United States Courts is hiring: Official Court Reporter in Beaumont

Overview of the Position

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is a public service organization focused on providing exceptional customer service to the court, members of the legal community, and the general public. Currently, we are seeking an innovative and experienced individual to serve as an Official Court Reporter for the U.S. District Court. There are seven offices within the Eastern District of Texas: Beaumont, Lufkin, Marshall, Plano, Sherman, Texarkana, and Tyler.

Official Court Reporters must be familiar with and adhere to all requirements of the Court Reporter Management Plan for the district. They work as part of a team of reporters on a regular tour of duty that requires their presence in the courthouse during core working hours of a minimum of 80 hours per period. Extended court hours and occasional travel to cover court proceedings at other divisional offices within the district are occasionally required. Duties include:

• Attend proceedings held before judicial officers in court and in chambers and provide verbatim reporting utilizing own equipment, which must be compatible with the court’s equipment. Knowledge, skill, and ability to read back the court record, produce accurate simultaneous transcription utilizing computer-aided translation, and perform well under pressure.
• Produce transcription of proceedings upon request, within strict time limitations, and in compliance with the Judicial Conference’s billing and transcript format requirements. Deliver or mail official transcripts prepared and file with the Clerk of Court original records and a copy of transcripts prepared.
• Respond timely to official correspondence and comply with other administrative duties required of official court reporters. Maintain accurate and legible records that are subject to audits and prepare and file all reports required by the Administrative Office.

Qualifications

Required minimum qualifications for level 1: Candidate must possess at least four years of prime court reporting experience in the freelance field of service or in other courts, or a combination thereof; must have passed the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) Examination administered by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or passed an equivalent qualifying examination.

For pay levels above level 1, the candidate must meet qualifications for level 1 and the following:

Level 2: Must possess a Registered Merit Reporter Certificate from the NCRA.

Level 3: Must have successfully completed the Certified Realtime Reporter exam offered by the NCRA or an equivalent exam.

Level 4: Must (1) possess a Registered Merit Reporter Certificate from the NCRA and (2) have successfully completed the Certified Realtime Reporter exam offered by the NCRA or equivalent exam.

Realtime certification is preferred; however, candidates capable of providing simultaneous reporting who are actively working toward Realtime certification will also be considered.

Employee Benefits

The U.S. District Court falls within the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government. Judiciary employees serve under “Excepted Appointment” and are considered “at-will” employees. As such, employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employee with or without cause. Federal Civil Service classifications/regulations do not apply; however, court employees are entitled to similar benefits as other federal employees. These benefits include participation in the Federal Employees’ Retirement System which contributes to the Social Security Retirement Program, the Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Program, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401k plan with employer matching contributions), paid holidays, and annual/sick leave accrual. See the U.S. Courts website for an overview of Federal Judiciary benefits.

Application Info

Qualified applicants should send a cover letter (including a narrative statement of your background), a Judicial Branch Federal Employment (AO 78) application with Optional Background Information (questions 19, 20, and 21 completed), and a resume. The cover letter should be addressed to:

Diana Velez, Human Resources Manager
William M. Steger Federal Building and United States Courthouse
211 West Ferguson Street, Room 106
Tyler, Texas 75702

An application form can be obtained on our web page at: http://www.txed.uscourts.gov. All documents should be submitted as a single pdf with the reference number (2025-5 Official Court Reporter) in the subject line via e-mail to: hr@txed.uscourts.gov.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be screened for qualifications, and only the most qualified applicants will be contacted and selected for a personal interview. Skill and knowledge testing may be administered to candidates who progress beyond the initial interview process. Expenses associated with interviews or relocation will not be reimbursed.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.