When longtime court reporter Joyce Galla announced her retirement, Macon County's top jurist posted the job opening. Presiding Judge A.G. Webber IV braced for a hiring challenge — and he was right. Nearly two months later, not a single person has applied. So it goes for courtrooms in Illinois and across the country, as demand outstrips the number of people qualified to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other legal proceedings. In a 2014 report, the National Court Reporters Association said a combination of retirements and declining enrollment in training programs would lead to a critical shortfall of nearly 5,500 positions by this year. The average age of court reporters is.....MORE
