The role of a Court Reporter goes beyond the tasks of recording and reporting dialogue at given depositions, hearings, proceedings, and other events that require written transcripts. Various obligations and standards are intertwine within the role.
Here at EGCR, we have listed only some of the many code of ethics that include the notions of respect, honor, and fairness, which are expected from all certified Court Reporters:
Showing respect for the field of Reporting:
- First and foremost, all Court Reporters must have a background of proper training that equips a reporter to easily adapt to new technology methods.
- A reporter must refrain from methods of reporting other than what they have been certified in.
- Presenting appropriate onsite behavior, such has punctuality and proper attire is always important.
Being Fair:
- It is important that a Court Reporter must avoid acting upon a corruptive and unprofessional behavior.
- A fair and just Court Reporter must remain neutral, and act impartial to all participants.
- A reporter must avoid playing favorites among firms and acting upon assignments based on non-professional standards.
Honoring the Assignments:
- A Court Reporter must respect the sensitivity of the information and protect it with the proper security measurements.
- One must only accept assignments if they truly feel confident and have the right set of skills to be the reporter for the job.
- As a Court Reporter, they have the right to act upon freelance work, however, it is their responsibility to refrain from such activities that interfere with their official assignments and duties.
With these given standards, it reveals that the role of a Court Reporter is multi-dimensional; it involves levels worth of soft and technical skills.
