No. While all court reporters must go through a training program, there are currently no certification requirements or professional licensing requirements needed to work as a freelance court reporter in D.C. As you can imagine, this means that hiring a freelance reporter is something of a roll of the dice as far as experience and ability.
Benefits of Choosing a Certified Court Reporter
If a court reporter is licensed as a Certified Court Reporter (CCR), he or she must attend continuing education courses to maintain licensure. In addition, many court reporters become notaries public as a way of offering better service to their clients. A reporter can also obtain additional certifications as proof of competency, including joining the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), and becoming a Certified Real-time Reporter (CRR). Court reporters who can demonstrate proficiency as broadcast captioners and CART providers can be certified in these fields as well.
A Court Reporter’s Qualifications Go Well Beyond Certification
There is no guarantee that you will be able to work well with any particular court reporter, even if he has a resume a mile long. Your choice of reporter is a reflection of your business and will be taken as such by your clients. In order to provide the best possible service, a well-qualified reporter must also be punctual, well dressed, clearly spoken, and attentive during transcribing. He or she should also be firm when clarifying the record, but polite when confirming spellings and accuracy of information after the deposition has ended.
At Casamo & Associates, all of our court reporters hold certificates as Certified Court Reporters and are notaries public. Our reporters have an average of ten years’ experience in the legal profession, and many have specialized certifications in computer-aided transcription, such as Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART).
