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Court Reporter interview questions

A court reporter interview is short on small talk and long on proof. The agency owner or court administrator wants to know you can write clean under pressure, hit a transcript deadline and stay neutral when the room gets heated. Expect a skills test, questions about your software and a few scenarios pulled straight from a bad deposition day.

11 questions7 minute read

Part 1

1.Walk me through how you prepare for a deposition you've never covered before.

Why they ask

Preparation separates a clean transcript from a night of guessing at names. They want to know you don't just show up and hope.

How to answer

  • Ask the scheduling office for the case caption, notice of deposition and appearance list
  • Build a job dictionary with party names, company names and likely terms
  • Look up the subject area, such as a surgery or a trucking crash, for vocabulary
  • Arrive or log on early to test equipment, get spellings and collect business cards

2.What CAT software do you write on, and how have you set it up?

Why they ask

Your software and dictionary are your working tools. Agencies want to know you can deliver the files and formats their clients expect.

How to answer

  • Name the software, such as Case CATalyst or Eclipse, and how long you've used it without giving a number
  • Describe how you maintain your dictionary and job dictionaries
  • Mention output formats you produce, like PDF, ASCII and condensed transcripts with word indexes
  • Explain how you back up your files and dictionary

3.Two attorneys start talking over each other and the witness. What do you do?

Why they ask

Cross talk is the most common threat to an accurate record. They're testing whether you'll protect the record without being rude.

How to answer

  • Say you'll politely ask the speakers to go one at a time
  • Explain that you mark the spot in your notes so you can check the audio sync later
  • Mention that you'd raise it at a break if it keeps happening
  • Show you know the transcript can only reflect one clear speaker at a time
4.Do you provide realtime, and how do you handle a realtime feed to counsel?

Why they ask

Realtime is a premium service and a reason clients book one agency over another. They need to know whether they can send you to those jobs.

How to answer

  • Say whether you hold a realtime certificate such as the Certified Realtime Reporter
  • Describe your connection setup for in-person and remote jobs
  • Explain that the realtime feed is unedited and you remind counsel of that
  • Mention how you keep your translation rate high through dictionary work
5.A witness has a heavy accent and speaks quietly. How do you keep the record accurate?

Why they ask

Hard to hear witnesses come up often. They want to know you'll speak up instead of guessing.

How to answer

  • Ask the witness to keep their voice up or move the microphone closer
  • Interrupt politely when you truly can't hear, since the record matters more than the flow
  • Flag unclear passages and review the audio before certifying
  • Never write something you didn't hear, and note it in the transcript when a word is inaudible

Part 2

6.Tell me about a time you had to deliver an expedited transcript on a tight deadline.

Why they ask

Expedited and daily copy orders bring in money but break reporters who can't plan. They want a real example.

How to answer

  • Set up the situation: the case, the order and the deadline
  • Explain how you split the work, such as sending pages to a scopist and a proofreader
  • Describe what you did to stay accurate while going fast
  • Close with the delivery and what you'd do differently next time
7.An attorney asks you, off the record, what you thought of the witness. How do you respond?

Why they ask

You're an officer of the court with a duty to stay neutral. One careless comment can put a transcript's integrity in question.

How to answer

  • Politely decline to comment on testimony or the case
  • Keep the tone friendly so the client relationship isn't damaged
  • Mention that you treat both sides the same, including who gets copies and when
  • Say you'd let the agency know if a client kept pushing
8.How do you handle exhibits during a deposition?

Why they ask

Lost or mislabeled exhibits cause real trouble for attorneys. It's a detail new reporters often get wrong.

How to answer

  • Mark each exhibit clearly as it's introduced and note it in your notes
  • Keep a running exhibit index
  • Explain how you collect and attach exhibits to the transcript, including shared screens on remote jobs
  • Mention confirming with counsel at the end that nothing is missing
9.What would you do if your equipment failed in the middle of testimony?

Why they ask

Machines, laptops and internet connections fail. They want to hear that you have a backup plan before it happens.

How to answer

  • Stop the proceeding right away and ask to go off the record
  • Describe your backups, like a second laptop, audio sync recording and machine memory
  • Explain that you'd note the exact point of failure so nothing is lost
  • Tell a short real example if you have one
10.How do you keep your writing speed and accuracy up?

Why they ask

Speed fades without practice, especially if your work has been light. They want someone who keeps sharpening.

How to answer

  • Describe your regular practice, such as drilling on fast testimony
  • Mention dictionary cleanup after each job
  • Name continuing education or certificates you're working toward
  • Point to a subject area where you've built specific vocabulary, like medical or patent work

Part 3

11.Why do you want to work for our agency or this court?

Why they ask

Reporters move between agencies easily. They want to know you'll stick around and take the jobs they need covered.

How to answer

  • Mention something specific about their work, such as the case types or the courtroom
  • Link it to the kind of reporting you want to do more of
  • Be honest about your availability and whether you'll take remote or travel jobs
  • Show interest in growing with them, not just filling a gap

Questions to ask them

Ask at least two. It shows you're picking them too.

  • What kinds of cases or proceedings would I cover most often in my first months?
  • Do you provide scopists and proofreaders, or am I expected to arrange my own?
  • How do you handle expedited orders and how are they assigned?
  • What's your setup for remote depositions, and who hosts the video platform?
  • How do you support newer reporters when a job is outside their comfort zone?