How Bad Is the Court Reporter Shortage? - Articles

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How Bad Is the Court Reporter Shortage?

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jan 24, 2022

Over the past few decades, the number of court reporters across the country has been in decline. But not everyone agrees that the shortage is a big problem, Law 360 reports. Differences in opinion are sharpest between those who advocate for traditional stenography and those who support use of electronic equipment. Advocates of digital reporting argue these services can solve any shortages given that the time required to train a digital recorder is shorter and courses can be offered online making it more attractive to new recruits. But stenographers see their profession slipping away with stenography schools closing and a high rate of retirement among colleagues. They argue strenuously that digital reporters are not properly trained, which puts the public at risk. Despite any disagreement about the scope of the problem, however, most everyone agrees that something must be done to save court reporting.