When thinking about the top trends in court reporting, it’s important to take a close look at the legal industry as a whole. Court reporting cannot exist outside of the legal system and as a result, is directly impacted by its technologies, trends, and economies.
You know from interviewing and ultimately finding court reporters that meet your needs, that there are so many demands placed on expert and highly-skilled court reporters. This demand for court reporters is fantastic, but on the other hand it does place a lot of pressure on court reporters and the industry to do more, be more, and always be able to adapt to change.
The demand for court reporters coupled with the overall influences of the legal industry means that it’s an exciting time to be a court reporter. Whether you’re new to court reporting, are a court reporting firm owner, or an experienced court reporter – be confident that you’ve chosen an industry that is positioned to always be viable and necessary.
In this article we look at the key trends shaping court reporting, with an eye on how these trends are connected to key influences by the legal industry.
Technology in Court Reporting
Those outside the domain of court reporting are often firm believers that technology is slowly but surely going to make court reporters obsolete. Fortunately, there are enough real experts who understand the needs and demands placed on court reporting to know that yes, while technology is making some changes, it will not erase the domain of court reporters.
Voice-recognition software is here but it is not a replacement for the intelligence of human court reporters. Speech-to-type software and technology is here but it cannot replace the human understanding of accents, speech patterns, and colloquialisms.
The real threat to court reporting and every other industry is the drive for efficiency and economic pressures. This is why so many people want to believe that technologies such as voice-recognition software can be a replacement for highly skilled court reporters. However, this time is not yet here – the technology is not ready, the legal industry as a whole is not ready, and so many people still value what human knowledge brings to a job, career, and industry.
Court Reporting in Real-Time
Real-time technology and capabilities have revolutionized court reporting. The ability of real-time software to instantly translate stenographic shorthand into usable and readable English, has made it easier for court reporters to manage the increasing demands placed on them.
We know from court reporting market trends and research, that the demand for court reporters is only increasing. As you know from looking for and finding court reporters, it’s not easy to find skilled and expert court reporters.
It’s this demand that makes the improvements in real-time software key to making it possible for court reporters and court reporting firms to thrive and to continue to do good work. We expect that in a few years, real-time court reporting will be widely used as an assist (not a replacement for) to human court reporters.
The Internet and Court Reporting
How did you learn about court reporting? How did you research the best courses, programs, and certificates that could teach you about court reporting? Where do you turn to when you want to learn more about the latest court reporting conferences, articles, and news updates?
Now think of how you communicate with your employer, your colleagues, and the clients relying on your transcriptions. Yes, everything brings you back to the Internet. The Internet has had a huge impact on court reporting and we see it as the foundation for any future trends that may impact court reporting. Gone are the days of missed phone calls or misplaced faxes, now thanks to the Internet,client communications for legal professionals such as court reporters is no longer a lingering question mark.
Thanks to the Internet, you can work remotely and still be involved in day-to-day office life. You can easily help out other team members, regardless of where you live and work. And even better, you can have clients located anywhere in the world.
The Internet, email, cloud technology, artificial intelligence, smartphones, and other digital devices are all leading the charge in court reporting trend-setting. The biggest and most influential trends in court reporting are sure to come with improvements in how we handle data and communication.