Professional Standards & Ethics Flashcards

A court reporter receives a subpoena requesting the original stenographic notes from a completed case. The correct response is to:

Answer: Comply with the subpoena and produce the notes as required by law

A valid subpoena is a legal order; the reporter must comply and produce the requested materials.

Under professional standards, a court reporter who accepts a per-page fee arrangement where payment is contingent on a favorable verdict is committing:

Answer: A prohibited contingency fee arrangement

Contingency fee arrangements tie the reporter's compensation to case outcome, creating a prohibited conflict of interest.

An instructor teaching a court reporting program notices a student consistently struggling with punctuation in legal transcripts. The ethical instructional response is to:

Answer: Provide targeted remediation and document the student's progress

Ethical instruction requires honest feedback, targeted remediation, and documentation to support student development.

Which NCRA Code of Professional Ethics provision addresses a reporter's obligation to maintain the confidentiality of sealed proceedings?

Answer: The confidentiality provision

The confidentiality provision requires reporters to protect the contents of sealed or confidential proceedings from unauthorized disclosure.

A CRI instructor is asked by a student to certify completion of a practicum the student did not actually finish. The instructor should:

Answer: Refuse and explain the certification must reflect actual completion

Falsely certifying completion is fraudulent and violates academic and professional integrity standards.

When a reporter is asked by one attorney to withhold a transcript from opposing counsel, the reporter must:

Answer: Provide transcripts to all entitled parties regardless of one attorney's request

All parties with a legal entitlement to the transcript must receive it; a single attorney cannot direct its withholding.

A court reporter must recuse themselves from an assignment primarily when:

Answer: A personal, financial, or professional relationship could compromise impartiality

Recusal is required when any relationship or interest could reasonably affect the reporter's objectivity.