Did You Know? 11.20.2022

There are over 3,000 stenographic reporters in Los Angeles County and the surrounding counties.

As of August 2022, there are approximately 700-plus students enrolled in court-reporting schools in the State of California. In the five Southern California schools, we have approximately 500 students enrolled.



While it is true, few “brick and mortar” schools remain, online schools have opened across the country. Just as the use of computers has become a part of everyday life over the years, the use of online schooling has become a more popular way to attend court reporting school rather than a “brick and mortar” school.  See www.stenograph.com/court-reporting-school. A quick search will confirm that, at this time, there are more than 30 Stenographic Court Reporter training programs around the country offering court reporter training that is either online, in-person, or both.



Both online and brick and mortar schools are preparing students to qualify for the California Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) exam, by way of the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification. The RPR is a certification earned through the National Court Reporters Association.  It is recognized as the sole certification required to work in many states and is an alternative pathway to qualify for the California exam. It tests at speeds of up to 225 Words Per Minute.



Students do not necessarily have to “graduate” from a school to sit for the Certified Shorthand Reporters exam. For instance, passing the RPR, Registered Professional Reporters, exam qualifies a student to take the California CSR exam. The fact is the number of persons qualifying to take the California CSR exam has increased since 2020.

Though the number of accredited court reporting programs may have dwindled compared to the early 2000s, accredited programs are not the only way to qualify to take the California CSR exam. The CRB, Court Reporters Board, also recognizes and accepts CSR exam applications from potential test-takers who qualify to take the CSR exam through other means; for example, having a Registered Professional Reporters certification and/or meeting the criteria and qualifying through a court reporting program.



In case you are unaware of what it takes to earn this prestigious certification, students must pass the CSR test with 97.5% accuracy. The test consists of a four-voice 200 WPM dictation that is 12-13 minutes long along with the academic portion containing English, legal and medical terminology as well as other aspects of reporting.



NEW TO CALIFORNIA ARE VOICE WRITERS



In September of 2022, Governor Newsom signed into law the use of Voice Writers in California.



VOICE WRITERS are comparable to a stenographer. Voice Writers utilize a mouthpiece (MASK) and speak in shorthand; a stenographer uses their fingers to write in shorthand. They provide realtime (sometimes referred to as “LiveNote”), readback, roughs, dailies, and produce transcripts just as stenographers do through their own CAT (computer-aided translation) software.



VOICE WRITERS can get through school and be ready to sit for the CSR test in approximately nine to twelve months.



VOICE WRITERS RE SCHOOLING: Downey Adult School is one local brick-and-mortar school in Southern California with a Voice-Writing Program and there are many other Voice Writing schools in the country.  


VOICE WRITER candidates that are qualified to take the CSR exam are able to test starting in NOVEMBER of 2022 with the next exam being in MARCH OF 2023.

VOICE WRITER/STENOGRAPHIC REPORTERS who may have had to leave the workforce due to hand or physical injuries will be allowed to only have to take the skills (voice/mask) portion of the test and not have to retake the academic portion of the exam again.  So many of our stenographic colleagues may now have the opportunity to re-enter the workforce as Voice Writers.

Dedicated to its members and the profession!
The LACCRA Board of Directors