San Francisco court launches paid internship program for court reporters

The San Francisco County Superior Court launched a paid internship program to address the shortage of certified shorthand reporters, providing another pathway for people to enter the field, Court Executive Officer Brandon E. Riley announced Monday.

"Our court reporter union members and management have worked creatively to find ways to bring in new talent through our courthouse doors," Riley said in a statement. He said other courts in California that are also experiencing chronic shortages of court reporters may replicate what San Francisco has done.

The court has already hired five students who excel in both machine and voice writing and have met other qualifications of the program. Two others are scheduled to begin in July.

A bill that would have allowed court reporters to become certified in California without taking state exams died in the Legislature earlier this year. At the time, San Francisco Superior Court Presiding Judge Anne-Christine Massullo and Riley said they had 15 vacancies for court reporters despite recruitment and retention incentives, including a $30,000 signing bonus.

"Although not a program requirement, we hope interns will want to continue their journey in the court reporting industry as an official court reporter in the San Francisco Superior Court," Riley said Monday.