Qualified Remote Court Reporters in Florida
- Amanda Sutton
- Jul 11, 2022
- 4 min read
The legal system all over the US has experienced a decline in court reporters. Increased remote court reporter qualification, and online academic opportunity are two viable ways to address this shortage. Finding a court reporter for legal depositions via Zoom in Florida through a website that offers opportunity grants could be the answer. It is imperative that more candidates gain an interest for remote court reporting, and that programs become available within this growing field yet contracted workforce.
Academic Qualifications
Aspiring professional court reporters in Florida are limited to only two on-campus colleges in the state of Florida. Academic opportunities outside the traditional realm, such as an online setting, are needed to address an ongoing shortage of court reporters nationwide. Entry into the field of remote court reporting by these professionals will allow the legal transcription of more legal proceedings than would the average in-person setting.
National Council for Compensation Insurance (NCCI) Quarterly Economics Briefing: Remote Work before, During, and After the Pandemic By Patrick Coate (January 2021) States that college educated professionals were four times or more likely to be proficient at their jobs from a remote setting. Academic opportunity is necessary for court reporting professionals to enter the workforce, prepared for legal court reporting; specifically, individuals interested in remote court reporting in Florida.

Professional Qualifications
The qualifications for court reporting professionals in Florida include extensive background screening, and notarial commissioning the state of Florida Governor’s office. Training credentials and testing requirements are somewhat relaxed in the state, but these are imperative for those entering the field with complete competence and assured confidence. Techniques which go beyond the already mentioned qualifications are computer-based. Strong internet skills and proficient software use ensure that the remote court reporter using Zoom for proceedings in Florida is best qualified.
Academic Accessibility for Court Reporting Candidates
Many academic court reporting programs around the US have closed- leaving online education as the most viable source for career preparation. Increase in the number of online programs will improve access to those rural communities, and also offer availability to those demographics which are less able to attend college for reasons of cost, logistics, or housing. Another reason for the decline in court reporters may be linked to qualifications required for court reporting individuals, as well as the shear performance abilities required to accurately produce legal transcripts.
Online court reporting programs will provide the structure and guidance for learning the various methods of accurately reporting legal proceedings, then transcribing into admissible legal documents- according to Florida guidelines. Waning interests and accessibility to learning institutions highly account for the court reporting shortage in most cities.
"Qualified remote court reporter in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami that are experienced with Zoom platform are essential, as these cities are the most highly populated in Florida."
Advances in Remote Reporting
Remote legal depositions, sworn statements, courtroom based proceedings, and other types of litigation which require a court reporter’s presence can each take place remotely. This means fewer delayed cases, and can be reporter by official -or freelance reporters in Florida. Court reporters in any city that remotely report depositions via Zoom, for example can fill the disparity around the state.
The McKinsey Institute reports in an analysis titled What’s next for remote work: An analysis of 2,000 tasks, 800 jobs, and nine countries (November 2020) that 29% of work in the US could be done remotely with no productivity loss, and if needed, an addition 10%. The article goes on to state that “technological barriers that prevented remote work in the past [has set] in motion a structural shift in where work takes place..”

Need for Zoom Court Reporters
On-campus colleges are at a staggering low in Florida, following the closure of two ‘Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools’ (ACICS) accredited institutes having closed in 2013 and 2015. In order to find a court reporter online in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, or Miami, for remote reporting via Zoom, these professionals will have attended campuses at more than two hours distance- or online academies.
Remote Reporting NOW- and indefinitely
Both freelance and official court reporting in Florida using the Zoom platform has become normalized over the past couple of years. Since 2020, according to the National Council for Compensation Insurance (NCCI) Quarterly Economics Briefing: Remote Work before, During, and After the Pandemic By Patrick Coate (January 2021) over one-third of the working population has worked from home compared to only 6% in 2009. The rise in remote reporting is able to address the shortage of court reporting professionals in Florida in the foreseeable future.

Florida Remote Court Reporting: in Conclusion
The decline in court reporting academies in Florida is apparent, and remote court reporting is the solution. College placement is imperative for qualified court reporters to enter this field of work, and online academics create these opportunities. Technological advances have allowed for greater success in remote court reporting, and have been demonstrated since 2020 via the Zoom platform. Court reporters that are qualified in Florida for the remote setting have notarial commissions, academic credentials, focused skillsets and also proficiency in internet and software. Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami are the largest cities with the greatest need for court reporters to record legal depositions and other proceedings- both freelance, and official.
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