Supreme Court Rules

§ 1-204.  General qualifications.

   (A) An official reporter shall be competent in the making, preserving, transcribing, and delivery of a verbatim record of trial and other proceedings through the use of either pen or machine shorthand or the use of multi-track recorders supplemented by logging procedures.

   (B) One's professional competence to serve as an official reporter shall be demonstrated by having passed an examination conducted by such entities as the State Court Administrator may from time to time designate, which tests one's reporting skills and knowledge of spelling, grammar, and the reporting craft. The skills portion of the examination shall require the reporter, in the case of one using pen or machine shorthand, to report and transcribe, and in the case of one using a multi-track recorder to record and transcribe, each of three items of dictation consisting of (1) literary material, (2) jury instructions, and (3) two-voice testimony. Each dictation segment shall be of five minutes duration. In the case of one using pen or machine shorthand, the literary material must be reported at a rate of not less than 180 words per minute, the jury charge at not less than 200 words per minute, and the two-voice testimony at not less than 225 words per minute. All of the dictated material must be transcribed with 95 percent accuracy in a period of not more than three and one-half hours, during which time a dictionary may be used. In grading this portion of the test, a maximum of 45 errors is permitted on the literary material, a maximum of 50 errors is permitted on the jury charge, and a maximum of 57 errors is permitted on the two-voice testimony. The knowledge portion of the examination shall consist of not less than 100 written multiple-choice questions and must be passed with a score of not less than 70 percent in a period of time as determined by the examiner, but no more than 90 minutes per 100 questions. A dictionary may not be used during this portion of the examination.

   (C) No applicant for a position as an official reporter may hereafter be initially appointed or reappointed following the taking of office by a judge succeeding the judge making the initial appointment unless the applicant shall first have met the above testing requirements.

   (D) After employment, an official reporter may be required to undergo reexamination through testing substantially similar to that described in § 1-204(B) any time upon the request of the appointing judge, the Nebraska Court of Appeals, or the Nebraska Supreme Court. Failure to pass the reexamination shall constitute cause for the immediate discharge of the official reporter from employment.

Rule 4(B) amended February 23, 2006. Renumbered and codified as § 1-204, effective July 18, 2008.