by Jim J Jones

Created on: June 17, 2010

A fundamental tenet of the American legal system is the right of all parties involved in a trial to a public trial (arguably this is more a duty than a right, as no party can waive it). To the end of insuring that even those people who are not present a trial can be sure that it was conducted fairly (and so that they can make this determination without having to rely on potentially biased news sources), every trial and deposition conducted in the United States is recorded by a professional court reporter. Of course, this serves the secondary goal of making the appeals process a great deal simpler, by allowing the appellate court judges to read every word that was spoken during the course of a trial.

Like every other state (and the federal government, too) Missouri has a set of rules and procedures to govern the certification of those who want to be professional court reporters. The rules, which are outlined here, resemble closely those in other states, and the federal system.

All States currently accept the National Court Reporters Association Certification Program, and 22 States have scrapped their own certification requirements and simply adopted the Court Reporters Association's. Missouri still has its own requirements, but meeting those of the National Court Reporters Association is an adequate substitute, and is considered equivalent.

For those who want to be certified in Missouri only, the Missouri Board of Certified Court Reporters is the governing agency, and it administers both a Written Exam and a Skills Exam to all interested applicants, for a nonrefundable fee of $100. These are the testing instructions from the board's own site: "The Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners administers the examination in three parts: written, dictation, and transcription. Immediately after the registration period, the Board conducts introductions and announcements, at which time you will be instructed as to time segments for the various sections of the examination, which are at the Board’s discretion and which may vary from examination to examination. Do not assume that you will have time to study or practice on examination day. All applicants should arrive prepared to begin testing."

Upon successful completion of the test, you will be certified to be a reporter not only in Missouri courts, but also in any other establishment that requires a reporter of some sort. City and County Councils, businesses, and lawyers doing depositions are among many who will require your services, and be excited to employ you!

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