Lifestyle
A Day in the Life of a Miami Court Reporter
Most court reporters will tell you there is no typical day. Of course, Miami court reporters create transcripts for legal proceedings. Nevertheless, the subject matter and the people they work with often change. This keeps things engaging and fresh.
A Typical Day for Miami Court Reporters
Days vary for Miami court reporters depending on whether they’re independent contractors or work for a specialist firm. In the first case, their job will include more networking in order to get clients and referrals. Moreover, they’ll have to do their own accounting or at least work with accountants to file their taxes properly.
Many Miami court reporters also specialize in certain niche areas of the law. For instance, they could be particularly expert at dealing with medical cases or intellectual property disputes. On the other hand, they might speak several languages. In that case, they would focus on supporting multilingual cases.
Naturally, typical days are different depending on how many years the court reporter has been working. As you might expect, a younger court reporter will be doing more shadowing and proofreading rather than always creating the original transcript. On the flip side, more experienced Miami court reporters might spend more time mentoring and teaching others.
The common need for all Miami court reporters is to be comfortable with digital technology. Not only do they all need to stay up to date with how it’s changing. They also need to ensure they adapt to their clients’ needs. Different reporters might approach this challenge in various ways depending on their client relationship and their own style of working. Some might prefer regular hands-on training but others could be more experiential in simply having a go at the latest technology.
Either way, all court reporters will go through these main requirements:
- Prepare and attend trials
- Proofread and edit
- Manage stakeholders
Prepare and attend trials
Miami court reporters’ main objective is to produce accurate and timely transcripts for court proceedings. They do this by ensuring they have the right stenography machine and other digital equipment. They’ll also ensure they do a technical check before the proceedings start.
Moreover, they’ll research the trial subject and any industry details that could help them better understand the proceedings. They’re less likely to make a mistake that way.
Proofread and edit
Once the trial is over, some lawyers require the real-time transcript immediately. On top of that, they might need to read back a section of the transcript as requested during the trial. Afterwards, they still need to do a final edit to ensure full accuracy before they sign off the transcript.
Manage stakeholders
Clearly, they need to make sure the transcript goes to the right people involved in the trial. They also often work in the background to make sure that the witnesses know where they’re supposed to be or that they have the details for dialing into a digital trial.
Monthly Responsibilities and Ongoing Development
Miami court reporters are officers of the law. As part of their role, they might interact with the lawyers both pre and post-trial to give them various tips. For instance, people often communicate with their hands or a nod of their heads. Instead, court reporters might work with the lawyers to ensure they know how to keep things as clear as possible.
All this can be daunting for new Miami court reporters which is also why it’s important to focus on personal development. Courses on assertiveness might be useful for some. Although, others might prefer more specific technical training on the law, for example.
Everyone will have their personal plans to keep their careers moving forwards. Regardless, some key activities will always include the following:
- File transcripts
- Schedule future trials
- Attend webinar
File transcripts
After the proceedings, all documentation, both physical and digital, needs to be stored safely and accurately. It’s also critical that court reporters honor confidentiality when storing all the information.
Schedule future trials
Miami court reporters are in huge demand and part of this means running an organized schedule. They need to find their methods for flexing to client needs whilst also respecting their downtime and self-care.
Attend webinar
All Miami court reporters are certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). This is both a legal obligation and an opportunity for development. The NCRA organizes various training and webinars which are both useful for development but also networking.
Parting Words on What Miami Court Reporters Do Everyday
The best part of being a court reporter is that no two days are the same. Of course, they have to produce transcripts, research court proceedings, and work with their stakeholders. Nevertheless, trials are always different and they cover a vast range of topics.
Moreover, some court reporters might decide to work for themselves which offers new challenges. Either way, all court reporters need to develop their own plans for personal development. That’s how they keep learning, and stay fulfilled and excited by their careers with varied opportunities.