IA Court Reporter cheat sheet

Stenographic theory maps spoken sounds to key combinations: a single stroke can encode a syllable, so one chord may represent an entire word such as "and" or "the".

The keyboard is divided into a number pad (left hand consonants), vowel keys (thumbs), and a right-hand consonant bank; simultaneous depression of keys produces one syllable.

Initial S is written on the left bank, final S on the right bank; doubling a consonant key typically adds "-er" on the right or a preceding vowel on the left.

Briefs and phrases (e.g., a single stroke for "ladies and gentlemen") are memorized shortcuts; the reporter's personal dictionary stores these mappings for translation.

Conflict resolution: when two outlines translate to different words, the CAT software flags the conflict; the reporter assigns the less frequent word a distinct outline.

Real-time feed latency is governed by translation speed and dictionary hit rate; a high untranslate rate forces the reporter to fingerspell or write out, slowing output.

Key travel and tension are adjustable; too light a tension increases shadow strokes, too heavy increases fatigue and missed keys during fast testimony.

Machine memory (job dictionary) is separate from the writer's internal storage; strokes are stored on a removable media card and downloaded to CAT software for translation.

Subject-verb agreement: intervening prepositional phrases do not change the verb number - "The list of witnesses was read" (not "were").

Comma splice rule: two independent clauses joined only by a comma is an error; use a semicolon, a period, or a coordinating conjunction.

Nonrestrictive clauses take commas; restrictive clauses do not - "The witness, who arrived late, testified" vs. "The witness who arrived late testified."

Quotation marks enclose exact spoken words; periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark in American style, colons and semicolons outside.

Hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun ("well-known author") but not after ("the author is well known"); do not hyphenate adverb-adjective pairs ending in -ly.

Apostrophe placement: singular possessive adds 's ("witness's"); plural possessive adds only the apostrophe ("witnesses'").

Ellipsis marks omission of words; in verbatim transcription, do not use ellipsis to skip substantive testimony - record it or mark it as inaudible.

Commonly confused pairs: "affect" (verb, to influence) vs. "effect" (noun, result); "principal" (main) vs. "principle" (rule); "council" (body) vs. "counsel" (attorney).

Verbatim standard: reproduce every spoken word including false starts, repetitions, and slang; do not clean up grammar unless the transcript standard permits it.

Nonverbal sounds (laughter, coughing, a pause) are enclosed in parentheses or brackets per the governing style guide; never invent a description of a sound not heard.

Inaudible passages are marked consistently (e.g., "[inaudible]" or "(inaudible)") with a timestamp or page-line reference so the parties can locate the gap.

Overlapping speech is transcribed in the order it is intelligible; when two speakers talk at once, note the overlap rather than guessing attribution.

When reading from a document, the reporter transcribes what the speaker says, not the document text; if the speaker reads verbatim, the reading may be marked "(reading)".

Numbers: spell out or use numerals per the style guide, but always confirm dollar amounts, dates, and case numbers against the record because a single digit changes meaning.

Foreign-language testimony: transcribe the interpreter's English rendition; the original-language words are marked as interpreted unless a qualified translator certifies them.

Proofreading pass compares audio to transcript at page-line granularity; the reporter corrects only transcription errors, not the speaker's wording.

Civil vs. criminal burden: preponderance of the evidence (civil) versus beyond a reasonable doubt (criminal); the transcript must preserve which standard the court instructed.

Voir dire has two senses: jury selection questioning, and a preliminary examination of a witness's competence to testify.

Discovery devices include interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, and depositions; a deposition is testimony under oath outside court.

Objections must be stated on the record with the ground (relevance, hearsay, foundation, privilege); the reporter captures the objection, the response, and the ruling verbatim.

A sidebar or chambers conference may be off the record only if the judge so orders on the record; otherwise the reporter records it.

Federal structure: district courts (trial), circuit courts of appeals (review), Supreme Court (discretionary review); state systems mirror this with variations.

