A Look Inside | Permian Court Reporters & Court Reporting as a Profession
West Texas is well known for its oil and gas industry. But what if that isn’t your calling? And what if you missed your chance to go to college or you’re a high school student looking for an avenue for success other than a four-year degree?
You might not have heard of the necessary and growing industry of court reporting. Forbes named court reporting one of the best jobs that does not require a university degree. Data from the government states that the average court reporter salary is anywhere from 60-75K in Texas. Texas also has the fifth-highest employment of court reporters in the country.
Luckily for Midlandlers, a family-owned business, Permian Court Reporters, has teamed up with Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting to provide a unique opportunity for West Texans to enter into this line of work.
What is Court Reporting?
Court reporting focuses on creating exact transcriptions of the spoken word during legal proceedings. Court reporters sometimes work for states or governments but also can be employed with private firms such as Permian Court Reporters. Transcripts created by court reporters become the official record of legal proceedings and are used by judges and juries when making decisions on court cases. Subsection 52.021(f) of the Texas legal code states that all depositions conducted in this state must be recorded by a certified shorthand reporter. What this means is that this field of work is in constant demand.
Court reporters in Texas hold a certificate that is issued by the Judicial Branch of the Certification Commission. You must pass a proficiency exam in order to hold a court reporter certification, pass a background check, and have a high school diploma or GED. It will most likely take two years of coursework through the Mark Kislingbury program in order to gain a complete understanding of court reporting.
History of Permian Court Reporters
The history of Permian Court Reporters started several decades ago in a military courtroom. J.R. (Susan Lilly’s father) learned written shorthand while enlisted in the U.S. Army. Unfortunately, he did not continue working as a court reporter when he was discharged. Throughout most of his adult life, he regretted that decision, and in the early 1980s, he went back to school to learn the stenograph machine. As much as he tried, J.R. could not make the shift from written shorthand to machine shorthand and he went into a different industry.
However, during his stint of court reporting school, a dream was born in his daughter’s heart. In high school, she made an easy decision: she wanted to be a court reporter and “Live her Daddy’s dream”. Just because J.R. hadn’t been able to follow his passion, Susan knew she would walk in his footsteps. She trained, became certified, and began working in Houston in 1988.
In 1990, the Lancasters, who owned Permian in Midland at that time, offered her a job, allowing her to move back to her hometown. It was an easy decision for the Lilly couple to relocate back to West Texas. The Lancasters offered Joe a position as a videographer at Permian and Joe jumped at the chance to work alongside his wife Susan on a daily basis. The Lillys were now both involved in the court reporting industry.
After about a decade, the Lillys left Permian and started their own firm, Lilly Court Reporting Services. They worked with clients in New Mexico and Texas and built up their firm, eventually hiring other court reporters to keep up with demand. That was the turning point for the Lillys. They needed their own office space. Up until this point, they were working out of their home, with their sons helping where they could after school.
One thing led to another and the Lillys were able to purchase Permian Court Reporters, thereby getting the office space they needed. What had once been their place of employment was now their own. The 2012 closing date for the business happened to be the Lilly's wedding anniversary. They couldn’t have celebrated with a better gift to themselves.
Collaboration with Kislingbury Academy
In 2018, Susan and Joe’s son Brandon joined the family business. After attending business school at Texas Tech University and working in a different field for a while, he realized that his parents’ company was the right fit for him. Brandon understands that business is about relationships with employees, coworkers, and the community you build through your work. At Permian, the Lillys treat everyone in the office with respect and appreciation. The business expertise he gained at Texas Tech allowed Permian to operate more efficiently and adapt to new technology.
In addition to creating a state-of-the-art legal video department (one of only two firms in Texas that offer such services), Brandon knew that introducing a court reporting school in West Texas was the next step for success in the industry. In 2019 Brandon and Susan flew to Houston to meet with the Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting director. Mark Kislingbury and his director loved the idea of opening a school in Midland, and that year, the Lillys welcomed the first round of students into their office building.
The goal of this collaboration is simple: Train locals in the industry while exposing them to job opportunities upon graduation. If West Texans want to train under the Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting, they won’t have to move to Houston to do so; Mr. Kislingbury meets with students virtually. Most importantly, students, upon graduation, will be ready to enter the workforce confident in their abilities in this profession.
Future of Permian Court Reporters and Court Reporting in Texas
The Lillys are passionate about court reporting and changing the trajectory of the field. Permian Court Reporters holds themselves to a high standard and is working to train up new reporters who hold their same values. A court reporter must act beyond being a preserver of the record. Acting in a fast, friendly, and fair manner will secure the future of court reporting and will give everyone in the legal field a greater appreciation of the value of the reporter’s record.
If you’ve been looking for a new line of work, or you’re a high school graduate and not sure what career to enter, this is an amazing opportunity provided by Permian Court Reporters. You can train from their Midland offices for the entirety of the program, guarantee yourself a job, a thorough education on stenography, and work for a company that legitimately cares about their employees.
Permian Court Reporters
Location:
605 W Texas Ave.
Midland, TX 79701
Phone:
(432) 683-3032
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