Court reporters are people who many may assume are becoming less and less important over time as we move further into an era where seemingly everything can be handled by some form of technology. While there has been an effort to incorporate recording devices on a more regular basis into courtrooms and deposition rooms, the fact of the matter is that these products simply do not perform at the level that a human being does in these situations. That’s why many people would be surprised to find out that according to new research, the demand for court reporters across the United States is going to rise instead of fall over the next several years.
The National Court Reporters Association recently commissioned a group to take a close look at the state of the court reporter industry and to provide some projections regarding where it’s headed. The reason was similar to what was described above – some felt that the court reporter was becoming obsolete while others felt the opposite given the rise in litigation in recent years and the substandard performance of available technology. This report attempted to clarify that issue, and the report’s findings left no doubt as to where the researchers believe things are headed.
Demand for Court Reporters Will Soon Exceed Supply
The most basic and wide-reaching finding contained in the report was that by the year 2018, there will be a national shortfall of court reporters that could exceed 5,000. That’s expected to happen despite the fact that at this point, the supply and demand for this type of work appears to be about an even match. Of course, some states will experience more of a shortage than others, but Georgia is a place where the need for court reporters is growing.
When Demand Is Greater Than Supply
When demand for a product is greater than the supply, the obvious response is to simply manufacture more of that product. That’s also clearly not an option for a service such as with court reporters, as people need to choose to enter this profession. Therefore, this growing shortage could lead to bad decisions made by court reporting firms and to negative results turned in by court reporters who work on certain cases or other types of matters.
How to Protect Yourselves In This Environment
The last thing anyone who needs the services of a court reporter wants to do is wind up with a court reporter who was rushed through training in order to meet demand. This will lead to mistakes and potentially serious problems. Instead, those who need the help of Georgia court reporters in particular need to make sure that they are working with a firm that has been providing these services for years and one that has handled many different types of legal matters.
Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC has all the experience necessary to handle almost any type of request for a court reporter. We foresee the demand for our services rising and we are staying ahead of the curve in making sure that we are never caught short on staff. We will never compromise on qualifications simply to fill a seat in a room. If you would like to hear more about how we can help you, contact us today for prompt answers to all of your questions.
