I was shocked by the line in the article that mentioned years, plural, of schooling to become a stenographer.
Apparently, although many states do not require a license to be a court reporter, if you want professional licensure, you need an associate's degree. As far as I can find, it's 60 credit-hours of legal jargon, "phonetic theory", and practice typing.
Two years of school in order to become a stenographer. Jeez.