Nationwide, NCRA members are beginning to share what they plan to do to celebrate 2019 Court Reporting & Captioning Week Feb. 9-16. From securing official proclamations to hosting Veterans History Project events to participating in career fairs, the activity that will mark the seventh year of this national, week-long event is expected to top that of previous years.
“Court Reporting & Captioning Week is one of my favorite celebrations of our profession. It provides a wonderful opportunity for us to unite across the nation and let us showcase together not only the importance of what we do but also the aspects that make careers in court reporting and captioning so rewarding. Our stories are compelling and need to be shared with the public,” said Cindy L. Isaacsen, RPR, an official court reporter from Shawnee, Kan., and an NCRA Director.
“Whether in the courtroom, the deposition room, the boardroom, the broadcast arena, or in providing access to important information to the deaf and hard of hearing community, the services we provide are vital to those who we serve,” added Isaacsen, who tied for first place in the 2018 National Committee of State Associations (NCSA) Challenge that recognizes members’ commitments to celebrating.
The NCSA State Challenge is a friendly contest among state associations and individual NCRA members to spread the word about the benefits of a career in court reporting or captioning. The 2019 NCSA State Challenge marks the fifth year the gauntlet has been thrown down. Winners will receive a variety of prizes ranging from complimentary NCRA event registrations to vouchers for continuing education.
This year, NCRA has issued its own challenge as well that calls on all state affiliates to help celebrate this year’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week by securing an official proclamation recognizing the week by their state governor or a state lawmaker. States that submit a copy of their official state proclamation to pr@ncra.org will be entered into a drawing to win one free 2019 Convention & Expo registration.
A downloadable sample proclamation is available on NCRA’s Court Reporting & Captioning resource page.
Below is a sneak peak of how some state associations are planning to celebrate the week:
The Illinois Court Reporters Association has already submitted its request to the state’s governor for an official proclamation recognizing 2019 Court Reporting & Captioning Week. For more information, visit ilcra.org.
The Iowa Court Reporters Association also has its proclamation set up with the governor in that state and expects to have an official presentation the week before the 2019 Court Reporting & Captioning Week. For more information, visit icra.org.
Members of the Mississippi Court Reporters Association plan to head to the state capitol on Feb. 12 to meet with lawmakers and showcase their skills as well as discuss some of the challenges the court reporting and captioning professions face. For more information, visit mscra.com.
The New York State Court Reporters Association (NYSCRA) is hosting Bagels, Lox & Camaraderie, its first ever all kosher event to celebrate the week. NYSCRA President Nancy Silberger, an official court reporter from Lynbrook, N.Y., said the event is important for the association and for its Sabbath observer members who are usually unable to attend such events. The event is being held at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. Those interested in attending can learn more or RSVP at nyscra.org.
In Rochester, N.Y., NCRA members will host a happy hour with the legal community on Feb. 13, from 5 – 7 p.m. at TRATA. The networking event brings together official and freelance reporters, students, judges, lawyers and the law enforcement community to celebrate the court reporting and captioning professions. For more information, contact NCRA Director Meredith Bonn, RPR, at mereditha.bonn@gmail.com.
The Texas Court Reporters Association will hold its Court Reporter at the Capitol Day on Feb. 12. During the week, members will also be sporting “Ask Me About Court Reporting” T-shirts and posting on social media. For more information, visit tcra.com.
For additional resources, visit NCRA’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week resources page at NCRA.org/home/events. No matter how you celebrate 2019 Court Reporting & Captioning Week, be sure to share your stories and photos with NCRA’s Communications Team at pr@ncra.org.
