There is a nationwide shortage of court reporters. According to the Association for Court Reporters and Captioners, the last decade has seen the number of court reporters plummet with an estimated national shortage of more than 5,000 professionals. Other pressures for the demand for court reporters include various courts no longer providing court reporters and requiring that the law firms provide the court reporters. Two examples in California include; 1) As of Month Day, Year, San Luis Obispo County no longer provides Civil or Probate court reporters, and 2) As of Month Day, Year, Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County) no longer provides Civil or Probate court reporters.
Membership in the NCRA, DRA/CCRA, Bar Associations, and related organizations, combined with CREST’s active participation in their events, equips CREST court reporters with critical attributes like technical expertise, ethical grounding, and adaptability to modern legal demands. Benefits include career advancement, continuing education, financial rewards, flexibility, and increased visibility within the legal community. This participation and related benefits combined with CREST’s proactive use of leading-edge technologies provides for a robust support system, ensuring that CREST court reporters remain integral to the justice system while advancing their professional growth. This provides CREST reporters with less stress and a stabile working environment.