What is a court reporter?

Takes stenographic notes of live testimony then transcribes the spoken/recorded speech into official written transcripts.

Produces transcripts from digital recordings obtained through various sources, both in civil and criminal matters.

Take stenographic notes of live testimony then transcribes their spoken/recorded speech into official written transcripts.

Produce transcripts from digital recordings obtained through various sources, both in civil and criminal matters.
Court reporters (also called stenographers) are a vital link in the Québec justice system. Self-employed, their clients consist of private law firms, local, provincial and federal government agencies, and courts.
A court reporter takes stenographic notes of live testimony both in and out of court, then transcribes their spoken/recorded speech into written form to produce official transcripts of out-of-court depositions, court hearings, arbitrations, disciplinary boards or demarcation inquiries.
While the stenographic notes are taken at locations determined by the clients of the court reporter (the courthouse or in a law firm’s conference room), the transcription of stenographic or digital recordings is done by court reporters at their business or residential offices.
Computer-assisted stenomask method
If you’re exploring career opportunities in court reporting, consider the computer-assisted stenomask, a method that has rapidly gained traction in the industry.
The computer-assisted stenomask method uses voice writing with speech recognition technology to instantly translate the spoken word to text. Court reporters speak into a mask-like soundproof device which allows them to record a legal proceeding without being heard by others and keeps background noise away from the microphone.
To become a court reporter, you must obtain a certificate in court reporting from the Court Reporting Academy of Québec and pass the examination of the Comité sur la sténographie of the Québec Bar.

Job prospects in court reporting have never been more favorable, especially for bilingual court reporters, a rarity in Québec.