Home Court Reporter Becoming A Registered Professional Reporter

Becoming A Registered Professional Reporter

Becoming A Registered Professional Reporter

Introduction

Court reporting is a highly skilled profession that involves recording and transcribing legal proceedings accurately. To illustrate one’s competence and experience in this profession, one can become a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) and obtain certification from the National Court Reporters Association. In this article, we will discuss how to become an RPR and the benefits of being a registered professional reporter.

What is a Registered Professional Reporter?

A Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) is a certification given to court reporters by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) for evidencing their experience, knowledge, and excellence in the field. The NCRA is the leading organization committed to promoting the court reporting profession and the indispensable role of court reporters in the legal system.

Education and Certification Requirements

To become an RPR, one must first complete an accredited court reporting program, which typically takes two to four years to complete. After completing the program, an individual must pass the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification exam. The exam consists of both a written knowledge test and a skills test.

The written knowledge test evaluates an individual’s understanding of court reporting procedures, legal terminology, and ethics. The skills test is aimed at testing recording, shorthand, and transcription of legal proceedings. The skills test requires an individual to transcribe two five-minute dictations at speeds of 180 and 225 words per minute.

Benefits of Being a Registered Professional Reporter

There are various benefits of being an RPR that may enhance one’s career opportunities and professional growth. Some of these benefits include:

1. Marketability: The RPR certification sets court reporters apart from those who do not hold this certification. It demonstrates that an individual has exceptional skills and competence in court reporting and is dedicated to professional development.

2. Credibility: RPR certification is an assurance that a court reporter has met the rigorous requirements and standards set by NCRA. This certification assures clients, employers, and stakeholders that the court reporter is competent and trustworthy.

3. Growth Opportunities: RPR certification does not only assure clients but also offers growth opportunities in a court reporter’s career. It allows a court reporter to stretch beyond their current job scope, pitch for more high-profile cases, and feel confident about their career path.

4. Continued Education: RPR certification requires certain continuing education credits that keep court reporters up-to-date with technological advancements, ethics, and legal procedures. These credits aim to ensure continued growth and professional development throughout a court reporter’s career.

Conclusion

Becoming a Registered Professional Reporter is an excellent way for court reporters to demonstrate their expertise, credibility, and commitment to the profession. The RPR certification offers benefits like enhanced marketability, credibility to clients, growth opportunities, and continued education. By meeting the required education and certification requirements, a court reporter demonstrates that they possess the skills and knowledge to provide accurate and reliable transcripts of legal proceedings, making them a valuable asset to the legal system.


What is a Registered Professional Reporter?

A Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) is a certification that is arguably the most common certification necessary in order to become a Court Reporter. Court reporters, also known as stenographers, are responsible for the transcription of the oral speech expressed within legal proceedings into tangible, readable, and textual form.

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is primarily responsible for the oversight and regulation of Registered Professional Reporter certifications that are granted to individuals who desire to gain employment through a Court Reporter position. The NCRA began as an institution specializing in shorthand with regard to the provision of expedited and accurate transcription of proceedings both medical and legal in nature.

Registered Professional Reporter Ideology and Operations

The methodology of shorthand as expressed within The Phrase Book of Pitmanic Shorthand is regarded as the authorized standard of protocol of the transcription of legal and medical proceedings. This standard is upheld by the National Court Reporters Association.

The transcription of legal proceedings is produced through the use of a Stenotype, or Stenograph machine. Although the Stenotype resembles a typewriter transcription, unlike a traditional typewriter a stenograph machine contains only 25 keys and does not operate on a traditional keyboard format such as ‘QWERTY’. The ‘QWERTY’ system allots an individual key that corresponds with an individual letter.

Unlike traditional keyboards found attached both computers and typewriters, a stenotype allows for the utilization of ‘Chording’. Chording is a method of typing that allows a Registered Professional Reporter to efficiently and accurately use multiple keys in a single stroke, thus expediting the transcription process. Typical legal transcription can involve speech ranging from 100 to 300 words recited per minute.

The Registered Professional Reporter Certification Program

The satisfaction of the following requirements is necessary in order to receive certification as a Registered Professional Reporter:

The Registered Professional Reporter Written Knowledge Examination

The Written Knowledge examination is used to gauge the skill of an individual stenographer student evaluating knowledge possessed with regard to the issues, operations, processes, procedures, and ideology within the legal or medical field.

The Registered Professional Reporter Written Knowledge examination ranges from 100 to 110 questions. The prospective candidate will be required to complete the examination within 90 minutes. A score of 70% or higher is necessary in order to receive a passing grade.

The Registered Professional Reporter Typing Examination

The ability to produce an expressed amount of words within a finite period of time is required. The classification of which is also known as ‘words per minute’, or ‘wpm’, these requirements vary with regard to the nature of the testimony. The candidate is given 5 minutes to complete each of the requirements of the following 3 sections:

1)       Literary Legal Transcription (180 wpm)

2)       Jury Transcription (200 wpm)

3)       Examination-based Testimony (225 wpm).