CSR Certified Shorthand Reporter cheat sheet

Literary dictation is continuous narrative prose (essays, speeches, fiction, correspondence) with no question-and-answer structure; the reporter constructs paragraphing from pauses and spoken cues such as 'new paragraph.'

Because the reader supplies no punctuation, sentence boundaries, quotation marks for dialogue, semicolons, colons, and dashes must all be inferred from syntax, intonation, and meaning.

Homophones (principal/principle, their/there, counsel/council, waive/waive) are resolved by grammar and context, not by sound alone; a reporter never transcribes a word that produces a nonsensical sentence.

Titles of books, plays, and long works are italicized (or underlined in a typewritten manuscript); titles of articles, poems, and short works take quotation marks.

Standard manuscript convention sets an em dash closed up with no surrounding spaces; typed in ASCII it is often represented by two hyphens.

Numbers are governed by a single consistent style within a transcript: spell out small whole numbers and use figures for larger values, dates, percentages, and measurements.

Direct quotation inside dictated prose requires opening and closing quotation marks and a change of paragraph at a new speaker's words.

Spelling of proper nouns and technical terms is verified after the fact against a dictionary or the record; the reporter does not invent a spelling silently.

A transcript is judged on verbatim fidelity plus correct English; supplied punctuation may not change the meaning or tone of what was dictated.

The jury charge is the judge's statement of the law governing deliberation, including burden of proof, elements of each claim or offense, definitions, and verdict form instructions.

Charges are commonly read from pattern or model instructions, frequently at a slower pace than testimony, which permits closer attention to citations and defined terms.

Case names, statutory section numbers, and citation forms in the charge are reproduced exactly; a misstated citation is a transcription error even if the surrounding sense is unchanged.

Where the charge states that a term 'means' or 'is defined as' something, that term is capitalized consistently wherever it recurs in the document.

Numbered paragraphs, headings, and subparagraphs of the charge are preserved in the transcript because appellate review cites them by number.

The reporter transcribes the charge as actually delivered, including any grammatical irregularity or omission by the reader; the reporter does not correct the court's language.

Statutory or rule language read aloud inside the charge is enclosed in quotation marks.

Objections and requests to charge made outside the jury's presence are separately dictated and transcribed so the appellate record shows the precise instruction requested, given, or refused.

Reporter certification of a charge transcript affirms that it reflects the words read to the jury, not a revised or improved version of the instruction.

Every change of speaker begins a new paragraph: attorney questions are introduced by 'Q.' and witness answers by 'A.', in the order actually spoken.

Speech by the judge, counsel, or others during testimony is identified by a capitalized speaker label such as 'THE COURT:' or 'MR. HALE:' rather than by Q or A.

Nonverbal conduct and on-record events are shown in parentheses, e.g. (Witness nods.) or (Exhibit 4 marked for identification.); parentheticals never add words the speaker did not say.

Unintelligible speech is shown as [inaudible] or bracketed with the best available description; a reporter never guesses at testimony that could not be heard.

An interruption is punctuated with a dash, and the interrupting speaker's words start a new paragraph under a new designation rather than completing the broken sentence.

A question that is grammatically interrogative or that calls for an answer takes a question mark, even when phrased as a request such as 'Would you state your name.'

False starts, repetitions, and self-corrections are transcribed as spoken; the reporter may not summarize, polish, or delete them.

Objections and rulings are recorded in full ('Objection, leading.' 'Sustained.'), because the ruling and the ground stated are part of the appellate record.

When testimony is read back or interpreted, the transcript marks the readback or the interpretation so the record shows what the jury actually heard.

Who is the subject form and whom the object form; substitute he/she for who and him/her for whom to test a doubtful sentence.

A semicolon joins two independent clauses not linked by a coordinating conjunction, and separates series items that contain internal commas.

A comma ordinarily follows an introductory subordinate clause and long introductory phrases, but is usually dropped after a short adverb or brief transitional phrase.

Affect is normally the verb meaning to influence; effect is normally the noun meaning result, though effect can be a verb meaning to bring about.

