Official Court Reporter

Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine is seeking qualified applicants for Official Court Reporter. Official Court Reporters are responsible for the verbatim reporting of proceedings held before U.S. District Judges and Magistrate Judges and for the transcription of those proceedings upon request. Official Court Reporters are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Court and must comply with the requirements of the Judicial Conference of the United States and the Court Reporter Management Plan of this Court

• Attend and record verbatim court sessions for both civil and criminal proceedings; read back portions of court record as required
• Provide transcripts within the time and cost limitations set by the Judicial Conference; electronically file with the Clerk of Court a copy of all transcripts prepared concurrently with delivery to the requesting parties. Fees for transcripts sold to private parties are established by Judicial Conference and are retained by the Official Court Reporter.
• Provide transcripts and/or Realtime feed to the court upon request, without charge.
• Perform such administrative duties as required, such as billing for transcripts, financial and other record keeping, preparation and filing of required Administrative Office reports, and responding to official correspondence and telephone calls
• Maintain and safeguard records until they are disposed of according to statutory requirement and Judicial Conference policy
• Adhere to requirements of The Guide to Judiciary Policy, Volume VI, as well as the court’s local Court Reporter Management Plan
• Provide and maintain own court compatible equipment and supplies necessary to produce Realtime computer-aided transcription, including all necessary software, paper, and electronic storage media
• Perform other duties as assigned

Applicant must possess at least one year of court reporting experience in the freelance field of service or in other courts or a combination thereof and have qualified by testing for listing on the registry of professional reporters of the National Court Reporters Association or passed an equivalent qualifying examination. Realtime certification is highly desirable.

Applicant also must possess excellent organizational skills to permit the production of transcripts within strict time limitations, work well under pressure, and be willing to work as part of a team of reporters under the direction of the Clerk of Court in fulfilling the needs of all judicial officers of the court. Applicant must possess excellent communication skills, tact, judgment, poise, and initiative, and always maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.

The U.S. District Court offers a generous benefits package to permanent employees, which includes:

• Paid Vacation (part-time pro-rated based on hours worked)
• Paid Sick Leave (part-time pro-rated based on hours work)
• Medical Insurance (part-time premium pro-rated based on hours worked)
• Optional – Dental and Vision Coverage
• Optional - Life Insurance
• Thrift Savings Plan with matching funds (401k & Roth 401k style)
• Participation in Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS-FRAE) (premium pro-rated based on hours worked)
• Health and Dependent Care Reimbursement Programs
• Public Transit Subsidy Program
• Employee Assistance Program, which provides free counseling, financial assistance, and basic legal services to all eligible employees
• Time in service as employees of other federal agencies, as well as those with prior military service, will be taken into consideration when computing leave accrual and retirement benefits.

Representative Duties:

• Attend and record verbatim court sessions for both civil and criminal proceedings; read back portions of court record as required
• Provide transcripts within the time and cost limitations set by the Judicial Conference; electronically file with the Clerk of Court a copy of all transcripts prepared concurrently with delivery to the requesting parties. Fees for transcripts sold to private parties are established by Judicial Conference and are retained by the Official Court Reporter.
• Provide transcripts and/or Realtime…