See What Folks Are Doing to Mark 2014 Court Reporting & Captioning Week

See how 2104 National Court Reporting & Captioning Week was celebrated Below is a round-up of the many activities that marked NCRA’s 2014 National Court Reporting & Captioning Week. Linda Hallworth, president of the Alberta Shorthand Reporters Association assisted a local television station with creating a three-part series on captioning and CART. The series focused on the impact CART in the classroom has had in the life of a deaf high school student, the importance of using verbatim reporters in the courtroom, and the various services captioning services that are available to individuals from the deaf and hard of hearing community.

The Jefferson Daily newspaper in Cambridge, Ohio, ran an article about a display created by NCRA member Sally Booth-Bennett, RMR, CRR, CBC, CCP, from Cambridge, Ohio, created a display that provided a history of court reporting as well as a look at the profession today, in her local library.

“There’s more to court reporting than meets the eye”, a guest commentary by Michael Lanser, president of Lakeshore Technical College, was posted online by the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter in Wisconsin. The article shared the perspective of a 30-year-plus court reporting educator regarding a resurgence of interest in the profession.

A blog on BizVoice, the online newsletter of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, ran a piece entitled “Saying Thanks to The Court Reporters” that provided an overview of the profession and its future.

The Michigan Association of Professional Court Reporters (MAPCR) had six Senators support a proclamation recognizing the week. The Association also teamed up with the Michigan Legion and hosted a Veterans History Project event during the group’s winter meeting. MAPCR also hosted “Court Reporting Strong” at Macomb Community College, and invited reporters, broadcast captioners, CART captioners, and current and prospective students to hear from its dean, as well as Sharon Kandt, NCRA's Teacher of the Year; a U.S. District prosecuting attorney; a civil attorney; MAPCR President Melinda Dexter; a representative from the State Court Administrator's Office; a newly working reporter, and several seasoned reporters. MAPCR also awarded three deserving students scholarships to help them launch their careers.

Official court reporter Shannon M. Frey, RMR, CRR, offered her judge realtime reporting as a way to celebrate the week. Frey said the judge was totally captivated by realtime and agreed to potentially including a realtime court reporter in his courtroom permanently.

The Arizona Court Reporters Association (ACRA) hosted a Mentor/Student business luncheon at a Phoenix freelance firm and video conferenced with another highly-respected firm across the state in Tucson. ACRA also rolled out a rejuvenated reach out program of mentoring at local schools, and was influential in having Sen. Kimberly Yee recognize the week in an official proclamation. Other activities included a meet and greet with students as a captioning studio and participating in the grand opening of a new court reporting school.

The Deposition Reporters Association in California produced a video to celebrate the organization’s 18 years in existence and aired it at the start of its annual convention.

The New York State Court Reporters Association’s hosted an event at the Nassau County Bar Association that was attended by court reporters, agency owners, court reporting schools, and the Hon. Peter Skelos and the Hon. Elaine Jackson Stack. Raffle prizes generated several hundred dollars in additional revenue as did several event sponsors. Students at Alfred State, Alfred, N.Y., participated in a Veterans History Project event to record and transcribe the service story of renowned local artist Chet Swier of Cuba who served during World War II as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. On-campus students also spent a day at the Allegany County Courthouse where they shadowed official court reporters, were given a tour, and participated in an Operation Gratitude event where they collected toiletries and other items to send to military members. NCRA Immediate Past President Nancy Varallo sent a flyer to local high schools in her area announcing the week and providing information about the profession, including noting the striking correlation between talent for a musical instrument and success as a court reporter. Varallo’s company, The Varallo Group, LLC, in Worcester, Mass., offered $50 to each school’s music program or music boosters club that forwarded the flyer music students and parents. The Chartered Shorthand Reporters’ Association of Ontario hosted a free seminar to all court reporting/captioning students and any new members to the profession with less than five years of experience. The “Anything you wanted to know about the court reporting and captioning profession” seminar, allowed participants to delve into any and all aspects of reporting, whether technical, practical or experiential.

