Florida Court Reporters in Demand

Court reporters in Florida produce an accurate transcript of legal proceedings. The demand for Florida court reporters has been rising over the past decade; the following decade projects a slow employment rate, comparatively, and the shortage could potentially devastate the court system. The number of stenographers entering the field are estimated to be approximately 4,000 court reporters below demand across the US through 2030. Florida accounts for 76% of all property insurance claims in the US. Both the legal system and individual families in Florida are affected by the demand for court reporters.

Court Reporters

The responsibility of accurately reporting litigation proceedings, otherwise known as “preserving the record”, is by professionals known as court reporters. Stenography is the method used by the court reporter, by whom the record is established. Through the use of a stenograph machine, a stenographer is trained to takedown conversations spoken at very high rates of speed (upwards of 225 words per minute); then, produce a legal transcription. These records are stored with the clerks of court, indefinitely, and for future reference by interested parties.

Shortage of Court Reporters

In recent years, due to schools closing and a general disinterest in the field, a court reporter shortage is occurring across the US.

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, court reporter employment should see about a 3% rise from 2020-2030; a slower rate than all other occupations."

What this means for court processes, and basically all forms of litigation is delayed activity which impacts all areas of industry within our nation- not just criminal justice. Insurance claims, medical filings, and other pending lawsuits could be drastically hindered if an imminent approach is not taken to alleviate the impending result of this demand.

Facts and Figures

The National Court Reporter Association (NCRA) conducted a study, a Court Reporting Industry Outlook Report presented by Ducker Worldwide in 2014 which discussed the current court reporter shortage through charts and thoroughly demonstrative fashion, and also entailed the prospective outlook. Some predictive indicators suggested (Ducker,2014) that through 2020 an estimated range of around 5,000-5,500 court reporters would retire with only around 1,400-1,500 new entry reporters entering the field. This gap would leave an approximated shortage of around 3,500-4,000 court reporters across the US; prospectively.

Florida Affected by Court Reporter Shortage

The estimated number of court reporters in 2013 was 32,000 nationwide. Nearly half of all US court reporters were from only four states: California; Texas; Illinois and New York (Ducker, 2014). This is an astounding estimate, but takes into account that there are many rural areas with unavailable court reporting programs. In Florida, pending lawsuits and claims leave litigants clamoring to meet the needs of financial burden, and families are affected. An article from the Orlando Sentinel: Florida homeowners file 76% of property insurance lawsuits in the U.S. reported April 2021 cites the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation by saying that Florida is leading in the US for such suits. Legal depositions are a primary component for various sorts of lawsuits; insurance claims are just the tip of the iceberg.

Current Effects in the Courtroom

In particular, with Florida being a highly litigious state, its citizens should consider what a court reporting shortage means to both the legal industry as well as judicial branches of government. Emma Heaton, reporter, states in an article released by Wink News in an article: Shortage of court reporters affecting trials, including Club Blu trial, in Lee County (April 2022) that one high profile trial in the county is worried over court reporter coverage. The defendant’s attorney, Douglas Molloy is quoted in the article as “This is a disaster waiting to happen.” A qualified freelance or official stenographer is required in Florida to perform his or her duties. Malloy reportedly states that he worries justice will not be fairly served without a court reporter.

Conclusion of Demand for Court Reporters in Florida

Florida court reporters preserve the record by producing an accurate legal transcript. The 3% rise in employment does not compare to other occupations, and a shortage in the field has been projected over the past decade. Florida accounts for 76% of property insurance lawsuits so litigation is soaring in the state; however, nearly half of all court reporters practice in only four states. The Florida judicial system has felt the court reporter shortage, and opportunity grants are being made available to assist with education costs and fill the demand.