Question: I have been attending court reporting school, but I can't get my typing speed up to 200 words per minute, which is required to pass the licensing examination. Since money is tight, and the court reporter school is expensive, I was wondering if could work as a scopist. What additional training would I need? How much do scopists earn?
— Janine

Response: Since you have completed some coursework at a court reporting school, working as a scopist could indeed make sense for you. However, if you haven't already developed expertise in at least one of the software programs currently used by court reporters, you will need to do so. Case Catalyst is one of the most widely used software programs.

The following organization offers educational products for scopists and court reporters:
Steno Solutions
PO Box 129
Eastport, NY 11941
(631) 878-5989
www.steno-solutions.com
This company provides educational publications such as Learn to Use Case Catalyst Version 7, which instructs on the basics on Case Catalyst software. This guide also includes a CD-ROM with practice exercises. The cost of this newly published guide is $45.

Job Description
Scopists are responsible for transcribing and editing transcripts for court reporters. They take a draft of a court proceeding, sent by e-mail or simultaneously displayed on a computer, and read it to check for any mistranslations.

The scopist makes necessary edits to ensure that the transcript is in the proper format. They then send the revised transcript back to the court reporter.

In the case of simultaneous display, scopists make corrections or highlight any questions as the transcript scrolls on the computer screen.

Training Options and Costs
Many training programs for court reporters are offered by private schools and are expensive. If you need additional training geared specifically to scopist work, you might consider the following less expensive option:
Cerritos College
11110 Alondra Blvd.
Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 860-2451
www.cerritos.edu
Cerritos College offers a 15.5-unit Scopist for Court Reporters certificate. Classes include Advanced Aural Language Skills for Court Reporters, Legal Terminology and Advanced Computer-Aided Transcription. The cost is $26 per unit.

Professional Associations
National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
8224 Old Courthouse Road
Vienna, VA 22182
(800) 272-6272
www.ncraonline.org
This is a national association of court reporters and related professionals including scopists. Associate membership is open to scopists.

Membership benefits include listing on an online referral directory, industry updates through publications such as the Journal of Court Reporting, professional development opportunities through certificate programs and online seminars, and networking opportunities at association events.

Annual associate membership dues are $145.
California Court Reporters Association
2400 22nd St. Suite 110
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 443-5090
www.cal-ccra.org
This is a state association of court reporters, which is an NCRA state affiliate. Associate membership is open to scopists.

Membership benefits include industry updates through publications and e-newsletters, continuing education programs, and networking opportunities at association events. Annual associate membership dues are $135.

Job Resources
The best way for a scopist to get work is to approach court reporters and small court reporting agencies, according to a representative of a large firm that places court reporters.

There are more than 100 court-reporting agencies in the Los Angeles area that could be contacted for employment as a scopist. For example:
Alvarado Court Reporters
525 S. Trona Ave.
West Covina, CA 91791
(626) 938-0042
The agency maintains a referral list of scopists for agency court reporters. Candidates can mail resumes to the office which are maintained on file.

Earnings
Scopists are paid from $1.00 to $2.00 per page. Fees can be higher for more technically challenging projects such as depositions or transcripts from medical court cases. Projects generally range from 35 pages to 75 pages. Therefore, earnings range from $35 to $150 per project.

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Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.