Voices Behind the Record is our ongoing series spotlighting the professionals who make up our court reporting community. Each installment takes you inside the career, craft, and mindset of a court reporter who has not only mastered the technical demands of the job, but has also stayed curious, kept growing, and pushed the profession forward.
Tracy Thompson, RPR, CRR, RMR, RDR, CRC, CRI, has lived and breathed court reporting for nearly four decades. Since graduating in 1987, she has built an extraordinary career across state and federal courts, excelling as both an official reporter and a freelancer. Along the way, she has earned an impressive lineup of national certifications, each one denoting her as a professional at the top of her field.
What drew you to court reporting in the mid-1980s, and what do you remember about your first year on the job?
My oldest sister was attending X-ray training school when she came home one weekend and told me that one of her roommates was a court reporter. According to her, all you had to do was know how to type, and you could make a lot of money! I had taken every typing class my high school offered, so I looked at her and said, ‘That’s what I’ll do.’ And I did! Thank you, Lord, that I have loved it.
I started at Zigler’s School of Court Reporting in July 1986, when I was 17, and graduated in May 1987. I was terribly homesick. Every weekend I went home to see my family, and they weren’t sure I would go back. School was two hours from home; then my first job, on a temporary certificate at a courthouse in Kansas, took me five hours away. I remember crying on my first day because I was homesick all over again.
I moved through school quickly, but the instruction was almost entirely theory and speedbuilding. I knew very little about the actual job when I started. Two reporters at that courthouse taught me so much, and I will always be grateful. It took me years to understand all the things a new graduate should know. I think that experience planted the seed for my passion for teaching. I want students to be better prepared when they leave school than I was. Nearly 40 years later, I still think court reporting is one of the most rewarding careers a person can choose.
What did working as both an official reporter and a freelancer teach you?
Freelancing taught me to be adaptable. You walk into unfamiliar situations, work with different attorneys, and have to think on your feet. Working as an official reporter gives you a different perspective. You become part of the daily life of a courtroom and see firsthand how much everyone depends on an accurate record.
I worked in state court and spent 24 years as an official federal court reporter in the Western District of Oklahoma. I had the privilege of working with two phenomenal judges, one in state court and one in federal court. Judge Stephen Friot loved realtime and challenged my abilities every day. He depended on my realtime in the courtroom, and we made a great team. We respected each other. That experience has had a tremendous influence on how I teach working reporters and how I am building my school.
Judge Friot can remember all the trials we had together. Me? Not so much! What I remember most is the people. He had the same chambers staff for all 24 years he was on the bench, and we are still close. We went through weddings, deaths, grandchildren, and all sorts of life events together. That is a very special relationship, and I cherish it.
What motivated your certifications, and which was hardest or most rewarding?
When I was a new reporter, certifications seemed almost impossible. After passing my RPR, I thought, “Yikes! I don’t want to go through that pressure again.” Then I went to federal court and learned that passing the CRR could mean a 10 percent raise, with another raise for the RMR. Away I went! Money can be a big motivator for me. Over the years, I earned my RPR, RMR, CRR, RDR, CRC, and, most recently, my CRI in 2025. The CRR was the hardest for me because you cannot edit your work, and that pressure can really affect your nerves. The third time was the charm. I did not have the same trouble with my other tests, and at that time I had to pass all the legs of a skills exam together rather than one at a time.
Now I see how reporters can hold themselves back by not pursuing certifications. You never know when a credential might open the door to your next job. Testing also reminds me what our students and certification candidates go through. I tell reporters never to stop learning, and I try to practice what I preach. Once I set my mind to something, I intend to accomplish it.
What has changed most since 1987, and what has stayed the same?
Technology has changed tremendously. I certainly do not miss reading paper notes or typing transcripts on a typewriter or word processor! Realtime, modern software, remote proceedings, and captioning have created opportunities that were hard to imagine when I started.
What has not changed is the importance of the reporter's skill: accurate writing, grammar, punctuation, professionalism, and sound judgment. Your writing is the foundation of everything you do. The cleaner and more consistent it is, the more opportunities you have. I am excited about technology that helps reporters, but I am strongly opposed to replacing the human court reporter with AI to make the official record. The rights we have as American citizens deserve protection in our judicial system. To me, having a trained, accountable court reporter responsible for the record is an essential part of that protection.
What do you wish every reporter knew about realtime and captioning?
Realtime is not something you suddenly begin doing once you decide you are ready. You build it through consistent practice and better writing habits. It is not just about speed. It is about understanding your dictionary, resolving conflicts, and identifying the habits that keep your writing from translating cleanly.
