Court reporting student wins speed contest
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A Bronx court reporting a
student’s path to a successful
career is at her fi ngertips.
Mount Hope resident Maia
Morgan is one of 12 winners in
Plaza College’s 2019 National
Court Reporting Association
Student Speed Competition.
Over 100 students raced
against the clock and each
other to see who was the fastest
and most accurate court
reporter in honor of National
Court Reporting and Capturing
Week.
Morgan and her peers transcribe
using a stenotype, a specialized
shorthand machine
which interfaces with a customized
laptop, and take dictation
at various speeds as they
train to become professional
court reporters.
The stenotype keyboard has
fewer keys than a conventional
alphanumeric keyboard.
Multiple keys are pressed simultaneously
to spell out whole
syllables, words and phrases
with a single hand motion.
Since the keyboard does not
contain all letters of the English
alphabet, letter combinations
are substituted for the
missing characters.
“Using the stenotype ma-
chine is almost like learning
another language,” she expressed.
Morgan types at an impressive
120 words per minute with
96% accuracy.
To graduate, she will have
to increase her speed to 225
words per minute.
Morgan aspires to one day
work as a stenographer in either
supreme or civil court.
She fi nds being a court reporter
an exciting career option
and encourages everyone
to give it a try.
“Maintaining the required
speed and trying not to think
too hard while typing are challenges,
but they can be overcome
through practice and patience,”
Morgan said.
She said making one’s fi ngers
nimble is key to increasing
typing speed.
Morgan suggested learning
to play an instrument such as
a piano or guitar to establish
muscle memory.
According to Karen Santucci,
Plaza College Court Reporting
chairwoman and NYS
Court Reporters Association
vice president, stenographers
keep vital records for legal
hearings and trials; grand juries;
despositions; government
Mount Hope resident Maia Morgan is one of 12 winners in Plaza College’s
2019 National Court Reporting Association Student Speed Competition.
Photo by Christopher Zipf
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meetings and hearings at local,
state and federal levels; TV
closed captioning and services
for the hearing impaired.
“Our role is crucial because
we record and preserve the accurate
accounts of trials, despositions,
grand juries and other
crucial aspects of the legal system
which are essential to ensuring
the fair administration
of justice,” Santucci explained.
She added that students
study legal and medical terminology
and court procedures
to prepare them for a versatile,
well-paying career in the legal
fi eld.
Court reporters’ records ensure
fair trials and serve as the
basis for appeals and other cornerstones
of the entire American
legal process.
These professionals, 90% of
whom are women, are responsible
for preserving the historical
record of legal proceedings
and serve as crucial documentarians
ensuring reliability.
Court reporters’ salaries
can top $100,000 a year.
Plaza College is NYC’s sole
court stenographer program,
with 200 students currently enrolled.
Plaza College has a 70%
graduation rate across all of
their offered programs and
more specifi cally a 73% retention
rate within the court reporting
program.
For additional information
about the program, visit www.
plazacollege.edu/landing_
court_reporting/.
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