Stare decisis binds lower courts to precedent within the same jurisdiction; the reporter does not interpret law but must spell case names and citations accurately.

A proffer is an offer of proof made outside the jury's presence; it is transcribed when made on the record and marked accordingly.

Standard page format: 25 numbered lines per page, each line numbered 1-25 in the left margin; page numbers appear at the top or bottom per the governing rule.

Title page includes the court, case caption, case number, parties, date, location, and the reporter's name and certification.

Certification page states the transcript is a true and correct record of the proceedings, signed by the reporter, with the date and the reporter's license or CSR number where required.

Speaker identification: each speaker's name is capitalized and followed by a colon at the start of the line; Q and A format is used for examination.

Colloquy is indented and single-spaced; parentheticals describing action are set off and italicized or bracketed per the style guide.

Exhibits are identified by number or letter at first mention, with a parenthetical noting marking and admission status.

Errata or deposition errata sheets are separate from the certified transcript; the reporter does not alter the certified record after signing.

Delivery timelines are set by statute, court rule, or contract; a common federal benchmark is 30 days for ordinary transcript and shorter for expedited or daily copy.

The reporter is a neutral officer of the court, not an advocate for any party; the record must be accurate regardless of which side it favors.

Confidentiality attaches to grand jury proceedings, sealed filings, juvenile matters, and protective-order material; disclosure outside authorized channels is prohibited.

Ex parte communication with the judge about a pending case is improper for the reporter; procedural scheduling questions are handled through the clerk.

Conflicts of interest (family, financial, or prior representation ties to a party) must be disclosed and resolved before the proceeding begins.

A reporter may not give legal advice or interpret testimony for a party; questions about the record go to the presiding officer.

Financial arrangements (per-page rate, appearance fee, copy charges) are disclosed in advance; charging for copies to the opposing party may be regulated by statute.

Certification is a personal attestation; a reporter may not certify a transcript prepared or materially altered by another person without disclosure.

Retention and destruction of stenographic notes and audio follow court rule and contract; notes underlying a certified transcript are generally preserved for the appeal period.

Deposition sequence: oath administered by the reporter, appearances on the record, examination by examining counsel, cross, redirect, and any stipulations.

The reporter administers the oath or affirmation and must note on the record which form was used and that the witness agreed.

Objections at deposition are stated concisely and reserved for trial except as to form; the reporter records the objection and the question, not argument.

Stipulations (e.g., waiving signature, extending the time to sign) are read into the record and transcribed; they bind the parties who agree.

Scheduling and notice: the noticing party sets the date and location; the reporter confirms attendance, equipment, and any interpreter or videographer needs in advance.

Client relations: confirm spelling of names and case numbers at the start, provide an estimated delivery date, and invoice per the engagement letter.

Rough draft or unedited real-time feed is not the certified transcript; the distinction must be stated in the engagement terms.

Cancellation and no-show policies, minimum charges, and travel fees are set in the engagement letter and applied consistently across clients.

Encryption at rest and in transit (AES-256, TLS) protects transcripts and audio; unencrypted email attachments of sealed material are a breach risk.

Access control: unique user accounts, least privilege, and multi-factor authentication for CAT software, cloud storage, and delivery portals.

Backups follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, two media types, one offsite; test restoration periodically rather than assuming backups work.

Retention schedules are set by court rule, statute, and contract; sealed and juvenile records often carry longer or permanent retention.

Secure destruction (cross-cut shredding, certified data wiping) is documented with a certificate of destruction for audit purposes.

Incident response: a suspected breach of sealed or confidential material triggers notification obligations under applicable rules and state breach statutes.

Chain of custody for audio and digital files is documented with hashes and timestamps so authenticity can be demonstrated.

Cloud vendors must meet the court's data-handling requirements; storing confidential transcripts on consumer-grade services is generally prohibited.