By Darlene Devlin
Empowered and United: Guardians of the record from across the country come together to advocate for accuracy and integrity in the judicial system.
From February 2-4, court reporters and captioners gathered at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria Old Town for the NCRA’s 2025 Leadership and Legislative Boot Camp. Participants were fully engaged in two action-packed days featuring presentations and expert-led panels on politics and lobbying techniques, alongside interactive roleplay activities that brought the concepts to life.
The two days of intense training culminated in a powerful and significant day on Capitol Hill, advocating for legislation to establish a task force dedicated to implementing safeguards for the use of emerging AI technology in the judicial system.’
Day 1
Boot Camp began early on Sunday morning after a tasty breakfast at 7 with opening remarks by NCRA President Keith Lemons, FAPR, RPR, CRR. We were then joined by Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, who proclaimed, “February 1st through 8th of 2025 as Court Reporting and Captioning Week in the City of Alexandria, Virginia, celebrating the commitment to excellence of court reporters and professional captioners…”
After the mayor’s enthusiastic leadoff, educational meetings were underway. First up, the goals for the Boot Camp were outlined by a panel comprised of NCRA Executive Director Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC; NCRA President-Elect Cindy Isaacsen, RPR; and NCRA Board Member Carol Naughton, RDR.
Isaacsen has been able to utilize the confidence these sessions have given her to lobby in her home state of Kansas, citing a guiding principle that she learned from her eight boot camps, “if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”
Cindy’s concern with AI technology is how it will be used in the context of providing transcripts in court proceedings and the impact it could have on the public.
“We have to have parameters in place to keep our families, our litigants, our participants in the criminal justice system — we have to keep their rights at the forefront,” said Isaacsen.
Their engaging session not only concisely conveyed the accuracy, accountability, and security concerns associated with the use of AI as it relates to the production of transcripts in the courtrooms versus that of a live stenographer, but also provided attendees with a plethora of resources and research. Some of this insightful information is available on the NCRA’s Advocacy web page .
Next up was Politics 101: an overview of the political scene and the structure of Congress and their staff, presented Wenhold. His overriding message was the importance of being involved in the process, expressing the sentiment that, “You are either at the table or on the menu.”
To drive this point home, NCRA invited Elliot Harding, Esq., to the stage where he laid out guidelines for crafting a dynamic message while lobbying.
“Our judiciary system is the bedrock of all justice in the United States, and we’d like to think we are at the forefront of justice when it comes to the world,” said Harding in an interview after his remarks. “So without your organization and court reporters and initiatives that help advance your causes, we will start to see these slippery slopes that erode the fairness of justice that we take so much pride in.”
Capping off Boot Camp’s first day was a legislative update from NCRA’s State Government Relations Manager Colin Brehm, followed by a thoughtful panel of experts who covered political fundraising, PAC management, advocacy organization, and mobilization.
Yint Hmu, grassroots organizer, and Hanna Pelletier political action fundraiser provided their expertise to as Boot Camp attendees prepared for their day on Capitol Hill.
Finally, attendees began to put their new knowledge and skills to work. Boot campers split up into small groups to practice lobbying and testifying before a mock Congressional committee, which was on the agenda for day two. Groups were comprised of a cross-section of professionals from different parts of the field and from different states. Many of the newly formed groups discussed their roles and strategy for the next day over dinner.
Day 2
Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon L. Taylor delivered they keynote address that kicked off day two of Boot Camp. She discussed relevant topics including the emergence of AI in the legal system and the enduring importance of judicial integrity.
As the groups sat together to prepare for their presentations, a surprise guest was spotted in the hotel atrium. Senator Tim Kaine was at the hotel for a different speaking engagement. He took the time to speak to us, graciously answering and asking questions, and posing for photos with many of those who were present. Hey, this is DC, you never know who you will run into!
The mock meetings and committee hearings are the part of the conference that take many into unfamiliar territory. ’ Massachusetts Court Reporters Association President and 39-year seasoned reporter Cathy Zelinski, RDR, doubted herself before her first mock meeting, but found confidence thanks to her team. “From a team building perspective, Boot Camp elevated that,” said Zelinski.
The mock lobbying sessions and committee testimony simulations were competitive and tested the attendees’ ’knowledge of the subject matter, raising the focus and energy of the entire conference. Teams were broken up with names according to the military alphabet, with Team Alpha winning the prize basket.
Day 3
The third day began enthusiastically as the bus departed for Capitol Hill at 7:30 a.m.
NCRA Board Member Margary Rogers, RPR, CRI, summed up the collective feeling of the group: “Not only do you now have the tools, but you also have the confidence.” The excitement was palpable during the short bus ride.
As the bus approached our nation’s capital, there was an electrifying energy that seemed to charge our Boot Camp lobbyists with an exhilarating anticipation. This was it, the big day! This is the day where everyone would flex their newfound self-assuredness and lobbying abilities.
Denee Vadell, RPR, a/k/a @StenoFluencer and President-Elect for the New York Court Reporters Association, felt prepared for the Hill and said that even though the role-play training may have pushed her out of her comfort zone, it allowed her to “speak more eloquently while participating in meetings with staff members in Congress.”
After a group photo in front of the U.S. Capitol, Boot Camp groups fanned out across the Capitol complex for more than 100 meetings to lobby support for the Research and Oversight of Potential AI in Courts Act of 2025.
It’s incredibly exhilarating to bring an issue close to your heart into the offices of our elected officials and have your voice genuinely heard. Being actively involved in our democratic process by lobbying Congress and observing firsthand how our system operates is an experience every American should have at least once in their lifetime.
After a long day and many steps taken around the capital, the group reconvened at a popular Capitol Hill restaurant for a fun debriefing session where the room was filled with positive feedback from our boot camp lobbyists.
This was my second year attending the NCRA’s Leadership and Legislative Boot Camp. As the vice president of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Judiciary Local 330 on Long Island, delegate for the Long Island Federation of Labor, NY AFL-CIO, and for AFSCME, as well as a board member of the New York State Court Reporters Association, I have used the advocacy techniques I learned in my first boot camp successfully, and now this year I’ve sharpened and developed those abilities further. I will go forward as a stronger advocate for the people I represent back home after having this experience, but that’s not the only reason why I’ll come back and do this again.
It’s incredibly exhilarating to bring an issue close to your heart into the offices of our elected officials and have your voice genuinely heard. Being actively involved in our democratic process by lobbying Congress and observing firsthand how our system operates is an experience every American should have at least once in their lifetime.
As an NCRA member, you can make an impact by joining Boot Camp next year. You’ll learn, engage, and collaborate with passionate, like-minded professionals who are driving change while participating in civic activities right at the heart of our capital.
You can also raise your voices now by reaching out to your representatives in Congress and urge them to support our proposed legislation. With your support, we can bring this crucial legislation to the floor and turn it into law, because when we fight together, we win!
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