That is a major focus of my work through LearnToRealtime. I want reporters to understand why something is not translating correctly and what they can do about it. If you want to pass the CRR or CRC, improving realtime accuracy is where you need to start. And the time to start is now, not when someone asks you to provide realtime. The better you write, the better everything gets in your life as a reporter, whether you are testing or working.
What made you step into teaching in 2020, and what surprised you?
Someone asked whether I knew anyone who could lead an A to Z introductory court reporting course. I said, “Well, I think I could do that.” When I stood in front of more than 100 people and began talking about court reporting, I realized two things: I knew a lot about this profession, and I loved sharing it! After that class, a teaching position opened at a satellite college. I applied and got the job.
Not long afterward, COVID hit and everything moved online. I later taught online at the College of Court Reporting. Teaching has given me a new spark. I love making the record, but I get just as excited when I help someone understand a difficult concept or fix one writing habit that has been holding them back. Sometimes all it takes is explaining something a different way. Teaching also makes me examine my own writing, grammar, and transcript preparation more closely. I never expected it to become such a big part of my life, but I cannot imagine not doing it now.
Where do students struggle most, and what skill is overlooked?
One of the biggest struggles is learning how to practice effectively. Putting in more hours does not automatically mean you will improve if you are reinforcing the same problems. I want students to recognize their weaknesses, understand their theory, and practice with a purpose.
Grammar, punctuation, and transcript preparation are also too easily overlooked. Passing a speed test is an enormous accomplishment, but it is only one part of being a reporter. You have to know what to do with everything you have written.
What should students expect in their first year of working?
The first year can be exciting and overwhelming. Suddenly, you are responsible for the record in real situations that do not always resemble classroom dictation. You have deadlines, procedures, attorneys, judges, and transcripts to manage. I want graduates to understand courtroom procedures, professional expectations, technology, and transcript production before they begin working. They will not know every answer on day one, and that is fine. They need to know how to ask questions, seek guidance, and keep learning. My goal is to narrow the gap between passing that final test and being ready to do the job.
Why build your own court reporting program?
The idea really came into focus after I spoke with a vo-tech school that was interested in starting a court reporting program. I loved their interest in the profession, but I also felt strongly that someone with intimate, practical knowledge of court reporting needed to be involved in designing and delivering that education. I left that conversation, called my husband, and said, “I think I need to start a school.”
After nearly four decades in the profession and several years of teaching, I wanted to do more to help prepare the next generation. That led me to establish the National Academy of Court Reporting. We plan to welcome our first students in January 2027, with both stenographic and voice-writing programs. I want our graduates to have not only the skills to pass tests but also the preparation and confidence to begin their careers.
What will you do differently—or keep doing—in how students learn?
We will emphasize theory, speed-building, technology, professional skills, and advanced transcript preparation. I want students to learn good realtime habits early, because building them from the beginning is so much easier than undoing years of bad habits.
Just as importantly, I want students to understand why they are doing something, not merely how to do it. They should be challenged, supported, and held accountable. I do not want to graduate students who can only pass a speed test. I want to graduate capable, professional reporters who know how to prepare a transcript and who will continue to grow.
What would you tell someone curious about court reporting?
Explore it! Court reporting takes dedication, discipline, and a great deal of practice, but it can be incredibly rewarding. There are different paths, including official reporting, freelancing, realtime services, and captioning. Learn about both stenographic reporting and voice writing, talk with working professionals, and find out what the training really involves.
Court reporting has provided a wonderful life for me and my family. I have earned a good living and been able to help support my family and children. I had no idea at 17 what that one conversation with my sister would make possible. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. You just need to be willing to learn and do the work.
Beyond certifications, what are you proudest of, and what advice would you give your 1987 self?
I am proud of the career I have built, but I am especially proud that I have not given up. Life can bring some very difficult situations, but you get up and start over with each new day God gives you.
I am also proud when a student passes a test, when a reporter earns a certification, or when someone tells me, “You have really helped me.” That warms my heart. I hope people remember not only what I taught them but that I genuinely cared about their success.
If I could talk to my 1987 self, I would tell her to keep learning, take opportunities, and get professional realtime training sooner! I took Peak Performance Realtime Training about six years before I retired, and I have said so many times, “If only I had done that sooner.” I now teach that training because I know what a difference it can make. The better we write, the better everything is in a reporter's life.
And I would tell that 1987 graduate that one day she would open her own court reporting school. I doubt she would believe me! It has been an incredible journey, and I am excited that there is another chapter ahead.
Do you know a court reporter whose story deserves to be told? Reach out to lisa.thomas@steno.com and let us know. We'd love to feature them in a future installment of Voices Behind the Record.