The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is a 21,000-member professional association that promotes excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text and is committed to supporting every member in achieving the highest level of professional expertise. NCRA is internationally recognized as being the premier educational and informational resource for its members and the public.
NCRA members, who include official and freelance court reporters, broadcast captioners, CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) providers, and Webcasters, are recognized by both the public and private sectors as ethical, well educated, highly respected, and technologically advanced professionals. Top students are attracted to the profession because of its reputation and opportunities.
What Do Court Reporters Do?
Court reporters are highly trained professionals who share a unique ability to convert the spoken word into information that can be read, searched and archived. This specialization has created new career paths for reporters, including broadcast captioning and realtime translation services for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Of note, more than 70 percent of the nation’s 50,000-plus court reporters work outside of the court.
Court reporters, also known as guardians of the record because of their impartiality and role within the judicial process, capture the words spoken by everyone during a court or deposition proceeding. Court reporters then prepare verbatim transcripts of proceedings. The official record or transcript helps safeguard the legal process. When litigants want to exercise their right to appeal, they will use the transcript to provide an accurate record of what transpired during their case. During the discovery phase, attorneys use deposition transcripts to prepare for trial. Some court reporters are also able to use their skills to provide realtime access to what is being said during a trial or deposition for the benefit of all involved parties. A court reporter providing realtime, which is the only proven method for immediate voice-to-text translation, allows attorneys and judges to have immediate access to the transcript, while also providing a way for deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans to participate in the judicial process.
NCRA Services and Programs
NCRA provides for its members testing and certification opportunities, educational programs, communications, government relations support, research and analysis, and fiscal responsibility. NCRA has also established ethical standards for the profession. Some of the NCRA services and programs include:
JCR: Journal for the Reporting and Captioning Profession
NCRA’s four-color, 132-page monthly magazine features stimulating articles to help reporters in their day-to-day work and to expand their knowledge and awareness of professional issues. Visit the Magazine.
Member Services and Information Center
NCRA offers its members a toll-free service for ordering books and tapes, registering for educational programs, inquiring about their membership status or Association programs, making suggestions, and so on. The Center’s staff is trained to handle most questions, reducing the need for transfers or call-backs. The Center averages more than 1,000 calls and e-mails per week.
Code of Ethics
The mandatory Code of Professional Ethics defines the ethical relationship the public, the Bench, and the Bar have a right to expect from an NCRA member. The Code sets out the conduct of members when dealing with users of reporting services and acquaints users and members with guidelines established for professional behavior. View the Code of Ethics.
Communities of Interest
NCRA Communities of Interest serve as a platform for different segments of the profession to collaborate, communicate, convene, and keep informed with professionals and students specializing in similar areas of interest. Visit the communities.
Professional Development Opportunities
NCRA supports continuing education and offers certification programs for even the most skilled reporter. The goal of all certification programs is to raise the level of competence and professionalism. For the individual practitioner, certification provides a specific road map of the knowledge and skills needed in order to meet minimum standards of qualification, as well as an independent validation of competence that reporters can use to distinguish themselves in the marketplace.
NCRA also offers educational conferences and seminars to ensure success in a competitive industry. Some of the programs include NCRA’s Annual Convention, Firm Owners Conference, Midyear Conference, Executive Conferences, and the Teachers’ Workshop. Also, there are new specialty seminars, such as the Professional Advancement Series, which address subjects identified as being of vital interest to court reporters.
NCRA’s Mission
NCRA promotes excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text and is committed to supporting every member in achieving the highest level of professional expertise.
National Court Reporters Foundation
NCRF is a separate Foundation that through charitable support plans programs, services and projects to promote research, technology, and education for the gathering, preservation and dissemination of the spoken word.
Organization
NCRA’s affairs are guided by a 14-person board of directors composed of volunteers elected by the membership at the NCRA Convention held in July or August each year. A professional staff of 35 persons, headed by an executive director, carries out the policies of the board and administers the association’s ongoing programs and projects.
For More Information
For more information about the reporting profession or about NCRA, call or write NCRA at 8224 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, Virginia 22182-3808; (703) 556-NCRA(6272), TDD (703) 556-6289; or visit our Web site at www.NCRAonline.org.