In the state of North Carolina, court reporters may work on a freelance or official basis. Freelance court reporters usually work for attorneys taking depositions and so forth. They need not meet any specific requirements for state licensure or certification, but must still receive the proper education and training in order to work in North Carolina. Official Superior Court Reporters, however, work in North Carolina’s court system and must be certified through one of two national certification agencies.
The steps required to become a North Carolina court reporter are as follows:
Step 1. Complete Educational Requirements for Court Reporters in North Carolina
All prospective court reporters must complete a training program through North Carolina’s court reporter schools, or through online programs.
The first step to becoming a freelance or official court reporter is to study a stenographic reporting program at a college, university or training school that is accredited by a U.S. DOE – approved accreditation agency. North Carolina court reporting schools offer programs that include instruction in the following areas:
- Technology
- Using electronic equipment to create transcripts, including the usage of computers and litigation support services
- Being able to troubleshoot problems in electronic services and equipment used for these purposes
- Reporting practices
- Management of electronic files, including storage and retrieval
- Producing, protecting and transferring transcripts, using correct procedures and English
- Determining job requirements for a court reporting assignment, learning about legal pleadings and proceedings
- Being able to find and use resources to verify data, such as technical terminology and reference materials
- Learn the equipment requirements for an assignment, including hardware and software
- Determining how to manage exhibits, including evidence and documentation
- Professional practices of court reporters
- Business practices and ethics
- Local, state and federal rules regarding court reporting
- Confidentiality and privacy requirements and concerns
Step 2: If Seeking to Become an Official North Carolina Court Reporter, Become Certified By Passing an Examination
If you wish to work on a freelance basis as a court reporter in North Carolina you need not seek certification through any agency. If you wish to work as an Official Court Reporter for the state of North Carolina, however, you must become certified through one of the following education and examination tracks:
- Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) through the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). Once you have completed the educational program approved by the NCRA, you are ready to take the certification examination. It tests the following content and skill areas:
- Written Knowledge Test- 115 multiple-choice questions in the following areas:
- Professional practices
- Reporting practices
- Technology
- Written Knowledge Test- 115 multiple-choice questions in the following areas:
- Skills Test – tests the following skills areas:
- Testimony/Questions & Answers (225 words per minute)
- Jury Charge (200 words per minute)
- Literary (180 words per minute)
- Skills Test – tests the following skills areas:
- Register to take the exam through the NCRA website. You will then be asked to schedule your RPR Exam at a Pearson Professional Center in North Carolina in one of the following cities:
- Charlotte
- Greenville
- Winston-Salem
- Raleigh
- Durham
- Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) through the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA). This involves completing a NVRA-approved CVR workshop and passing their exam:
- Five-minute dictations in:
- Two-voice question and answer (225 words per minute)
- Jury charge (200 words per minute)
- Literary (180 words per minute)
- Five-minute dictations in:
- Written Knowledge Test- this is taken online after completion of the Dictation Test, and consists of 100 multiple choice questions on:
- Professional responsibilities
- Transcript production
- Verbatim record
- Written Knowledge Test- this is taken online after completion of the Dictation Test, and consists of 100 multiple choice questions on:
- The CVR Exam is offered at the following Comira Test Centers in North Carolina:
- Raleigh
- Charlotte
- Burlington
- Fayetteville
- Smithfield
- Monroe
- Cary
- Wilmington
- Greensboro
- Fletcher
- Apex
- Winston-Salem
- The CVR Exam is offered at the following Comira Test Centers in North Carolina:
Step 3. Purchase Your Own CAT System and Writer
Both freelance court reporters and Official Superior Court Reporters in North Carolina should provide their own equipment and supplies. Although not a stated requirement of the North Carolina court system, Official Superior Court Reporters who own their own CAT systems and writers have a hiring advantage over those who do not. All Official Superior Court Reporters are also expected to provide their own binders and transcript paper. Freelance court reporters may need to provide their own materials or they may be provided by the agencies for which they work. The following professional vendors may be helpful when you are searching for court reporting materials:
Step 4. Find Employment as a Court Reporter in North Carolina
Properly trained freelance court reporters in North Carolina may find jobs through the many court reporting agencies statewide that hire freelancers. Some of the largest agencies in North Carolina include:
- Garrett Reporting Services, Inc. – with headquarters in Raleigh, this agency provides freelance court reporters for transcripts and depositions statewide
- B&A Litigation Services, LLC – Located in High Point, this court reporting company provides freelance court reporters and videographers to clients in North and South Carolina
- Asheville Reporting Services – Located in Asheville and Hendersonville, this agency provides legal transcriptionists and court reporters to clients in the area
- Adams & Holt Court Reporters – Located in Boone, this company provides litigation support and court reporters for hearings, depositions, conventions, meetings, conferences and arbitrations statewide
If you have received certification as an RPR or CVR, you are eligible to apply for a job as an Official Superior Court Reporter in North Carolina. Job opportunities may be found through the Judicial Branch Vacancies of the North Carolina Court System website.
