For Immediate Release

Governor Bredesen Signs Law Governing Court Reporter Conduct in Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee, June 10, 2010 – With the signature of Governor Bredesen yesterday, Tennessee rejoins 28 other states in the U.S. in prohibiting court reporters from having ongoing financial relationships with the parties to the cases they report.  Back in 2000, Tennessee law first limited such activities by court reporters.  An amendment to the law last year inadvertently removed the restriction to financial contracts by a court reporter or reporting firm directly with a party in the lawsuit. 

The Tennessee Court Reporters Association (TCRA) introduced House Bill 3380 (SB 3059) this past session to restore the language.  With the help of Bill Cosponsors  Woodson, Beavers, Marrero and Berke in the Senate  and Sontany, Sargent and Matheny in the House of Representatives, a successful bipartisan effort  placed newer, more complete and succinct language back into the law, TCA 24-9-136.

“Court reporters must be impartial officers of the court,” said TCRA President Lisa Blake.  “Having a financial arrangement with a party to cover all their litigation needs creates in fact or appearance a bias on the part of the reporter.  The restored language to TCA 24-9-136 assures all parties to litigation in Tennessee an even playing field and an unbiased, neutral court reporter with no financial or personal conflicts of interest.  No one would want the judge in a case to be on the payroll of one party in a lawsuit.  Court reporters are also duty-bound to stay impartial, just like the judges or mediators in legal matters.  It’s really just common sense, and many people never realized these practices were taking place in Tennessee.”

 Depositions or other proceedings taken by a court reporter found to be prohibited under the new law could result in the transcript being rendered void.  Additionally, court reporters violating this section of the code would come under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Board of Court Reporting and their Code of Ethics and Rules of Conduct.    The TBCR was created under legislation last year and the license requirements for reporters begin July 1, 2010.

For a copy of the bill or more information, contact  Laurel Eiler, 615-244-3376, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

Sheryl Weatherford

TCRA President

We are starting a new era as Tennessee Court Reporters.  We are now entering a time where practicing the profession of court reporting requires a license.  As I begin my time as president of TCRA, I know there are reporters who have very mixed feelings about licensure.  I personally want to thank the board members and officers who have gone before me and worked so hard on legislation.  It’s been a thankless job, but please, hold your head up high.  Every one of you has done a tremendous job.

As TCRA moves forward, I want all of our members to remember that as we continue to be court reporters we need to strive to always be professional in all aspects of our job.  Staying on the leading edge of technology, attending conventions and supporting our profession are just a couple of examples I personally can think of to make our lives as court reporters even more worthwhile.   I hope as the year progresses TCRA proves to be a resource that helps all of the court reporters in Tennessee and the surrounding states to become better professional court reporters.  Thank you for your confidence.

Why I Can't Wait to Become a Court Reporter

By Serena White

I am now in my third semester at Southwest Community College in the Court Reporting Program. I can't believe how fast it is flying by and how far I have come.  When I first started the program it was so incomprehensible that I had to understand my theory through and through.  How could I learn something so foreign?  And now, it feels like my first language! It seemed inconceivable that you could actually write that theory on that little machine at 30 wpm.  And then, wow, I'm writing at 40 and then 60 with 80 and 100 being right around the corner.  The theory started to make sense and my fingers started to follow suit.  Every time I get a little faster or something becomes more automatic, it is just unbelievable.  The more I learn, the more I love it.  And what seemed so impossible now seems completely possible!

Court Reporting fills my thoughts all day.  It's hard to listen to the radio anymore without trying to write the songs in my head.  It's hard to listen to people speak anymore without writing what they are saying in my head, especially if a word comes out that I have never stroked.  Most nights I go to bed with my theory on my mind and then dream about briefs.

It is so hard to believe that I am almost halfway there.  I hear so many different stories of how long it took people to get done with school.  Some say it has taken several years and some say just a couple of years.  But I feel like this is becoming something natural and I know if I just keep practicing that I will be done in no time.

I can't wait to be a real court reporter.  I can't wait to drive to my first appointment.  I can't wait to swear in my first witnesses.  I can't wait to edit my first real transcript.  I can't wait for it to completely change my life!