Court Reporting School
Elevate your career and become a Court Reporter! We offer both online classes or attend in class options to get you started.
Court reporters are highly trained professionals who use special equipment to capture spoken word and create word-for-word transcripts. They are also known as stenographers
What does a Court Reporter do?
- Court Reporters are responsible for accurately recording the spoken testimony during courtroom proceedings, pretrial depositions, as well as for proceedings at federal agencies and for state and local governments.
- Court reporting is an evolving field where the job opportunities are strong.
- Court Reporters are the “Guardians of the Record,” and they will continue to capture, protect, and preserve the Court’s record for all time.
As a Court Reporter, you will play an integral role in maintaining the integrity of all legal proceedings.
Not all court reporters spend their days in the courtroom. Court reporting skills and technology are used to provide captioning for live and prerecorded programs on broadcast TV and the Internet. You can have fun captioning your favorite TV Shows, movies and sporting events – work remotely, set your own schedule. Embark on a career that’s vital, exciting and rewarding with coast-to-coast opportunities at your fingertips.
- The job of the Court Reporter actually consists of two jobs. The first part of the job is the Court Reporter taking down or “reporting” everything that is said during a trial in a courtroom or at a pretrial deposition on a steno machine.
- The second part of the Court Reporter’s job consists of producing an accurate transcript of the proceedings. Behind the scenes, the Court Reporter uses industry-standard software, and translates what has been written on the steno machine, edits the proceeding, conducts research, proofreads and corrects any errors, and certifies that the transcript is complete, true, and accurate. This is a very important position.
General Information About the Need for Court Reporters
According to the National Court Reporting Association (NCRA), there is a tremendous growing shortage of Court Reporters across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Court Reporters and simultaneous captioners is projected to grow 3 per cent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations in the United States. About 2,100 openings for Court Reporters and simultaneous captioners are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
While the national Median pay in 2022 was $63,560, in New York State where the demand for skilled Court Reporters is amongst the highest in the nation, the Median salary was the highest in the nation at $106,340.[1] The employment opportunities seem to be in demand in many states across the country. In fact, the NYS Unified Court System has posted several positions available on their site here.
We also offer undergraduate, graduate and some certificate programs in:
- Audio & Music Recording
- Business Admin & Management
- Court Reporting
- Film School, TV Production, Screenwriting & Directing
- Interactive Media & Digital Arts
- Liberal Arts
- Mass Communication & Journalism
- Music Education
- Music Performance & Songwriting
- Theatre, Acting & Dance
Why Choose Five Towns College?
- Great Location: Situated in a welcoming, community-oriented town in Suffolk County, not far from New York City
- Engaging Campus Life: Enjoy our student clubs, sports teams, exciting activities, comfortable dorms, and flexible meal plans.
- Supportive Community: Expert faculty, dedicated staff, and talented students collaborate and inspire one another.
- Career Opportunities: Discover internships, networking, and job opportunities aligned with your major and career goals.
- Affordable Tuition: Get a quality education without the heavy financial burden.
- Personalized Learning: Small class sizes provide individualized attention for help in all your classes
The court reporting program at Five Towns College is dedicated to teaching and helping students develop their stenography machine shorthand skills to create an accurate verbatim transcript. The program of study includes classes on legal procedures and technology, medical terminology, grammar and punctuation, and training on the industry-leading software for computer-aided transcription, and more.
The Internship portion of the program takes learning out of the classroom and right into a legal setting, giving Five Towns College students the opportunity to work side-by-side with a professional court reporter. The program at Five Towns had its genesis at the Long Island Business Institute nearly 55 years ago. As such, the College’s approach builds on that half-century of experience.
The College offers both a Certificate and an Associate’s Degree in Court Reporting. Both programs focus on honing your writing and transcriptions skills to achieve the exit speed of 225 words per minute. For students who previously attended the Long Island Business Institute, they may continue in the program in which they were originally enrolled. For the Certificate, this is the 54-credit program. For the Associate degree, this is the 65-credit program. New students first beginning their studies at Five Towns College after January 1, 2024 will be enrolled in the 73-credit associate degree program, unless they already have earned an associate or bachelor’s degree. In that case, they may enroll in either the associate or certificate program.
The Certificate Program (54 credits) includes court reporting theory, five court reporting speedbuilding classes, legal procedures, medical terminology, transcription production, Realtime Writing and internship classes. Students who have already earned an associate or bachelor’s degree may enter the certificate program.
The Associate’s Degree (65 or 73 credits) includes all of the court reporting classes plus the general education classes of Introduction to Business Communications, English Composition 1 and 2, social science elective, and related coursework in Business. Students who have not already earned at least an associate degree take the associate degree track.
Court reporting is an evolving field where the opportunities are bright.
Not all court reporters spend their days in the courtroom. Court reporting skills and technology are used to provide captioning for live and prerecorded programs on broadcast TV and the Internet. You can have fun captioning your favorite TV Shows, movies and sporting events – work remotely, set your own schedule. Embark on a career that’s vital, exciting and rewarding with coast-to-coast opportunities at your fingertips.
Graduates of the Five Towns College Court Reporting program may find employment in the following areas:
- Courtrooms
- Court Reporting Agencies
- County, State, and Federal Legislature
- Broadcast Captioning
- CART Provider
Graduates of Court Reporting Programs have also gone on to become entrepreneurs opening court reporting agencies and CART service agencies.
While Five Towns College does recommend that students seek out federal financial aid and aid from the State of New York, the College also offers institutional scholarships and grants to qualified students. Scholarship and grants are awarded on the basis of talent, financial need, and merit. You will automatically be considered for a scholarship from the College when you complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For information about the FAFSA, or for assistance in completing it, please contact the Five Towns College Financial Aid Office.
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