As of 2012, there are 112 Superior Court Judges throughout the North Carolina Court System. These judges disposed of 313,048 cases during Fiscal Year 2011-12.Superior Courts in North Carolina handle all trials of general jurisdiction including felony criminal cases; civil cases involving more than $10,000; and infraction and misdemeanor appeals from District Court. There are eight divisions of Superior Court across North Carolina and 46 districts.
Step 5. Complete Continuing Education Requirements for Court Reporters in North Carolina
If you are an Official Superior Court Reporter in North Carolina, you are certified through the NCRA or NVRA. It is your responsibility to maintain your certification. If you are an RPR certified with the NCRA, you must complete at least three NCRA-approved continuing education units (CEUs) every three years. These may be earned through attending NCRA e-seminars, attending state and national convention seminars, taking college courses, participating in NCRA tele-trainings, completing vendor software training, and completing eligible distance learning courses.
If you are a CVR certified with the NVRA, you must complete 30 continuing education (CE) credits every three years in order to maintain certification. These may be gained through NVRA pre-approved events, professional service credits, non-pre-approved events, attending NVRA workshops or gaining another certification through NVRA, seminars, teaching and pro-bono activities
Freelance court reporters in North Carolina need not fulfill any continuing education requirements, as they are not required to be licensed or certified. However, it is always a good idea to stay current with the latest technology in a job where the technology can change often. Classes may be found online or at a local training school, college or university that will help to keep your skills honed and knowledge up to date.
Step 6. Consider Joining a Professional Association for Court Reporters in North Carolina
Whether you work as a freelance court reporter or Official Superior Court Reporter in North Carolina, professional organizations for court reporters can help you with networking opportunities and put you in contact with more continuing education possibilities. Across North Carolina, some of the most beneficial associations include:
- North Carolina Court Reporters Association
- North Carolina Verbatim Reporters Association
- North Carolina Association of Official Court Reporters
- North Carolina Notary Association
- North Carolina Paralegal Association
North Carolina Court Reporting Salary
The number of court reporting jobs in North Carolina is projected to increase by a much higher rate than in many other states. The state’s Department of Commerce (DOC) estimates that the field will increase by 16.7% from 2010 to 2020.
Both federal and state agencies provide information on the 2012 salaries of court reporters in North Carolina. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the 150 professionals in this field in this state earned an average of $55,040 a year with top earners in the 90th percentile making $64,130.
Detail on the average salaries in 2012 in specific areas of North Carolina is shown below:
There are a number of avenues of employment available for court reporters and stenographers. A number of these professionals work for state governments. The 2012 salary ranges of court reporters who worked for the state of North Carolina are shown below:
- Court reporter I: $26,013 – $39,224
- Court reporter II: $34,474 – $54,460
The difference between these positions is that the first involves acting in a training capacity. In contrast, level II court reporters are expected to transcribe portions of legal proceedings verbatim and to transcribe their notes to become a certified record of the hearing. A level II court reporter is required to type 175 words per minute on a stenotype machine and to transcribe at 45 words per minute.
Another common source of jobs for court reporters and stenographers are the large number of firms that hire them to be able to provide verbatim recording and closed caption services to attorneys and businesses.
The BLS provides an analysis of the wages of all types of court reporters who were located in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News area in 2012 in the following table: