Official Court Reporter

About the role

The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas seeks a full-time Official Court Reporter in the Austin divisional office. The position involves attending and recording verbatim court sessions for both civil and criminal proceedings, providing transcripts, and performing administrative duties.

Responsibilities

• Attend and record verbatim court sessions for both civil and criminal proceedings.
• Read back portions of court record as required.
• Provide transcripts within the time and cost limitations set by the Judicial Conference.
• Electronically file with the Clerk of Court a copy of all transcripts prepared concurrently with delivery to the requesting parties.
• Provide transcripts and/or a Realtime feed to the Court upon request, without charge.
• Perform administrative duties as required, such as billing for transcripts, financial and other record keeping, preparation and filing of required Administrative Office reports, and responding to official correspondence and telephone calls.
• Maintain and safeguard records until they are disposed of according to statutory requirements and national and local policies.
• Adhere to the requirements of The Guide to Judiciary Policy, Volume VI, as well as the Court’s local Court Reporter Management Plan.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must possess a minimum of at least one (1) year of prime court reporting experience in a court, or in the freelance field of service, or a combination thereof.
• Must have passed the Registered Professional Reporters (RPR) examination administered by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or passed an equivalent qualifying examination such as the Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) administered by the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA).
• Realtime court reporting proficiency, Realtime certification is preferred.
• Own or be willing to purchase, upon entry on duty, realtime court reporting equipment.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills to permit the production of transcripts within strict time limitations.
• Work well under pressure and be willing to work as part of a team of court reporters fulfilling the needs of all judicial officers of the Court.
• Must possess tact, good judgement, poise, initiative, and always maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: Must possess a minimum of at least one (1) year of prime court reporting experience in a court, or in the freelance field of service, or a combination thereof.
• Preferred Qualifications: Registered Professional Reporters (RPR) or equivalent qualifying exam. Reporters who possess a Certificate of Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) or are a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) from NCRA or have passed an equivalent qualifying exam. Prior federal court experience.

Skills

• Verbatim reporting skills.
• Transcription abilities.
• Administrative duties.
• Realtime court reporting proficiency.

Benefits

• Retirement Benefits: Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Basic Benefit Plan, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) – 401k styled program with up to a 5% government match.
• Social Security.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• 11 paid federal government holidays.
• Optional Benefits: Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance options.
• Flexible Benefits Program offering medical care, dependent care, and parking reimbursement.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Flexible work schedules and telework, depending on location and position.
• On-site gym, depending on location.

Pay

• CR LEVEL 1: $98,137 (minimum qualifications)
• CR LEVEL 2: $103,044 (requires merit certification)
• CR LEVEL 3: $107,950 (requires realtime certification)
• CR LEVEL 4: $112,857 (requires realtime and merit certification)
• CR LEVEL 5: $117,765 (current Federal Official Court Reporter hired before October 11, 2009, with longevity: minimum of ten years Federal Service; Merit and Realtime Certification by NCRA)

Schedule

Full-time position.

Application Procedure

Qualified candidates may apply by submitting a cover letter (include job title/number listed above), detailed resume, e-mail address, daytime phone number, and a copy of all court reporter certifications to: www.txwd.uscourts.gov > Court Info > Jobs > Current Employment Opportunities & Online Application. Applications will be considered as soon as received and will continue to be considered until the position is filled.

Additional Information

The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For additional information regarding benefits, go to http://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.