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The History of Court Reporting

Court reporting has played a critical role in legal systems for thousands of years. Its roots stretch back to ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome, where scribes used early shorthand techniques to record legal and political proceedings. As the centuries progressed, shorthand systems became more refined, leading to the development of Pitman and Gregg shorthand in the 19th century.

The 20th century marked a turning point with the invention of the stenotype machine, allowing reporters to type entire words and phrases at incredibly high speeds. Today, court reporting continues to evolve with computer-aided transcription (CAT) and real-time reporting, keeping pace with the demands of modern legal proceedings. A professional who uses a stenotype machine is called a stenographer.

Voice writing emerged in the late 1930s as an alternative method of capturing the spoken word. During this time, technological limitations and the growing need for efficient transcription led to the creation of a system where court reporters would speak directly into a hand-held, soundproof device called a stenomask. This mask allows the reporter to repeat every word spoken during proceedings — including dialogue, gestures, and emotional expressions — without being overheard in the courtroom. Just like stenogrophy, the spoken words are recorded and transcribed with the aid of speech recognition and CAT software. 

Today, voice writers continue to play an essential role in courtrooms and beyond, often providing real-time captioning, secure remote reporting, and support for confidential proceedings.

What Does a Court Reporter Do?

A court reporter is responsible for creating a verbatim record, referred to as a transcript, of legal proceedings, including trials, hearings, depositions, and administrative meetings. Using specialized equipment such as stenotype machines and voice-writing systems, court reporters capture every spoken word — and sometimes gestures or non-verbal cues — during official events.

After the proceedings, court reporters edit and certify the transcript, ensuring it is accurate, complete, and available for use by attorneys, judges, and legal records. These transcripts are often vital in appeals, official documentation, and legal analysis.


So now that you are ready to begin your career as a court reporter, there is one question: What method should I choose? In Kansas, you can become a certified court reporter by either method; the certification requirements are the same for both. Both methods also use the assistance of CAT software that enables the writer to create user-specific dictionaries and transcripts with specialized formatting options, make an accurate and reliable record that is considered the only official record, and can be certified nationally and in multiple states.

To help you to make an informed decision, here are a few facts about each method:

Stenography

  • The reporter uses a stenographic keyboard consisting of 22 keys to create words, phrases, and briefs that are programmed into the writer’s machine and court-aided transcription (CAT) software. Words are written phonetically, by sound, rather than proper spellings.
  • Stenographers learn an entirely new language, which can vary from writer to writer.
  • Training takes an average of two years, but can be longer or shorter depending on the student and program.


Voice Writing

  • The reporter speaks in a very low tone to where they cannot feel any throat vibrations while speaking, referred to as a whisper. The reporter speaks verbatim words as well as briefs and phrases into a mask that are programmed into the reporter’s CAT software.
  • Voice writers have two software programs that work simultaneously while taking down the record; a voice recognition software that is trained by that specific writer’s voice and CAT software.
  • Training takes an average of one year, but can be longer or shorter depending on the student and program.


Career Opportunities

While court reporters are most often associated with courtrooms, their skills are also used in other settings. Many provide real-time captioning for television broadcasts, live events, and educational environments, especially to support individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. In every role, court reporters help preserve the integrity of the legal and public record — ensuring that every word counts.

  • Official
    • Works for the courts.
    • There are several open official positions throughout the State of Kansas.
    • You will receive a lucrative salary and additional pay for transcripts produced.
    • State benefits include vacation and sick leave, government holidays, health benefits, retirement benefits, and additional options for retirement and life.
    • Consistent schedule.
  • Freelance
    • Takes down depositions, meetings, et cetera.
    • Flexibility in schedule.
    • Higher income potential. Most freelancers get paid an appearance fee and are able to charge higher rates for transcript production and copies.
  • Captioning/CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation.
    • Creates live captioning for news stations, live-streamed and in-person events.
    • Opportunities to work on-site and remote.
    • Assists the hearing-impaired by providing a real-time record of what is being said during classes, lectures, etc.

Requirements & Schools, Licensing & Testing

For more information on how to start your court reporting career, please visit the Requirements & Schools and Licensing & Testing tabs.

Reach out to a KCRA member today by emailing KCRAstudents@gmail.com.

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