COURT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS & SCHOOLS Court Reporting has moved into a new era in the last 5-10 years. As with many fields, more classes than not have gone to online, especially since Covid. KCRA would like to share some information with our members and contacts in case you know of someone that might be interested in joining our great profession. First off, we want to share some things that have been happening in the last 2-3 years in some of our districts. We have had many court reporting positions open, sometimes for a long time, with no applicants. But what has happened in some districts is they have poached AA’s, Clerks, probation officers or other court employees to inquire if they would ever be interested in court reporting. Those employees with a knowledge of the legal terminology seem to get through faster. Obviously, we want employees that have a good command of the English language and good punctuation skills, as well as someone that is familiar with computers and getting around on them. What has happened in multiple counties, if there is an open court reporting position, is OJA has allowed us to take that CR position and turn it into a transcriptionist position while they went to CR school; and once they graduate and take the test, they can/will move that back into a CR position. Once these people graduate from a CR program, they can apply for a temporary certificate and start working as a CR and being paid as a CR, but they do have to have a CR mentor/supervisor while they are on a temporary. They are then required to take the CCR test at the next available test (given twice a year, in April and October.) In some counties, we have moved some AA employees into a transcriptionist (same pay grade as AA), and they worked as a transcriptionist while they went to school. And the AA position was opened back up as soon as that AA left to become a transcriptionist. We have gained a lot of traction and gotten some of these positions filled using this method. So, if you know of anyone that you think would make a good CR, whether it’s for a freelance job, an Official, or a captioner, please pass this information on to a potential student, Clerk, Court Administrator, freelance owner, Judge, or others. Typically, steno will take a minimum of 2 years of study. Voice will take a year or less. Both of them are driven by the student and how much they study and how much they practice. No pain, no gain. Some counties have even paid a portion of a student’s schooling or laptops or other costs with the promise they would stay there and work as a court reporter. If they get on a temporary certificate, they have to take the test every 6 months that it’s given and they must pass at least one leg of it each time to keep their temporary certificate. The speeds are 180 Q & A medical, 200 jury charge, and 225 Q & A, and a written test. If you pass the national test (NCRA for steno) or (NVRA for voice), that certification would be reciprocal with Kansas. Or if you would pass the Missouri test or any other state that has the same speeds as Kansas or above, that would also be reciprocal. VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DO NOT SIGN UP FOR A DIGITAL COURT REPORTER PROGRAM. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED IN KANSAS OR MANY OTHER STATES.
KCRA - Court Reporting Career & Schools - Complete Info - good for sharing Here's a list of questions to ask any prospective school. KCRA Court Reporting School List Kansas Certified Court Reporter Requirements Guide to NCRA Certification Programs
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