Singular possessive adds apostrophe plus s (witness's); plural possessive ending in s adds only the apostrophe (witnesses'); irregular plurals add apostrophe plus s (children's).

'Its' is possessive and 'it's' is a contraction of it is; the two are never interchangeable.

Periods and commas go inside closing quotation marks; semicolons, colons, question marks not part of the quotation, and exclamation points not part of the quotation go outside.

In legal drafting shall imposes a duty while may confers discretion; a transcript preserves the speaker's choice of either word exactly.

Lay is transitive (lay the file down) and lie is intransitive (the file lies there); the past of lie is lay, which is the most frequent source of error.

Civil action sequence: complaint, answer or responsive pleading, discovery, pretrial motions, trial, judgment, post-trial motions, appeal.

Discovery devices are interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, depositions on oral examination, and physical or mental examinations.

Voir dire is the examination of prospective jurors for qualification and bias; challenges are either for cause (unlimited, requires a stated reason) or peremptory (limited in number, no reason required).

A motion in limine is a pretrial request to exclude or restrict evidence before it is offered, preserving the objection without exposing the jury to the material.

Leading questions suggest the desired answer; they are allowed on cross-examination and generally restricted on direct except for preliminary or undisputed matters.

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted; it is generally inadmissible unless an exclusion or exception applies.

Criminal procedure terms: arraignment, indictment (grand jury), information (prosecutor's charge), plea, nolo contendere, allocution, sentencing, probation, and appeal.

Latin and Law-French terms recur in dictation: prima facie, res ipsa loquitur, pro se, in forma pauperis, sua sponte, de novo, corpus delicti, mens rea, actus reus, stare decisis.

Bench trial means the judge alone decides facts and law; a jury trial adds voir dire, opening statements, charge conference, the charge, and verdict polling.

The caption or title page states the court, parties, cause or case number, nature of the proceeding, place and date, appearances of counsel, and the reporter's name and license number.

Body text is set on consecutively numbered lines within a fixed margin, commonly twenty-five lines per page, so that any line can be cited precisely on appeal or for readback.

Examination headings (DIRECT EXAMINATION, CROSS-EXAMINATION, REDIRECT EXAMINATION) are placed at the top of the page where the examination begins and by the attorney's name.

Exhibit events are noted at the point they occur, distinguishing marking for identification from offer, admission, and refusal.

Off-record events and recesses are recorded with parentheticals such as (Off the record.) or (Recess taken.) so time gaps in the record are explained.

The reporter's certificate at the end attests that the preceding pages are a true and correct transcription of the proceedings, and it is signed and dated by the reporter.

Deposition transcripts include stipulations, the oath, appearances, a statement of any signature-waiver or errata procedure, and the officer's certificate.

Word indexes or concordances list significant terms with page and line references and are prepared consistently with the body pagination.

Page numbering, line numbering, and continuation headings must be internally consistent; a renumbered page invalidates any previously cited page and line.

The reporter is a neutral officer of the court-like function: the record must include adverse testimony, all objections, and every party's statements without editing or bias.

Grand jury proceedings, sealed hearings, juvenile matters, and protective-order material are confidential; disclosure requires statutory authority or a court order.

A reporter with a family relationship to a party or attorney, a financial interest in the outcome, or other personal involvement discloses the conflict on the record so the parties may waive or object.

Certification of a transcript is made under penalty of perjury or under the reporter's licensure, so falsifying, adding to, or omitting record content is a licensure and criminal matter.

Reporters may not give legal advice to any party, may not interpret testimony for a litigant, and may not discuss the substance of proceedings ex parte with counsel or witnesses.

Stenographic notes, tapes, and electronic files are retained for the period set by statute or regulation and destroyed only in the manner the governing rule permits.

Transcript errors are corrected through the prescribed errata or certification procedure, never by silent alteration of a delivered transcript.

Licensure carries continuing education, renewal, and oath or registration requirements, and practice outside the licensed jurisdiction may be unauthorized practice.