OSU-OKC court reporting program, instructor recognized

OKLAHOMA CITY – The court reporting program at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City and its instructor both were recognized for excellence this summer.

Allison Hall, a veteran courthouse reporter, who teaches students in the OSU-OKC program, took honors in the National Speed Contest at the National Court Reporter Association’s 2021 conference July 29- Aug. 1 in Las Vegas.

Hall placed second in the Q&A category with a 99.57% and only six errors and fifth in the literary category with 99.27% and 8 errors.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education recognized OSU-OKC and the Supreme Court of Oklahoma as one of 27 business and higher education partnerships throughout the state as innovative collaborations that further the education of Oklahoma’s workforce.

The Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award is designed to highlight successful partnerships between higher education institutions and businesses and to further cultivate the higher learning environment through State Regents’ Economic Development Grants.

“The State Regents are proud to celebrate the impact of these partnerships on the workforce in our communities and the economic development of our state. Collaborations between businesses and our state system institutions advance Oklahoma’s efforts to build the skilled workforce required to compete in today’s global economy” said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson.

In summer 2019, Chief Justice Noma Gurich asked OSU-OKC to consider establishing a court-reporting program due to a critical shortage of court reporters, especially in the rural areas of Oklahoma. At the time, there were only two court reporting programs in Oklahoma.

With the support of Gurich and the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the OSU-OKC Training and Development Center had a program ready by spring 2020. Gurich was also instrumental in procuring grant funding for scholarships and equipment through the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.

The first cohort began classes in April 2020 and will graduate in October. As of June, OSU-OKC has three cohorts with more than 70 students enrolled. A fourth cohort will begin in fall 2021. Upon successful completion of the program, students will be eligible to take the Oklahoma Certified Shorthand Reporter exam.

The two-year program is rigorous, the instructor said.

“It’s like learning an instrument and a language at the same time,” Hall said. “It’s difficult, but it’s doable if you’re determined and disciplined enough. You’ve really got to put in the hours on the machine to master it.”

For more information, go to www.osuokc.edu/courtreporter.