2023 Business Trends for Court Reporting Agencies

Court reporting agencies are essential to judicial systems since they are responsible for creating accurate records of legal proceedings. These records, referenced later, can either make or break a case. Therefore, accuracy is vital for anyone seeking an appeal. 

Given the unpredictability of the last few years, it may seem ambitious to predict business trends for court reporting agencies in 2023. But, as we know, technology is constantly transforming everything, including the judicial system, and improving court processes to ensure the system is more efficient, accessible, and streamlined. 

Court reporting agencies can take practical steps to build upon these trends. This article covers some business trends for court reporting agencies in 2023.

Four Business Trends for Court Reporting Agencies to Explore in 2023

We are in an era where advanced technology is taking over every industry, including the legal sector. As a result, we have a good sense of the business trends shaping court reporting agencies in 2023. We discussed four of them below. 

Automation

Court reporters are known to be the quiet force driving court system efficiency from the local to the federal level. This is because the unrivaled typing speed of court reporters meets the need for fast transcription of all court proceedings. On average, a court reporter can type over 200 words a minute, three times faster than a regular typist and five times faster than an average computer user.

One of the business trends for court reporters in 2023 is automation using different technologies. Automating processes saves costs on manual labor, training time, and efficiency, and it will be easier to transcribe high volumes of recordings. Also, automation will help court reporters perform their job better and easier.

Furthermore, court reporters skilled in handling a wide range of new technologies will function better and be in high demand. This is because technology will always need a human touch for a perfect verbatim record, regardless of how advanced it is. 

Automating the court reporting industry is almost impossible without the human element. Therefore, automated technologies and court reporters will complement each other. 

Remote Court Reporting

Remote depositions have become a trend in the legal industry, especially among court reporting agencies. It is a cost-effective way for court reporters to get record proceedings without location barriers. The breakout of COVID-19 increased the number of virtual depositions, taking it from being a matter of convenience to a necessity.

Today, court reports are adopting the latest technology to conduct depositions remotely. Virtual depositions allow all parties to participate online using devices with an internet connection and will continue to be essential in the legal industry in 2023. 

Online meetings are a very flexible yet practical option for everyone. In addition, virtual disposition also eliminates the need to spend too much time and resources on travel, especially for parties that may be far away. Instead, anyone involved can join remotely at the scheduled time, regardless of location, using Zoom and other virtual deposition tools. 

More Physical Meetings

The importance of an efficient record of any legal proceedings cannot be over-emphasized; in some cases, lives depend on the outcome. This is why a court reporter’s role is integral to the legal system and will continue to be, regardless of technology. While some courts have begun to adopt using some technologies to replace court reports, others still value the authenticity of court reporters’ presence.

Usually, court reporting involves a trained person that keeps a verbatim record of disposition, courtroom proceedings, and pretrial hearings. Aside from simply writing down what they hear, they also record the identification, actions, and gestures of anyone speaking in court. In addition, they also recognize any inaudible statement, request clarification for the record and playback, or read the entire proceedings at the Judge’s request.

Although, there is an upsurge in a request for real-time court reporting, which uses technology to give judges or attorneys access to the transcriptions as it occurs in courtrooms. This process requires a court reporter to be present in the courtroom to record the proceedings. 

So, it is unlikely that the use of technology for recording court proceedings can lead to the extinction of court reporters. This is because court proceedings still need to be transcribed as accurately as possible in real-time, and most software can’t do this. Court reporters only need to become certified in the use of technology, especially when working in higher courts where there are frequent transcript requests.

Use of AI Technology

Another 2023 business trend for court reporting agencies is AI technology. Artificial intelligence innovation has improved court reporting, making it easier for court reporters to deliver and provide more excellent client value. 

AI is fast replacing stenograph machines used in court reporting. This is because it provides more accurate transcripts of depositions compared to that of traditional stenographers. AI accuracy stands at 98.5%, while court reporters have 95%.

However, humans have a better advantage in speech recognition, but the combination of artificial and human intelligence brings optimal results. Court reporting agencies can achieve this by assigning the most challenging part of the court reporting task, such as the initial transcription of the court recording, to the AI. 

Afterward, a court reporter will assess the AI-generated text for errors and make contributions where necessary. This combination benefits many court reporting agencies as they can do away with backlogs of work and get transcripts ready faster, saving time and creating room for other opportunities/tasks. Finally, with AI, court reporters can create customized transcribing templates, doing away with manual formatting. 

Final Thoughts 

Whether or not people are ready, court reporting technology is the latest business trend for many agencies. The world has changed since the pandemic, and it is safe to say that the use of AI and virtual and remote depositions will always be in high demand for a long time. Therefore, every court reporting agency should jump on these business trends and improve its services.

Of course, another trend that we foresee for 2023 is your court reporting agency signing up for a listing on CourtReporters.com! View our subscription options here or contact us here with questions.