EXTRA HELP COURT REPORTER

Under general supervision, records verbatim proceedings in civil, criminal, juvenile and other court proceedings in the Superior Court of Kern County. This is a Countywide position. Extra help employees, for the purpose of this position, work on an as-needed basis with the Court not to exceed 29 hours a week. While regular acceptance of assignments is desired, extra help Court Reporters have the option to decline assignments offered.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Court Reporters are responsible for recording verbatim proceedings in civil, criminal, juvenile, and other court proceedings; reading aloud at the direction of the court, and preparing transcripts of those proceedings as requested in accordance with applicable code sections.

The following examples are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel assigned to this classification. Any one position in this class may not perform all the duties listed below, nor are the duties described intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel assigned to this classification.

• Records verbatim notes of all court proceeding; provides real-time transcription or reads back record of proceedings; asks judge and other speakers for clarification of testimony, instructions, orders or actions.
• Reads testimony aloud at the direction of the court.
• Produces and certifies formal, written transcripts; archives court reports and transcripts; organizes and ensures official records security.
• Receives and processes transcript requests; estimates cost of transcripts; duplicates tapes of official records for requesting parties.
• Researches medical, legal and technical terminology as well as case citations and related information; develops and modifies custom software dictionaries; sets up and maintains court reporting, transcription and archival equipment.
• Real-time reporting ability is required.

Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

In accordance with Section 8016 of the California Business and Professions Code, official court reporters working in any court shall possess a current Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) license issued by the Court Reporters’ Board of California.

Possess and maintain a valid California Class C Driver License.

Judgement & Responsibility: Incumbents work under general supervision on a set of tasks in accordance with established policies, procedures, statutes, and standards under the supervision of court administration. Incumbents have no responsibility for the work of others. Substantial error in transcription or read back could affect outcome of a trial or appeal.

Knowledge of: Laws, regulations and practices relating to court reporting and transcription; legal terminology; court operations and courtroom procedure; courtroom etiquette and conventions; specialized vocabulary used in legal proceedings, English grammar and usage of related materials and court reporting equipment and computer software.

Ability to: Simultaneously listen to and make verbatim record of court proceedings; pay attention to conversational detail; work in presence of court audience; communicate clearly and effectively in English; accurately report court proceedings, prepare printed transcripts, and meet deadlines as required by the Superior Court and the Court of Appeals; coordinate work with judicial, support, and administrative staff and work within court policies, procedures, and systems; establish and maintain effective working relationships with judicial officers, co-workers, attorneys, and other court staff, both individually and in group settings; work cooperatively under time constraints and exacting professional and legal standards; transfer and/or travel to various departments at different locations on short notice; deal tactfully with the public and other court personnel; use personal computer including word processing and other software.

Adherence to: Standing Order No: BCM – 18 – 000025 – Mandatory Court Reporter Transcript Format and E-Filing Requirements.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: The physical and mental requirements described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. These include but are not limited to: sit and record verbatim proceedings accurately at sustained speed and duration for prolonged periods of time; occasional lifting of objects weighting up to 50 lbs; hear well enough to understand and record verbatim testimony with competing background noise; use hands and wrists to keyboard on a stenographic machine; reach with hands and arms; see well enough to proofread transcripts; use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret situations; work with frequent interruptions and meet changing deadlines. Incumbents are not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (such as in typical office or administrative work).