No one jumps for joy when they receive a call for Jury duty, but a recent visit to the courthouse as a member of the jury pool turned out to be very informative for one LERN staffer. Before the selection process began, the judge took a few minutes to address the pool of prospective jurors.
“I want to let you know,” he said, “that if any of you are looking for a good career opportunity, there is a serious shortage of court reporters, and if you want to find employment in a growing and lucrative field, I hope you will let me know. I can recommend some local programs that provide first-rate training.”
Judge as job recruiter and promoter of continuing education came as a surprise, but his announcement simply underscores the severity of the shortage of qualified court reporters. The shortage is not just a local one. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 14 percent growth in demand for court reporters through 2020, creating opportunities for educational institutions to offer training in this growing field. And, Community College Daily is reporting that 60 percent of Iowa’s court reporters are expected to retire in the next 10 years.
