AAERT CER Exam Prep: Master Core Competencies

After completing this lecture, you will be able to:

• Understand jurisdiction types and how courts handle cases based on subject matter and territory.

• Differentiate federal, state, local, and administrative courts and their roles.

• Explain statutory and common law with examples.

• Recognise differences between civil and criminal cases, including burdens of proof.

• Outline key stages of legal proceedings from filing to trial.

• Identify various legal processes like hearings, depositions, and examinations under oath.

• Understand discovery methods and their importance in cases.

• Distinguish between jury and bench trials and their decision-makers.

• Describe examination and voir dire procedures.

• Understand the deposition process and its components.

After completing this lecture, you will be able to:

• Understand jurisdiction types and how courts handle cases based on subject matter and territory.

• Differentiate federal, state, local, and administrative courts and their roles.

• Explain statutory and common law with examples.

• Recognise differences between civil and criminal cases, including burdens of proof.

• Outline key stages of legal proceedings from filing to trial.

• Identify various legal processes like hearings, depositions, and examinations under oath.

• Understand discovery methods and their importance in cases.

• Distinguish between jury and bench trials and their decision-makers.

• Describe examination and voir dire procedures.

• Understand the deposition process and its components.

After completing this lecture, you will be able to:

• Identify and select appropriate digital court reporting software and understand how software choice affects hardware requirements.

• Recognise essential hardware components—including laptops, audio interfaces, microphones, and backup recorders—and explain their roles within the digital court reporting system.

• Understand different types of microphones, their directional properties, and connection types relevant to court reporting.

• Configure and operate audio interfaces and mixers, including settings such as phantom power, gain control, and channel mapping.

• Evaluate minimum hardware requirements for high-quality, verbatim audio recording to ensure accurate legal transcripts.

• Set up, use, and troubleshoot digital court reporting equipment efficiently, ensuring professional standards in courtroom audio capture and documentation.

After completing this lecture, you will be able to:

• Identify and select appropriate digital court reporting software and understand how software choice affects hardware requirements.

• Recognise essential hardware components—including laptops, audio interfaces, microphones, and backup recorders—and explain their roles within the digital court reporting system.

• Understand different types of microphones, their directional properties, and connection types relevant to court reporting.

• Configure and operate audio interfaces and mixers, including settings such as phantom power, gain control, and channel mapping.

• Evaluate minimum hardware requirements for high-quality, verbatim audio recording to ensure accurate legal transcripts.

• Set up, use, and troubleshoot digital court reporting equipment efficiently, ensuring professional standards in courtroom audio capture and documentation.

After completing this lecture, you will be able to:

• Identify and select appropriate digital court reporting software and understand how software choice affects hardware requirements.

• Recognise essential hardware components—including laptops, audio interfaces, microphones, and backup recorders—and explain their roles within the digital court reporting system.

• Understand different types of microphones, their directional properties, and connection types relevant to court reporting.

• Configure and operate audio interfaces and mixers, including settings such as phantom power, gain control, and channel mapping.

• Evaluate minimum hardware requirements for high-quality, verbatim audio recording to ensure accurate legal transcripts.

• Set up, use, and troubleshoot digital court reporting equipment efficiently, ensuring professional standards in courtroom audio capture and documentation.

After completing this lecture, you will be able to:

• Evaluate a room’s layout, acoustics, and noise to determine optimal equipment and microphone placement.

• Identify the best power sources and cable routes while minimising trip hazards during setup.

• Systematically set up and break down digital court reporting equipment, ensuring all components are correctly connected and secured.

• Conduct thorough microphone checks and adjust audio levels to suit room acoustics and participant voices.

• Manage cables professionally using appropriate tools like gaffer tape for safety and neatness.

• Troubleshoot common hardware and software issues effectively by understanding the audio signal flow.

• Ensure safety protocols during equipment setup to protect participants and maintain a professional environment.