The Hidden Dangers of Hiring Uncertified Court Reporting Professionals – Why Due Diligence Matters Now More Than Ever

Posted bystenoimperiumPosted inCourt ReportingTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the rapidly evolving world of court reporting, a quiet but alarming trend has been gaining momentum: the proliferation of uncertified individuals advertising their services as court reporters, scopists, and proofreaders. Thanks to the accessibility of digital recording tools and online freelance platforms, it has never been easier for someone to claim professional credentials without truly earning them. But while this democratization of access might seem harmless on the surface, it poses significant risks to the integrity of the legal record and the reputations of certified professionals.

For those of us dedicated to the art and science of capturing the verbatim record, the influx of unvetted freelancers is not just a market challenge—it’s a red flag signaling a deeper problem in the industry. How do we, as professionals, ensure that the people we trust with our transcripts are qualified, ethical, and accountable? And more importantly, what’s at stake if we don’t?

The Mirage of Digital Convenience

Digital recording devices and transcription software have made it easier than ever for newcomers to enter the world of court reporting. Armed with a digital recorder and a laptop, anyone can market themselves as a “digital court reporter” or freelance proofreader. But make no mistake: tools do not make a professional. Certification, training, and adherence to ethical standards are what set true professionals apart from hobbyists or opportunists.

When uncertified individuals enter the marketplace, they not only dilute the value of the profession but also introduce risks that many clients and agencies fail to recognize until it’s too late. The record you create isn’t just words on a page; it represents real lives, legal rights, and sensitive information. The mishandling of such information can have legal, ethical, and professional repercussions—and the responsibility ultimately falls on the court reporter whose name appears on that transcript.

A Growing Problem of “Fly-by-Night” Providers

With the rise of online job boards, social media groups, and freelance marketplaces, it’s easier than ever to connect with scopists and proofreaders from around the globe. But this convenience comes with a cost: anyone can create a profile, claim experience, and accept work—regardless of their actual qualifications.

These “fly-by-night” providers might disappear after a single project, or worse, mishandle confidential information without accountability. In a profession where accuracy, confidentiality, and chain of custody are paramount, hiring someone without proper vetting is akin to handing sensitive legal documents to a stranger on the street.

Unfortunately, many court reporters learn this lesson the hard way. A poorly scoped transcript. A missed deadline. A breach of confidentiality. Each of these outcomes reflects not just on the subcontractor but on the reporter who entrusted them with the work.

Your Name, Your Reputation, Your Risk

As a court reporter, you are the final line of defense. It doesn’t matter if you hired a scopist through a reputable agency or a freelancer in an online group; the courts, attorneys, and clients will hold you accountable for the quality and integrity of the transcript. Your name is on the certificate page. Your certification lends credibility to the record. And any errors or breaches will come back to you.

That’s why it’s critical to treat every hiring decision with the same level of scrutiny and professionalism that you apply to your own work. Just because someone claims to be a scopist or proofreader doesn’t mean they possess the skill, training, or ethical commitment required for the job.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Work

In this increasingly digital and remote marketplace, due diligence is not optional; it’s essential. Here are some practical steps every court reporter should take before entrusting their work to a scopist or proofreader:

  1. Verify Credentials: Ask for proof of training, certifications, or formal education in scoping or proofreading. Membership in professional associations can be an indicator of credibility.
  2. Check References and Reviews: Don’t rely solely on profiles or self-promotion. Speak with past clients or employers to get a sense of reliability, quality, and professionalism.
  3. Test Their Skills: Before sending a sensitive transcript, provide a sample file or test assignment to evaluate their accuracy and attention to detail.
  4. Clarify Confidentiality Expectations: Require a signed confidentiality agreement that outlines how sensitive information will be handled, stored, and transmitted.
  5. Know Their Location and Legal Environment: Be aware of where your freelancer is located. Different countries have different data protection laws, and some regions have higher incidences of online fraud and data breaches.
  6. Use Secure Communication Channels: Avoid emailing transcripts or using unsecured file-sharing platforms. Invest in encrypted, professional-grade tools that safeguard your files.
  7. Build Long-Term Partnerships: Whenever possible, cultivate relationships with a small group of trusted professionals rather than hiring strangers for each job. This builds loyalty, familiarity, and consistency.

