as litigation support services are at risk.

The Senate and the House have passed a bill that will provide grants to educate court reporters specializing in realtime communication. These reporters will provide captioning for live television broadcasts, improving access for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

A court reporter is one of the jobs that is most likely to continue, even in an economic downturn. Every court case and legal hearing needs to have a record made of what was said and done during the meeting and it's the job of the reporter to keep track of everything. The records need to stand up in court proceedings and it's necessary to have them be very accurate and carefully transcribed.

In any court proceeding, lawyers depend on witnesses to tell the truth about the facts of the case so that the jurors can make the best decision about the outcome of the case. This is what makes the justice system efficient and how it is supposed to work for the betterment of all involved.

The court reporting profession has changed substantially in recent years, and not always for the better. The average court reporting agency has seen a drop in both clients and employees and it has left reporters with real concerns about the future. Good times are ahead, but reporters must be prepared to meet them.