The stenographic reporter’s transcript is an important document before, during, and after a trial. The transcript is used for trial preparation, briefs, impeachment purposes, and, of course, for appellate review. Property, freedom, and life all can depend on a clear and accurate record. Many cases lost in trial courts are subsequently won on appeal because the record was carefully made in the trial court. Making the Record provides numerous reminders and tips to help you make a clear record. Many of them are common sense, but they are precisely the kinds of things that often are overlooked or forgotten during a trial or a deposition. We hope this booklet will help you remember to take the greatest care in making the record.

The first edition of Making the Record was published by the National Court Reporters Association in 1937. The booklet has undergone many revisions since it first appeared, and hundreds of thousands of copies have been distributed over the years to attorneys, law students, judges, educators, and others who have an interest in the orderly resolution of disputes and the cause of justice. Its purpose was and remains to help the bench and bar better understand the factors that help make a clear record.

Copyright ©1998 Revised July 2022.