Field notes
From the people who make the record.
Notes on court reporting, depositions, and the craft of the transcript — written by working reporters, not marketers.
08 entries on the record
Eclipse vs. Case CATalyst: An Honest Breakdown for 2026
A neutral, factual comparison of Eclipse and Case CATalyst for 2026 — pricing, learning curve, format support, agency compatibility, and support — plus what both leave on the table.
Read field note →- What I Learned Running Technology at a Court Reporting Firm for 5 Years First-person lessons from modernizing a 45-year-old court reporting firm — what breaks in the field, what reporters ask for that no vendor has built, and shipping fast without losing decades of trust.
- Why Court Reporting Software Hasn't Changed in 20 Years (And What That Actually Costs You) The CAT software market has been a duopoly for decades. What's stagnated, what reporters work around daily, and why the problem is structural — not laziness.
- Realtime Court Reporting: Equipment, Setup & Getting Started in 2026 A getting-started guide to realtime court reporting in 2026 — the gear, the setup, prepping your dictionary, CART vs. deposition realtime, and why realtime pays a premium.
- How Much Do Court Reporters Make in 2026? Freelance vs. Official vs. CART Court reporter pay in 2026 — how freelance, official, and CART earnings compare, why per-page and realtime drive income, and the outlook amid the shortage.
- Switching CAT Software: A Reporter's Migration Checklist Thinking about switching CAT software? How to export your dictionary and briefs, preserve your job formats, and migrate without losing work or missing a deadline.
- What Is CAT Software? A Plain-English Guide for New Court Reporters CAT (computer-aided transcription) software explained simply — how steno becomes text, what your dictionary does, and what to look for in 2026.
- Court Reporter Per-Page Rates Explained: Originals, Copies & Expedites How court reporter per-page rates actually work — what counts as a page, originals vs. copies, and how expedites and realtime stack on top.