Be Armed With The Facts
When you need a transcript produced by an Approved Court Transcriber, the most important thing to keep in mind is that in Massachusetts you have the right to choose your transcriber, so take some time and do your due diligence. Ask for the credentials of the transcriber whom you are entrusting to transcribe your client’s case.
When Ordering a Transcript From The Massachusetts Courts, Be Armed With The Facts
There are two very distinct categories which the transcribers on the Massachusetts Approved Court Transcriber list fall into:
The first category are transcribers who hold the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) certification, the Registered Professional Reporter and the transcribers who hold the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA) certification, Certified Verbatim Reporter.
The second category are those transcribers who hold the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) certification, Certified Electronic Court Reporter.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that a transcriber who holds the AAERT certification is a highly skilled verbatim court reporter. They are not.
A high school student could pass the AAERT multiple choice test and be deemed qualified to do your transcription. Transcribers who hold the NCRA or NVRA certification are highly skilled verbatim court reporters.
As a lawyer, you have undoubtedly worked with an NCRA Registered Professional Reporter as many court reporters (stenographers) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts proudly choose to achieve and maintain their RPR designation while earning the mandatory CEUs, ensuring their competency to produce a verbatim transcript.
TESTING BREAKDOWN
The AAERT certification consists of a multiple-choice test examination. Period. End of test. No Skill Test to to ascertain typing ability (words per minute). No Skill Test taking down Literary, Jury Charge, and Q&A dictation.
The Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification consists of the Written Knowledge Test (WKT), a 120-question multiple choice test. In addition to the WKT, the RPR consists of three Skill Tests (speed tests), Literary, Jury Charge, and Q&A dictation with the speeds topping off at 225 wpm.
When you need a transcript produced by an Approved Court Transcriber, the most important thing to keep in mind is that in Massachusetts you have the right to choose your transcriber, so take some time and do your due diligence. Ask for the credentials of the transcriber whom you are entrusting to transcribe your client’s case.
When you need an audio transcript expedited, ask yourself who is the better choice for this task, a NCRA or NVRA certified court reporter or an AAERT transcriber?
As of July 2021 there are now AI firms that are on the Approved Court Transcriber list as well. To have a full understanding of what the final transcript will look like, all you have to do is picture yourself using voice-to-text applications. One of the AI firms under their caption of Legal Transcription Services prominently displays a certified court reporter in a courtroom -- front and center -- taking down verbatim testimony to lure you into the false belief that that is the type of service they provide. It is not.
Letter to Attorneys
You have the ability to know exactly who is doing your transcription, and being assured that the transcription is not being outsourced to a third party.
You have the right to choose your transcriber.
That is THE MOST important thing.
Everything that follows is an explanation why.
I Understand the Importance of the Certified Transcript
By way of a brief background, I have an Associate’s Degree in Court and Conference Reporting. I am a Certified Realtime Court Reporter with 35 years of experience providing court reporting services in court (both State and Federal), depositions, arbitrations, and hearings.
Audio Transcription for the Massachusetts Courts
When requesting an official transcript of a court proceeding, you must choose from the Approved Court Transcribers List. There are certified court reporters, capturing the spoken word at 225+ wpm (words per minute); AAERT certified transcribers (pass an online multiple choice test — no test for typing speed), and AI transcribers (voice recognition software) on the ACT list.
Understanding the Nature of the Beast
Accept the fact that most transcripts produced from an audio recording will not be a verbatim record. Don’t jeopardize the quality of the certified transcript any further by understanding that every transcriber has a different skill set and educational background. You have the ability to know exactly who is doing your transcription and being assured that the transcription is not being outsourced to a third party - possibly a fourth and fifth party.
Sincerely,
Lisa Marie Phipps
Certified Realtime Reporter, Registered Professional Reporter, Certified Shorthand Reporter, Past Legislative Director of the Massachusetts Court Reporters Association