How to Become a Court Reporter in Ontario
Court reporters record court proceedings in routine, controversial and highly publicized legal cases. A court reporter captures the spoken word during proceedings and then transcribes it as a permanent court record. Real-time court reporters instantly transcribe depositions, preliminary proceedings and trials. The Canadian Centre for Verbatim Studies (CCVS), located in Toronto, specializes in court reporter training, it is the only institute of this type in Canada. It offers online and classroom programs to students and meets the strict standards of the National Court Reporters Association.
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Instructions
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Schedule an appointment or consultation at CCVS to talk with a staff member about the school programs and your eligibility. You must speak fluent English, have a high school diploma or GED, be at least 18 years old and have a current government-issued identification card.
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Select one of two options for applying to CCVS. Option one is for paying the $90 application fee online then accessing the application to be filled out and sent in online. Option two has a downloadable application in PDF format. The application is filled out offline and either faxed or sent by mail. Offline applications will not be processed until the application fee is received via credit card or check.
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Take one of the two-year diploma courses selected during your CCVS consultation. These options are: full-time court reporter, hybrid court reporting or online court reporting. Individual and professional development courses are also offered on a month-by-month basis. Students learn how to type word-for-word during several types of proceedings including judicial, conversations, speeches and special events during which a written transcript of the spoken word must be preserved. Closed-caption and translation training for the hard-of-hearing are also part of the program.
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Work in the field of court reporting through the CCVS job placement and internship programs. Court reporter graduates can be a part of this lucrative and fulfilling career after receiving their diploma. According to CCVS, graduates make $60,000 to $100,000 annually depending on experience, skill level and workload. The majority of real-time court reporters are freelancers who can earn up to $1400 per day.
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