With every profession comes a set of tools used to carry-out a task. A carpenter uses a hammer to build houses, a doctor relies on a stethoscope to hear a patient’s heart, and a black jack dealer gracefully shuffles a deck of playing cards in front of eager gamblers as they sit waiting. Being professionals, court reporters also have a unique set of tools. Without these tools it would be next to impossible to perform the jobs in which they have trained so rigorously for.
A freelance court reporter’s job is extremely mobile. They spend a lot of time in the car traveling to and from deposition locations. Typically a court reporter keeps their specific “tools of the trade” in a large wheeled bag that can be easily rolled from job to job. This bag acts as their mobile office. The question is…what’s inside of that bag? Well, have you ever attended a magic show and watched an illusionist reach into a magic hat and pull out a rabbit? Then reach in again and pull out white doves, then a set of rings, then a scarf? That magic hat is similar to a court reporter’s bag; filled with an endless number of goodies that allow them to carry out their jobs.
So, what really is inside a court reporter’s bag? What are a court reporter’s tools of the trade? Inside a court reporter’s bag you will generally find:
Essential Equipment:
- Steno machine and tripod
- Laptop with CAT software
- Additional laptops
- Realtime delivery equipment (router, cables)
- iPads or other tablets for clients to view realtime
- Microphones
- Web cameras
- Extension cords and power strips
- Chargers and adapters
- SD cards and thumb drives
- Exhibit stickers
- Label maker
- Headphones
- Batteries
- Food and water (you never know when you will get a break!)
- WiFi hotspot or MiFi card
- Ethernet cable
- Gaffer’s tape (for taping down cords)
- Cell phone (for a calendar or backup recording app)
- USB hub
Job Specific Items:
- Attorney/client dictionaries used for each job
- Copies of applicable statutes, rules, and code of ethics
- Notice of deposition
- Cheat sheets for attorneys
Additional Items:
- USB cooling fan
- Cheaters (glasses) or a magnifying card
- A plastic box filled with:
- Highlighters
- Sharpies
- Pens
- Paper clips
- Rubber bands
- Sticky notes
- Staplers
- Notepads
- Mints/Lifesavers (to stay alert)
- Tylenol or Advil (for those extra hard depositions)
- Kleenex
- Lint-free cloth for cleaning screens
- Medium sized pillow (to support the back)
- Hand warmers or a thin blanket
- Cough drops
- Extra earbuds (for hard-of-hearing witnesses)
- Business cards
Phew! Still curious about the contents of a court reporter’s bag? Maybe the question should have been “What’s NOT inside a Court Reporters bag?” While it may seem like a lot of items, when you are on a job and others are relying on you to be the official keeper of the record, it is better to be safe than sorry, and surprisingly, yes most reporters are able to fit all that in one bag!