State Court Reporting Leaders Attend National Conference.
School Fills Typing Job Need.
Staying Current with Client Needs Pays Off.

State Court Reporting Leaders Attend National Conference.
Alabama Court Reporters Association, Montgomery, Alabama — November 17, 2003

Karen B. Reagan, ACRA President, and Suzanne B. Frazier, President-Elect, recently attended the National Court Reporters Association’s State Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. This annual forum is held for court reporting leaders from all 50 states to come together to discuss effective communication and public policy strategies, national and state legislative agendas, association management, and key issues affecting the court reporting and captioning professions. Ms. Reagan is employed with Reagan Reporters, LLC. Mrs. Frazier is employed with the Unified Judicial System as Official Court Reporter for the Honorable Michael W. McCormick.

School fills typing job need.
Montgomery Advertiser Business Journal — May 1, 2003

When Amber Hudson served on a Montgomery County grand jury almost two years ago, she became intrigued by the court reporter's typing speed.

"I didn't know anything about court reporters other than what I had seen on TV, so I asked her all kinds of questions and she told me she went to school at Prince Institute, " Hudson said. "After that, I decided I would visit the school and find out more about the degree you had to earn to be a court reporter." Hudson turned her curiosity into a career choice and today is one of almost 100 students enrolled in Prince Institute's certified court reporting programs. On Wednesday, Hudson and her classmates learned more about the court reporting profession, career options and earning potential during the school's first Open House and Career Day. The career fair brought legal professionals from central Alabama together to talk about their professions and the industry.

Prince Institute — a small, private school that opened 27 years ago in Montgomery — offers associate degrees in court reporting, advanced medical transcription and information processing and certificates in medical transcription. It is one of two accredited court reporting schools in Alabama and one of 74 nationally. Owner Pat Hill said the industry has changed dramatically over the years. "There is a national need for certified court reporters but not enough skilled workers to meet that demand," said Hill. "Because we are one of the older, established and accredited schools, I get calls from all over the states from firms looking for our reporters." With the high demand for court reporters comes great salaries, said Jennifer Warren, director of admissions for Prince Institute. Salaries range from $40,000 to $70,000. "When some people hear about court reporting, they think it is a secretary job and they don't see that you can easily support a family in this profession," Warren said.

One of the major changes in the field is the Telecommunications Act of 1996, in which the FCC mandates that by 2006 all new broadcasting must be closed captioned. "Court reporters are not only in the courtroom," said Karen Brock Reagan, a Montgomery business owner and a Alabama Court Reporter Association board member. "When a student is hearing impaired, we go into the classroom and assist with note taking and tests and lectures. We are also the people who type the words for closed captions and, with the new law, there will not be enough of us to meet the mandate by 2006." To meet this mandate, Hill said Prince Institute is lobbying for a million dollar federal grant to teach more courses in closed captioning. "We must prepare our students for the work force and give them the skills they need to accept jobs throughout the field," Hill said. Technology also has played a vital role in the evolution of the industry, said Suzanne Frazier, a Birmingham association board member. "Comparing then to now is like typing on an old Royal typewriter compared to using the latest software and computer programs available," Frazier said.

Staying current with client needs pays off.
Montgomery Advertiser Business Journal — October 27, 2002

Karen Reagan is not a newcomer to the Montgomery business community. She has more than 15 years of experience in the ownership and operation of Reagan Reporters LLC — a freelance court reporting service located here in the Capital City.

Nominated and selected for her "unique technical and business ideas," Reagan has learned that court reports are benefiting from the latest technology. By keeping abreast of the latest technology, she oversees the company's managing, marketing, and administrative departments, she said. Reagan has developed her legal expertise as a court reporter and service provider. She has learned medical malpractice and nursing home litigation. Reagan is familiar as well with environmental, construction and anti-trust issues. As owner and managing principal of Reagan Reporters LLC, Reagan oversees the firms' daily operations which include managing eight court reporters. According to Reagan, legal-technology has allowed court reporters to "broaden their product offerings and enter new settings that a few years ago we weren't in."

Managing Reagan Reporters LLC is only one of Reagan's venues of interest. She conducts speeches at institutions such as Prince Institute where she has served as a board advisor since 1990. She is a frequent speaker to attorney groups and legal associations on the implementation of today's technology in the legal marketplace. Reagan is also a member of the Alabama Court Reporters Association and presides as President on the association's executive board. Reagan said a couple of thoughts come to mind when mulling over the most critical economic development issues facing central Alabama. "Of greatest importance to me personally is continued support of our area's small business, as small business has the greatest impact and is the driving force behind our local area's economy," Reagan said. "With that in mind I'm so very proud of the synergistic approach of Alabama's different state agencies and our city government that are all responsible for bringing Hyundai Motor Co. to our tri-county area." Reagan said as a small business owner, she is anticipating the opportunity that will result from a $1 billion auto manufacturing plant in Montgomery.