Court reporting services are available from many different types of companies. New court reporters usually aren’t aware that court reporting agencies are very different in many aspects.
There are court reporting firms of all sizes, from very small to very large court reporting companies owned by Stock Exchange companies. The size of the court reporting agency has a lot to do with the internal workings of the firm. Large firms operate very differently from a court reporter owned and operated company.
There is also a great difference in the types of clients court reporting agencies have. There are so many different types of clients. Law firms also differ so much as to size and clientele and the type of court reporting services they need.
The new court reporters I speak to usually have very little information on the differences in the court reporting companies in their areas. Perhaps the schools could spend a little time educating their students on the different types of court reporting firms and the services they offer and the type of clients they have.
When I speak to students entering the court reporting profession, I try to get an understanding of what their ultimate goals are and direct them to court reporting firms where their skills are best suited.