The Brown College of Court Reporting, Atlanta, Ga., hosted an open house with guest speakers, webinars, games, and giveaways. Throughout the week, Brown College welcomed back alumni and other successful court reporters and captioners who offered advice and guidance to students about finding a job after graduation. Other activities included a Grammar Jam Competition and door prizes.

StenoTech Career Institute in Piscataway, N.J., hosted its first annual Friends and Family Day, where students invited friends and family members to visit the school and observe classes for a firsthand glimpse and better perspective on the day-to-day challenges students face to complete the program. The festivities also featured a round-table panel discussion with representatives from the Certified Court Reporters Association of New Jersey and working court reporters from both the deposition/freelance and CART/captioning arenas. The school also hosted a realtime contest for its students and awarded a VISA gift card to the winner.

The Prince Institute hosted a free online webinar for court reporting students across the country, no matter their school affiliation, as well as professionals, to learn more about Case CATalyst. The school also asked professional court reporters and captioners to share what they love about the profession on its Facebook page, and used the quotes as inspirational artwork for its on-campus students and in its Virtual Student Union that serves online students.

Cuyahoga Community College - western campus in Parma, Ohio, hosted a live online chat set for its students with four reporters each representing the areas of official, freelance, CART, and captioning.

Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minn., hosted an on-campus “Court Reporting & Captioning Spring Fling,” inviting students, reporters, members of the general and the deaf and hard of hearing communities, judges, and legislators to the event which featured realtime and captioning demonstrations, opportunities for students to mingle with working reporters, and food and drinks.

Stenograph, in Elmhurst, Ill., a major product and service provider to the court reporting and caption profession received an official proclamation from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, recognizing the week.

The Oregon Court Reporters Association partnered with the Oregon State Bar to host a Veterans History Project to market the event. The State Bar also ran an ad in the February edition of its magazine using NCRA’s promotional Court Reporting & Captioning Week logo. In addition, OCRA’s Legislative Committee arranged for an official proclamation to be read at the Oregon Legislature, and at the city councils of Portland, Eugene, and Beaverton. The Realtime Academy of Court Reporting in Houston, Texas hosted an Operation Gratitude collection drive to benefit the nonprofit group that sends more than 100,000 care packages to deployed troops, veterans, wounded warriors, and caregivers. During the event there was also a tour of the school, a captioning demonstration, and door prizes. In addition, visitors were encouraged to dictate a letter to a soldier to one of school’s students. The letters were printed in English, signed, and included in a care package.

Jan Ballman, RPR, CMRS, President and CEO of Paradigm Reporting & Captioning in Minneapolis, Minn., contacted the local high schools where two of her reporters’ children attend and offered to provide a court reporting demonstration. In addition, one of the firm’s newest hires wrote a blog throughout the week about why she chose the court reporting profession and what she love’s most about it. The firm also created a video of its reporters sharing what they love most about the court reporting profession, and posted the edited version on its Facebook page.

The St. Louis Community College-Meramec, in Missouri sponsored “Career Connections in Court Reporting and Captioning” which featured six court reporters representing official and freelance reporters, broadcast captioners, and CART providers who participated in a round-robin with students and other attendees and discussed aspects of the career. Other sessions covered career paths, job search strategies, interview techniques, skills for success, and personal practice strategies. The school also hosted a meet and greet and broadcasted a live on the Internet an information session geared toward prospective students, as well a panel discussion that will as part of its recruiting efforts to reach online and out-of-state students.

The College of Court Reporting in Hobart, Ind., showcased the court reporting profession at a local high school to help raise awareness of the career opportunities. Court reporting students participated in a speed competition with school alumni to demonstrate how steno machines work.

Representatives from the Connecticut Court Reporters Associations provided three, one-hour seminars to local high school students that included a demonstration of realtime and a short skit about court reporting.

The Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas, court reporting student club and Future Court Reporters Association (FCRA) hosted a potluck luncheon for students and community court reporters. Participants watched the floor speeches of U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, who recognized the week in an official proclamation, as well as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who acknowledged the important role court reporters play in preserving the record. Attendees were also treated to professional wardrobe session, and work spirit ribbons in the shape and likeness of a $100 bill with a steno machine in the middle. Other activities included a mock Jeopardy competition and guest speakers who shared motivating and inspirational advice with students.