NCRA’s Professional Development Department has announced that The Fundamentals of Court Reporting, 7th Edition , one of the most accepted authoritative textbooks that is used in court reporting programs across the nation, is now available for purchase. Previously known as The Complete Court Reporter’s Handbook and Guide for Realtime Writers, NCRA purchased the rights to the book in 2023. The 7th edition and accompanying Instructor’s Manual have both been updated to reflect the most current information and trends in the court reporting profession.
According to the book’s introduction, the aim of the book is to guide students in developing a deep appreciation for, understanding of, and mastery in the art of court reporting while also fully honing their writing speed skills.
The more than 400-page book is broken down into nine sections with chapters covering an array of topics ranging from who the court reporter is to common jargon in criminal and civil trials, as well as the basics of a deposition i.e. setup, final transcript and more. Other sections cover freelance court reporting, technology, and alternative careers in the stenographic court reporting field.
The book features exercises at the end of each of its 36 chapters as well as exercises that also include legal and medical terminology in preparation for the RPR WKT exam. A sneak peek at the newly revised table of contents can be found here. The Instructor’s Manual includes activities, projects, and answers to the exercises in the textbook.
The lead contributors to the newly updated book were NCRA members Lynette R. Eggers, CPC, CRI, CPE, Associate Director at Plaza College, in Queens, N.Y.; and Leah M. Elkins, CRI, Instructor/Advisor at Gadsden State Community College, Ala., who together have more than 70 years of combined experience in the profession. Other contributors are also acknowledged in the book itself.
“Court reporting has a long history that has embraced change despite life-altering moments that can be unexpected such as the pandemic lockdown,” said Eggers. “The world of court reporting was about to change. Like all great textbooks, the handbook needed to be updated. And so the new book, not only continues with the foundations of court reporting, but also embraces the changes in the field,” she added.
According to Elkins, one of the main focuses of updating the material contained in the book was to remove outdated information on technology and the methodology of the court reporter’s work which she expects to be the biggest takeaway from the updated version.
“As the national credentialing organization for stenographic court reporters and captioners, it is a priority of NCRA to ensure that the most up-to-date materials are available to students seeking to expand their education and skill levels,” said NCRA Senior Director of Education and Certification Cynthia R. Bruce, M.S. Ed. “This new edition of The Fundamentals of Court Reporting is just one example of how your Association’s Professional Development Department strives to meet that priority. Please feel free to contact me at cbruce@ncra.org if you have any suggestions on other educational materials you recommend be updated,” she added.
The Fundamentals of Court Reporting, 7th Edition, and accompanying Instructor’s Manual can be ordered through NCRA’s Learning Center. The cost of the book is $124.99 for members and $137.50 for nonmembers. There is also a special bundle price of $150 for members and $170 for nonmembers to order the books together. NCRA members should use the code CRT5 to receive a 5 percent discount.
