Shortage of court reporters impacting the Texas Panhandle

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - A shortage of court reporters in Texas is impacting cases in Amarillo.

A court reporter plays a vital role in the judicial system. In most cases, it’s illegal to proceed without one present, sometimes causing a delay.

A city once bustling with five court reporting firms now only operates with two firms and a handful of court reporters.

Janice Hoelting, a certified freelance shorthand court reporter for 40 years and the firm owner at Texas Panhandle Court Reporters for 20 years, shares her understanding of the court reporter shortage in the Panhandle.

The national average of court reporter is 55, and in Amarillo about 90% of court reporters are over 50.

“It’s been very sad to see because when I passed my test, the market was kind of flooded. I was crossing my fingers to get a job,” said Hoelting.

Hoelting says she greatly attributes the shortage in this profession to lack of exposure.

Texas has less than 10 schools that offer court reporter courses, and on top of that, it’s one of the hardest tests to pass in the country. Reporters have to pass a written and oral exam hitting a standard of 225 words per minute. This is typically where many can’t pass.

“And then as the years have gone by, it’s just dropping. It’s been on a decline,” said Hoelting.

Hoelting hopes to see the younger generation interested in this profession, and says it can be challenging at times, but is overall rewarding.

The following schools offer in-person and online courses to become a certified Texas court reporter.

• Arlington Career Institute
• Del Mar College
• El Paso Community College
• Lamar State College Orange
• Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting
• San Antonio College
• Trinity Valley Community College
• University of Houston- Downtown
• Vernon College