Court reporter Margaret Lawson has taken her expertise to the World Wide Web, and her new venture continues to amaze her.

With 25 years of experience in the exacting art of capturing perfectly the words of attorneys, judges, witnesses and others involved in legal matters, Lawson is good at her job. She decided to share what she knows with others who might want to become court reporters.

&uot;Court reporting is a good field and an interesting field to get into,&uot; she said. &uot;But there is a limited number of court reporters needed in any one community. Natchez has plenty.&uot;

So where would she find a class of eager participants wanting to learn from her? She thought of the Internet.

&uot;I didn’t know anything about computers. I’d typed on them, of course, but to me they were just glorified typewriters. I could get into the program to do my typing, and that was about it,&uot; she said. &uot;But I just got this notion that I’m going to start this school. So I found someone to do my Web site.&uot;

Lawson chose a Web master in Tennessee. She told him there was one catch if she chose him to design the site. &uot;I told him my deal was if he was going to do my Web site, he had to show me how to get on my school channel and how to use it.&uot;

The site was complete in 2001, thecourtreportingschool.com, and the hits began. &uot;The person who built my Web site came to my classes every day for six months to be sure I was all right,&uot; Lawson said.

She gained experience and confidence. &uot;I look back on it and think I had so little knowledge. How could I have been so gutsy?&uot;

Now she starts a new class every three months, keeping two classes going at the same time, one that is three months ahead of the other.

Classes are small, approximately six at a time. And students are from all over the country. &uot;Right now I have six. They have been from places like Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida and North Carolina.&uot;

Hurricane Charley wiped out an entire class of five students, she said. &uot;It was one of those unusual coincidences that all were from Florida that time, and I lost them all.&uot;

Successes have been impressive. One young man from Massachusetts completed the six-months course &uot;and went right out and got a job with a court in Boston.&uot;

Her students have rewarded her with praise, telling her of their experiences in breezing through the state court reporting tests leading to their licensing.

&uot;A student in Mississippi about a year ago was only one of 18 taking the test who passed the test. And she walked right into a job,&uot; Lawson said.

Her teaching methods are well organized. The Web site provides an overview of court reporting as an occupation and an explanation of how to register for the course.

&uot;I had a man from Australia e-mail me to say he didn’t want to take my course because he had a perfectly good job; but he liked my Web site so much he said if he ever did decide to become a court reporter, he would come to my class,&uot; Lawson said.

Most of her students are looking for better jobs than the ones they have now. Like Lawson, they work full time. &uot;So I have one class on Saturday morning and another either on Monday or Wednesday evening.&uot;

Some students pay for the entire course ahead of time; others pay monthly, she said. &uot;I’m not in it for the money, but it’s a good service I can provide.&uot;