Details
 

09/16/2026

Position Available: Official Court Reporter

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
September 16, 2026
Vacancy Announcement Number - 26-13

Official Court Reporter - Certified Realtime Reporter -Temporary 1 year 1 day appointment*
* Temporary with continued employment contingent upon successful completion of the realtime certification requirement
within two years of initial hire date.
Duty Station – Cincinnati Courthouse – 100 East Fifth Street – one vacancy

Salary & Appointment Level: Dependent upon qualifications and experience
Level 2 - $104,396 (RMR);
Level 3 - $109,368 (CRR);
Level 4 - $114,339 (CRR & RMR);
**Level 5 - $119,311 (current Federal Judiciary Court Reporters hired before 10/11/2009 only)
Plus, Authorized Transcript Fees
Appointment Level 3 has future promotion potential to Level 4 without further advertisement

Open until filled with first preference given to complete applicant packets received by:  Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

*IMPORTANT NOTE:* All candidates that previously applied for position (26-09) do not need to reapply, your application will be reconsidered for this position.

Qualified applicants must submit an applicant packet which includes: a letter of interest, a current/detailed resume, an Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment - Form AO 78 (5/24), available on the court website, and a copy of the merit certificate and realtime certificate. The Continuing Education Transcript Report is not an accepted substitution for copies of the certificates of merit and realtime. The optional background information, page 5 of the Application, is not required

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is seeking applicants for an Official Court Reporter – Certified Realtime Reporter position. Official Court Reporters report directly to the Case Management Supervisor. Official Court Reporters serve the Court en banc and work as part of a pool to serve the judges of the Court. Official Court Reporters must adhere to the requirements of the Judicial Conference of the United States, and the District’s Court Reporting Management Plan. This position involves attending and recording verbatim reporting of proceedings, completing  recordkeeping forms, documenting the information contained in reports, as well as maintaining and safeguarding records until their disposition according to the statutory requirements and Judicial Conference policy. Work hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or
at any time outside normal working hours as determined by the Court as stated in the Court Reporting Management Plan for the District.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO:
The Southern District of Ohio covers a broad geographic area encompassing forty-eight urban and rural counties from an imaginary line just north of Columbus south to the Ohio River. The District is comprised of over 260 individuals including twenty-five Judicial Officers, Chambers Staff, the Clerk’s Office staff, the U.S. Probation Office’s staff and U.S. Pretrial Services Office’s staff; located in the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton Courthouses.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Technical and functional support duties will include: • Attending and recording verbatim reporting of in-person court sessions, remote hearings and conferences, and other proceedings held before the U.S. District Judges and Magistrate Judges and for the transcription of those proceedings upon request. • Ability to read back all or any portions of the court record, to perform well under pressure, to produce transcripts within strict time limitations, and to work as part of a team of reporters for the Judges of the Court. • Knowledge, skill and ability to produce accurate, simultaneous realtime transcription utilizing computer-aided translation. • Familiarity with and adherence to all requirements of the Court Reporter Management Plan for the District. • Determine billing in formats which comply with the Judicial Conference requirements. • Delivering prepared official transcripts by the appropriate means. • Certifying and filing the original transcripts with the Clerk of Court. • Maintain accurate and legible records which are subject to audits. • Preparation and timely filing of all Administrative Office reports. • Responding timely to official correspondence. Compliance with all administrative duties assigned by his or her manager and the Court. • Responsible for providing and maintaining his or her own court compatible equipment and software, e.g. computer, a display writer, cables, realtime software. • Occasional travel within the District to cover court proceedings at other divisional offices within the District.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered for this position:
• Must be certified as having passed the National Court Reporters Association’s Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) examination, or successful completion of an equivalent examination within two years of appointment. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications in order to be considered for the position. • Candidate must possess at least one year of court reporting experience as a freelance reporter or as an official reporter, or a combination thereof, and must have passed the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) Examination administered by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or passed an equivalent qualifying examination such as the Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) Examination administered by NCRA, USCRA or DRA. • Skilled in the use of Computer-Aided Transcription (CAT). • Applicants must be capable of providing realtime reporting and will be expected to provide transcripts and/or realtime feed for Judges upon request, without charge. • Preference will be given to applicants holding a Certificate of Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) from the NCRA. • High school graduate or equivalent. The successful applicant must have excellent communication, writing and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work
with others and learn new technologies. The incumbent must be able to multitask, be highly self-motivated and proactive, and possess tact and good judgment. The ability to maintain confidentiality is essential.

• To qualify for Level 2 – Must have successfully completed the Certificate of Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) from the NCRA.
• To qualify for Level 3 – Must have successfully completed the Certified Realtime Reporter exam offered by the NCRA or an equivalent exam.
• To qualify for Level 4 – Must possess a Registered Merit Reporter Certificate from the NCRA in addition to the requirement of Level 3.
• To qualify for Level 5* – Federal Judiciary Court Reporters hired before and continuously employed since
10/11/2009, must have ten years of service in the federal courts in addition to the requirement of Level 4.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: The successful candidate has experience in most of the following software applications currently utilized by the Court: Microsoft Office (Word & Excel), Adobe Acrobat, and Internet Explorer/Mozilla Firefox.

Benefits:  Please review the extensive federal benefits on the U.S. Courts website: https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits

Conditions of Employment:  Temporary appointment with continued employment contingent upon successful completion of the realtime certification requirement within two years of initial hire date.

A commitment to public service is essential. Visit the U.S. Courts website for citizenship requirements: www.uscourts.gov.

Positions with the United States Courts are considered “at will” and are not subject to the employment regulations of competitive service. Positions in the Federal Judiciary are excepted service appointments, are considered “at will” and can be terminated with or without cause.

The applicant selected will be subject to an FBI background check as well as the T5/Tier 5 Top Secret Classified National Security background check and continued employment is contingent upon favorable suitability determinations. Negative findings from background checks may result in termination of employment.

Employees are subject to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.

All information provided by applicants is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission(s) of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.

The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.

How to apply:
Qualified applicants must submit an applicant packet which includes: a letter of interest, a current/detailed resume, an Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment - Form AO 78 (5/24), available on the court website, and a copy of the merit certificate and realtime certificate. The Continuing Education Transcript Report is not an accepted substitution for copies of the certificates of merit and realtime.

If you fail to provide these documents, your application package will be considered incomplete and will not be considered any further.

Qualified applicants should upload their documents using our HR Employment Application System located at:
HR Employment Application System

Note: This system will not let you continue without uploading all documents.
Travel and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.

The U.S. District Court reserves the right to amend or withdraw any announcement without written notice to applicants. The District reserves the right to conduct interviews at any time prior to or after the closing date for receipt of applications. Only applicants selected to receive an interview will be notified by phone or e-mail. In the event a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, the Clerk of Court may elect to select the next top-rated candidate from those who applied for the initial announcement without re-posting the position. This job announcement may involve filling more than one position described herein.

Reasonable Accommodations:
Consistent with the Judicial Conference of the United States policy, the practice of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is to give due consideration of a reasonable accommodation requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Values Diversity in the Workplace.

Printer-Friendly Version