How to Become a Court Reporter in Alaska

The justice system is complex and an important part of it is the court reporter.

This professional is also called a real-time writer, a court stenographer, or a certified shorthand reporter (CSR).

The job of a court reporter is to type all the words said during every legal procedure, regardless of type.

Read this article if you want to become a court reporter in Alaska!

Be aware that in this state, real-time writers will have to travel quite a bit, as will some judges and even lawyers.

Complete Your Education as a Court Reporter in Alaska

By law, in Alaska, a court reporter doesn’t have to hold a license like in many other states, but in practice, it is required.

This doesn’t mean that just about anyone can become a court stenographer.

Having the right skills for the job is very important.

Those interested can acquire the right skills through a training program that lasts about 18 months.

At the end of such a program, a diploma or certificate will be issued.

The candidates can also choose to enroll in Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs, in areas such as:

• CART/Captioning
• Judicial Reporting
• Scoping/Proofreading
• Professional Transcription
• Office Assistant
• Court and Realtime Reporting

These programs might be available in other states as well, but you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have graduated from high school or have a GED

Your program must be approved by the National Court Reporters Association and contain these topics:

• English
• Technology
• Judicial Process and Procedures
• Machine shorthand stenography

NCRA holds one of the standards when it comes to education for this occupation.

One course available at this educational standard is in Alabama and is detailed below.

Auburn University

This course covers court reporting, closed captioning, and CART.

You can conveniently take the class online at your preferred pace.

No specific prerequisites are necessary for enrollment.

The class aims to enhance your writing speed to 225 words per minute.

For those without a steno machine requirement, the program fee is $6,104, while students needing the machine will incur a cost of $7,899.

Enrolled students gain access to the CAT program, with the option to purchase it for their future careers.

Become Certified as a Court Reporter in Alaska

Those who graduate from the training program have the option to become certified to increase their credentials.

In other states, candidates have 18 months to earn a license, since the completion of their training.

Here are the names of 2 possible certifications:

• NCRA’s Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification
• NVRA’s (National Verbatim Reporters Association) Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR)

These 2 credentials are recognized at the national level.

Certification is earned by passing a skills test and a knowledge exam.

These organizations offer such tests:

• NCRA,
• NVRA
• ACRA

The 3 organizations offer similar skills tests.

However, the difference is that only the NCRA exam can be taken online, while you must attend the other 2 in person.

You’ll sign up for the examinations by:

• Paying the appropriate fees
  • $200 for the license
  • $50 for the application
• Showing proof of graduating from the training program
• Filling out the application form

The fee is as follows:

• $120 if you’re not a member
• $95 if you are a member
• $77 if you’re a student member

The NVRA exam fee is $125.

Registered professional reporters have to pay a transfer fee of $50 if they want to become certified verbatim reporters.

You’ll have to pay $75 for the Certified Court Reporter (CCR) skills exam.

This exam is split into 3 sessions of 5 minutes each.

The areas these session cover and the word count are:

• Literary at 180 wpm
• Jury charge at 200 wpm
• Testimony/Q&A at 225 wpm

The aim of the test is to transcribe the notes in up to 75 minutes and the passing score is 95% accuracy.

For the knowledge exam, you’ll have to answer questions related to:

• Technology,
• Professional practices
• Ethics,
• Reporting practices.

You’ll have to score at least 70 and pay one of the following fees:

• $220 if you’re not a member
• $195 if you are a member
• $160 if you’re a student member

The NVRA exam fee is $125.

Court Reporter License Renewal in Alaska

Once licensed, you’ll want to ensure you stay up-to-date as well.

That means you’ll have to periodically renew your credentials.

For this, you’ll join one of the associations that issued your license and follow its indications for licensure renewal.

Typically, this happens every year and you’ll have to complete some hours of continuing education too.

Additionally, paying a renewal fee is also mandatory.

Court Reporter Salary in Alaska

If you’ve reached this point, it indicates your interest in this profession and your potential earnings.

Keep in mind that you have a higher chance of being employed if you’re a member of one of the associations mentioned earlier.

In this state, the approximate median annual salary for a court reporter is $67,447, a sum much higher than in many states.

Refer to the table below for the cities boasting the highest median salaries in this field!

Court Reporter by State