Section A: Membership – Miscellaneous: Subsection 3a – Advertising of Membership and/or Certifications Held

POLICY: Advertising of Membership and/or Certifications Held

Procedures Statement

Claims of NCRA Membership in Advertisements

1. Membership in NCRA is on an individual basis. Any NCRA Member in good standing may advertise or represent that such individual is a Member of the National Court Reporters Association.
2. Any Member in good standing may advertise or represent the fact of NCRA Membership on such Member’s advertising, business cards, letterhead, brochures, Website, social media pages, and other materials solely to denote the individual’s Membership in NCRA. Any other advertisement or representation of Membership is prohibited, except to the extent expressly permitted by the Board of Directors. A Member may not use advertisement or representation of Membership as an expression of NCRA’s views, or its endorsement or approval of a particular topic or matter. In this regard, a Member may not advertise or represent Membership on the Member’s work product, such as on a transcript, regardless of the form of, or media used for, such work product.
3. Although Membership in NCRA is on an individual basis, the designation “includes members of NCRA” may be used by a court reporting firm or entity in its advertisements, if a majority of the reporters employed by or independently contracted for by said firm or entity are members in good standing of NCRA.
4. Unauthorized advertisement or representation of NCRA Membership may subject the user to legal action by the Association to the fullest extent permitted by law. Such unauthorized advertising or representation by a Member also may subject the Member to loss of Membership and/or loss of Membership privileges, including the ability to run the Member’s advertisements in NCRA publications and the right to have the Member’s name listed in the NCRA Membership Directory and Registry of Professional Reporters.
5. Any NCRA Member who has earned an NCRA certification may use that certification or its abbreviation solely to denote that the individual has earned this certification. This policy applies equally to all NCRA certifications. Any other use of the certification is prohibited, except to the extent expressly permitted by the NCRA Board of Directors.
6. Although the NCRA certifications and their abbreviations are personal certifications, the phrase “includes RPRs” or “includes Registered Professional Reporters” may be used by a court reporting firm or entity in its advertisements, if a majority of the reporters employed by or independently contracted for by said firm or entity hold said certification. This policy shall equally apply to other NCRA designations.
7. See also the NCRA Member Logo Policy, which governs use of the NCRA Member Logo.