The Industry’s Responsibility

While individual reporters must take ownership of their hiring choices, the broader industry must also address this growing challenge. Agencies, professional associations, and educational institutions need to emphasize the importance of credentialing, ethics, and ongoing professional development. We cannot allow the market to be overrun by untrained individuals whose primary qualification is a digital recorder and a Wi-Fi connection.

There should be clear standards and guidelines for what constitutes a qualified scopist, proofreader, or court reporter. Without these guardrails, we risk eroding the trust and credibility that our profession has painstakingly built over decades.

The Bottom Line: Trust, But Verify

The future of court reporting will undoubtedly continue to embrace digital tools and remote collaboration. But as we welcome innovation, we cannot sacrifice the core values that make our profession indispensable: accuracy, confidentiality, and accountability.

Every transcript you produce is a reflection of your skill and integrity. Every professional you hire to assist in that process becomes an extension of your reputation. And in a marketplace flooded with uncertified providers, the burden of discernment has never been higher.

Trust—but verify. Ask the tough questions. Do the legwork. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just a transcript you’re sending out into the world. It’s your name. Your credibility. And your professional legacy.

Stay vigilant. Stay professional. And above all, stay committed to the standards that set true court reporters apart from the rest.

Published by stenoimperium

We exist to facilitate the fortifying of the Stenography profession and ensure its survival for the next hundred years! As court reporters, we've handed the relationship role with our customers, or attorneys, over to the agencies and their sales reps.  This has done a lot of damage to our industry.  It has taken away our ability to have those relationships, the ability to be humanized and valued.  We've become a replaceable commodity. Merely saying we are the “Gold Standard” tells them that we’re the best, but there are alternatives.  Who we are though, is much, much more powerful than that!  We are the Responsible Charge.  “Responsible Charge” means responsibility for the direction, control, supervision, and possession of stenographic & transcription work, as the case may be, to assure that the work product has been critically examined and evaluated for compliance with appropriate professional standards by a licensee in the profession, and by sealing and signing the documents, the professional stenographer accepts responsibility for the stenographic or transcription work, respectively, represented by the documents and that applicable stenographic and professional standards have been met.  This designation exists in other professions, such as engineering, land surveying, public water works, landscape architects, land surveyors, fire preventionists, geologists, architects, and more.  In the case of professional engineers, the engineering association adopted a Responsible Charge position statement that says, “A professional engineer is only considered to be in responsible charge of an engineering work if the professional engineer makes independent professional decisions regarding the engineering work without requiring instruction or approval from another authority and maintains control over those decisions by the professional engineer’s physical presence at the location where the engineering work is performed or by electronic communication with the individual executing the engineering work.” If we were to adopt a Responsible Charge position statement for our industry, we could start with a draft that looks something like this: "A professional court reporter, or stenographer, is only considered to be in responsible charge of court reporting work if the professional court reporter makes independent professional decisions regarding the court reporting work without requiring instruction or approval from another authority and maintains control over those decisions by the professional court reporter’s physical presence at the location where the court reporting work is performed or by electronic communication with the individual executing the court reporting work.” Shared purpose The cornerstone of a strategic narrative is a shared purpose. This shared purpose is the outcome that you and your customer are working toward together. It’s more than a value proposition of what you deliver to them. Or a mission of what you do for the world. It’s the journey that you are on with them. By having a shared purpose, the relationship shifts from consumer to co-creator. In court reporting, our mission is “to bring justice to every litigant in the U.S.”  That purpose is shared by all involved in the litigation process – judges, attorneys, everyone.  Who we are is the Responsible Charge.  How we do that is by Protecting the Record.

Leave a comment