Ethics/Professional Responsibility,
Administrative/Regulatory
Jul. 25, 2025
California's court reporter crisis: Why AB 3252 doesn't go far enough
California's court reporter shortage is leaving civil proceedings unrecorded and litigants without appeal rights, yet the state's new reform law ignores digital reporters who could help solve the crisis.
Jordan Silversmith
Jordan Silversmith is a legal consultant and writer focused on how law and technology shape the world we live in. A former litigation attorney at Baker & Hostetler LLP, he has advised Fortune 100 companies and tech startups on digital regulation, courtroom strategy and compliance. He holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was an editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law, and graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University. His writing ranges from legal analysis to essays on language, translation and digital culture.
California's courtrooms are in the grip of a mounting crisis. Court reporters, indispensable to the legal process, are retiring faster than they can be replaced. The resulting shortage has left vital proceedings undocumented and thus unremembered. The California legislature's recent passage of Assembly Bill 3252 was intended as a lifeline: a way to shore up the profession, enhance transparency and maintain the integrity of the official record. While the bill takes measured st...
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