New York Career Institute

An Average Day in a Court Room

For those of us who have managed to avoid jury duty thus far, our greatest exposure to the courtroom probably comes from the dozens of courtroom dramas on TV or in the movies.  Over the course of a lifetime, we’ll probably hear a movie judge yell, “Order in the court!” many more times than a real-life judge will ever perform such an action.  An average day in a courtroom is usually highly-mannered event. Here is what you should expect on an average day in the court room:

Look and Behave Nicely

The officers of the court, the defendants, and the audience are all expected to dress appropriately: A courtroom is not the place for low-cut shirts, short skirts, or dirty or damaged clothing.  In addition, everyone is expected to behave correctly to each other.  Screaming insults may make for good TV, but in real life, the people inside of a courtroom are expected to rise when the judge enters, be seated when he tells them to, and behave politely to one another.  Smoking, chewing tobacco or gum, and eating and drinking are all verboten inside of a courtroom.

Organization

Courts are sticklers for organization and timeliness: Being late is not tolerated, and the ritual of the court is highly regimented.  Court is in session for about five hours each day, and judges have a wide latitude concerning when they will hear certain cases.  Many judges prefer to group cases by days of the week and only hold arraignments on certain days, civil cases on another day, and so on and so forth.  In addition, just because the morning of one day was dedicated to a particular case doesn’t mean that the afternoon will be.

Behind the Scenes

A lot of important legal work doesn’t happen inside the courtroom at all.  The judge is required to read any materials that lawyers present to him before hearing a case, for example, and sometimes entire court decisions are made in the judge’s chambers, not the courtroom.

If you’re interested in a career in the court, then you should consider attending the New York Career Institute (NYCI).  With court reporting and paralegal courses, NYCI is a great court reporting school that offers competitive court reporting training. 

The History of Stenography

Stenography is not only an important part of court reporting, but it has also been around for a really long time.

• The earliest signs of stenography, or shorthand, go as far back as the 4th Century BC.

• During the 2nd Century BC, Marcu Tullius Tiro—now considered the father of stenography—created and utilized a shorthand writing method to transcribe orations in the Roman Senate. 

• Shorthand fell out of use for quite some time, but reemerged with Timothe Briight’s shorthand system. He earned a royal patent from Queen Elizabeth I, and has become known as the father of the modern shorthand.

• From this time forward, stenography continued to develop with several writers publishing on different methods and systems. In the 1940s, Miles Bartholomew, known as the father of the stenograph, patented the first stenotype machine in America, making it possible to utilize both the proficiency of shorthand and a typing machine.

• Shorthand was also taught to those working within sectors of the government, such as members of parliament or royalty.  This explains why many rich historical documents were originally written in shorthand.
  • For example, Samuel Pepys’ letters and diary entries, written using Tachygraphy, included his experience with the Great Fire of London.
  • The First Congress of the United States debates, the inaugural address given by George Washington, and the trial of John Wilkes Booth were all recorded using systems of shorthand.
  • Even the well-known author, Charles Dickens, learned stenography.  In fact, being a parliamentary reporter was his primary means of living before he became a novelist.

While this is just a brief introduction to the detailed history of stenography’s development over time, it reflects the close relationship that shorthand has always had within government.  From its first appearances in antiquity, stenography was used to record politically related orations, and through its continued changes has been used among royalty and parliament, as well as in meetings and trials integral to U.S. history.

Beyond efficiency, mastering shorthand as part of court reporting training or paralegal classes makes much more historical sense; it is the natural progression.

If you are interested in taking court reporting classes, then visit the New York Career Institute’s website for information on our court reporting classes.  You may just become part of history!

Tuesday May 17th is NYCI Orientation!

Contact NYCI to learn more.

3 Reasons You Should Become a Court Reporter

If you’ve ever considered becoming a court reporter, here are three reasons many people often pursue it:

1. Job Flexibility and Stability

Even though your certification or degree may be in court reporting, you’ll have the training under your belt to pursue several different positions.  Many people who complete court reporting school work as broadcast captioners, courtroom stenographers, or even enter alternative industries that demand transcription in real-time.

• Court reporters are responsible for recording many court proceedings, such as depositions, trials, and hearings.
• If you go into broadcast captioning, you’ll be using stenography equipment to provide the closed-captioning text of the broadcast. 
• Real-time reporters function primarily as translators for those who are hearing disabled or deaf. This kind of job could take you into several environments, as you would be recording information that is presented in his/her daily life—this could mean in classes, at meetings, appointments, and even special occasions.
• Additionally, positions like these are currently growing, and it is estimated that they will continue to grow over the next ten years.

2. Scheduling Flexibility

Because you’ll be working with courts, you’ll never be required to work at night or on weekends.  Plus, you’ll get all the important holidays off because of the nature of your profession.  If having a steady, normal schedule is important to you, then court reporting is one way to ensure that you do! 

However, if you need some flexibility in your schedule, many people who have completed their court reporter training can also find work doing freelance court reporting or transcribing.  This is a huge advantage because no matter what you need right now—a regular or flexible schedule—you’ll be working in an industry that provides the flexibility to adjust to your needs later.

3. Training Flexibility

Sometimes getting the training for your ideal career requires a lot of time, time that we don’t always have.  Fortunately, you can get a certification requiring only 24 credit hours! Of course, if you prefer, you can also pursue an Associate Degree. 

Here at the New York Career Institute, we can help you get on your way to becoming a court reporter.  As a court reporter you will enjoy all of the above benefits, plus have a career that you can be proud of.  For more information on our court reporting classes, paralegal classes, and more, visit us online today.