The Office of the Court Reporters of Allegheny County functions as support staff to the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. The county's highly-qualified personnel take notes of court proceedings and produce verbatim transcripts of those proceedings. Upon request, reporters produce transcripts from audiotapes of Family Court proceedings and from videotapes of Civil Court proceedings.

Any individual interested in becoming a court reporter must complete a two-year course and receive an Associate's Degree in Specialized Business. Before applying to become an official court reporter, a new reporter must acquire two years of practical experience in the legal court-reporting field. As stated in Pennsylvania Rules of Court, he or she must have achieved a 95% accuracy level at the following speeds: “literary or jury charge at 180 w.p.m.; medical testimony (two voices) at 200 w.p.m.; and ordinary testimony of up to four voices at 225 w.p.m.”