The JCR Awards were conceived as a way to recognize and highlight the exemplary professionalism, community service, and business practices of NCRA members. We are looking for compelling stories that bring to life innovative, successful business strategies you have employed or have established to help overcome obstacles that have hindered your professional growth. In addition to nominations for several sub-categories, NCRA is looking for a firm and an individual who show excellence in more than one category for an overall “best of the year” award.
Any current NCRA member in good standing, with the exception of students, may be nominated for these awards. Court reporters, captioners, videographers, scopists, teachers and school administrators, and court reporting managers are all eligible for nomination. Self-nominations are accepted. Firms, courthouses, or court reporting programs may be nominated as a group as long as they meet the criteria for membership for one of the definitions below.
To nominate yourself or someone else, submit a written entry to the JCR between 300 and 1,000 words explaining the strategies you implemented and why they were successful. Ancillary materials, such as photos, may also be submitted with the nomination. Nominations will be considered by the JCR editorial team based on the best fact-based story. Please be prepared to offer documentation, verifiable sources, or other assistance as needed to be considered for these awards. The stories of the finalists will be published as featured articles in the March JCR.
Nominations are due by Oct. 31, 2015.
CATEGORIES FOR NOMINATION
Marketing and customer service: This category covers a new marketing, customer retention, or customer service program that shows exemplary professionalism and creates a positive image for the profession. Examples for this category would include a highly visible publicity program that promotes a court reporting, captioning, or videography company, or customer feedback on completion of a long-standing project.
Leadership and teambuilding: This category focuses on those who have created programs that encouraged others to build skills or work together to complete a project. Providing a TRAIN program for employees to better place a firm as a realtime leader or a court reporting program that aids students in creating connections within a broader court reporting and captioning community would be two examples.
Use of technology: This category can highlight innovative thinking by members who use technology to better market their skills or were able to effectively and efficiently use technology to create a better product for a client. For instance, an effective public relations plan using social media or the effective use of technology in the courthouse would fi t this category.
Community outreach: This category offers members the chance to show their philanthropic work.
Two examples include organizing a Veterans History Project Day or raising money for a charity.
Service in a nonlegal setting: This category offers NCRA members the chance to offer best practices for a nonlegal setting, whether remote CART, captioning, or another new initiative.
NOMINATIONS
Firm/company nominations: To nominate a firm or company for these awards, the firm or company must be owned by a current NCRA member or, if owned by more than one person, be owned at least 50 percent by an NCRA member. Any current NCRA member in good standing, with the exception of students, may be nominated for these awards. Self-nominations are accepted.
Courthouse nominations: To nominate a courtroom or courthouse for these awards, the courtroom or courthouse must employ a current NCRA member or, if nominating a courthouse employing more than five court reporters, at least two must be current NCRA members. Any current NCRA member in good standing, with the exception of students, may be nominated for these awards. Self-nominations are accepted.
Court reporting program nominations: To nominate a court reporting program for these awards, the court reporting program must employ at least one current NCRA member. If nominating a court reporting program for a student-led activity, a faculty advisor who is also an NCRA member may be nominated on behalf of the program. Self-nominations are accepted.
Individual nominations: To nominate an individual for these awards, the person must be a current NCRA member. Any current NCRA member in good standing, with the exception of students, may be nominated for these awards. Court reporters, captioners, videographers, scopists, teachers and school administrators, and court reporting managers are all eligible for nomination. Self-nominations are accepted.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Nominees must be NCRA members in good standing. 2. Nominees should have made a significant contribution to the program of personal time, but contributions of money, materials, or other resources will be considered by the judges as well. 3. Nominations will be judged on the level of personal contribution, impact of personal contribution, broadness of impact, and the project’s suitability as a role model for other members. 4. Some portion of the program must have taken place between Nov. 1, 2014, and Oct. 31, 2015, to be eligible for the award. 5. Nominees should be able to document the results of their program through published reports, testimonials, or other documentation from the organizations they served or the people they helped. 6. Nominations must be accompanied by a completed entry form to be considered. NCRA members may nominate themselves or may be nominated by another NCRA member.
JCR AWARD PROGRAM RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Nominees must be members in good standing of the National Court Reporters Association. NCRA members may nominate themselves or may be nominated by another NCRA member. To enter, complete the official entry form and submit it with attachments. The entry form is published in the September JCR and online through TheJCR.com. Entries can be mailed to: The Journal of Court Reporting, 12030 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 400, Reston, VA 20191
Entries may be submitted by fax at 703-391-0629 or by email to pr@ncra.org. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern time on Oct. 31. All entries shall become property of NCRA and will not be returned. The finalists’ nomination materials will be sent to a panel of judges for scoring. Judges will award points to finalists’ entries based on the level of personal contribution, impact of personal contribution, broadness of impact, and the project’s suitability as a model for other members. The judges’ decisions are final. The JCR and the judges reserve sole and final judgment as to all matters concerning the contest and interpretation of contest rules. Any entry and/or the subject matter of the entry, which in the sole discretion of the judges, may be construed to be in violation of any laws or rules will be disqualified. Nominees’ entry information will not be given to anyone outside of NCRA and the judges; judges will receive only the information necessary to evaluate the candidate. The staff of the JCR and the program sponsors will not take phone calls or release any information regarding the judges’ identities, judging process, or status of the entries. Finalists must sign an affidavit of eligibility and be willing to be interviewed, photographed, filmed, and featured in the JCR, the JCR Weekly, and TheJCR.com. By submitting an entry, entrants thereby represent and warrant that the submitted materials or information do not and shall not infringe on any copyright, any rights of privacy or publicity of any person, or any other right of any third party, and the entrants affirm they have the right to grant any and all rights and licenses granted to the JCR and/or NCRA. JCR Awards judges and their families and the staff of NCRA, program sponsors, and their families are ineligible to participate. The JCR, NCRA, program sponsors, and the judges are not responsible for late, stolen, or misdirected entries. Winners will be notified in advance of publication.
