Bauer relishes career as record guardian

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One of Sherry Bauer’s proudest moments was clocking in at typing 260 words per minute, an impressive feat considering it takes only 225 words a minute to be a certified court reporter.

But, Bauer said, her work is about more than keeping up with the pace of courtroom conversation. For her, it’s the power of those words, not how fast she can type them, that makes her work meaningful.

“We’re the guardians of the record,” Bauer said.

And people rely on those records, even if they don’t always remember to request them on time.

“Say they have a trial next week, and they forgot they want this motion hearing,” Bauer said. “They’ll call me and say, ‘Can you get it to me by the end of the week?’ Sometimes it’s difficult and you work really hard at it. Other times, it’s easier.”

It’s as important to Bauer as offering a colleague a helping hand.

“If I see that (another reporter) is in a big, long jury trial, and I’m in my office because our divorce trial settled,” she said, “I will offer to take her jury trial day for her … I’m not the only reporter who does this. We all do this.”

Technology has made everything, including helping others, easier.

When Bauer started in 1986, she said, “Computers were just starting and the floppy [disk] was 8 inches square. We were typing on three-ply carbon paper. It was awful.”

Today, Bauer’s laptop connects directly to her stenography machine, not only making her work paperless, but also letting the judge follow along on his monitor.

It certainly saves time, but it also lets Bauer send a simple note, inject a little levity and ease the strain of an otherwise mentally and emotionally draining job.

“It makes a big difference,” she said.