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News & Publications

News

2013

May

April

  • April 30, 2013 — TechCon 2013 Recap
    Scottsdale, Ariz.- Providing ample opportunities for attendees to share information, exchange ideas, and expand their professional network, TechCon 2013 attracted hundreds of legal professionals from different corners of the industry. The event, held April 19-21, combined the best of NCRA's technology workshops with unique approaches to conference learning, tailored specifically for court reporters, legal videographers, and trial presenters.
  • April 25, 2013 — Announcing NCRF’s fourth Oral Histories Program partner
    The National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) is pleased to announce that it a fourth official partner has joined its Oral Histories Program: the Illinois Secretary of State’s Illinois State Library. The Illinois State Library is honoring veterans from that state by archiving the stories of their wartime experiences in the Illinois Veterans History Project, as well as the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress.
  • April 25, 2013 — Make the promise
    As you know, 2013 marks the 10th Anniversary of National Court Reporters Foundation’s official partnership with the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress. We are so proud of that! With the help of so many NCRA members, we’ve coordinated the completion and submission of more than 2,875 veterans’ histories to the Library of Congress for inclusion in its VHP archives.
  • April 25, 2013 — Upcoming Board member visits in your area
    One of the most important and rewarding duties of a member of the NCRA Board of Directors is the opportunity to attend state affiliate conventions. Board members meet one-on-one with attendees and discuss issues and activities from a national perspective.
  • April 23, 2013 — Court reporting ranked as 68th best job in country
    Court reporting was ranked as the 68th best job overall on a list released today by CareerCast.com, a career website.
  • April 17, 2013 — ABA lobbies for fair and impartial justice
    The American Bar Association held its annual fly-in day, during which its members meet with legislators on Capitol Hill. On their agenda are funding the Legal Services Corporation and filling judicial vacancies.
  • April 11, 2013 — NCRA to be represented on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance
    NCRA lobbyist, Adam Finkel, named co-chair
  • April 11, 2013 — Sequester causes federal court delays
    A few people in the media have noted the sequester’s effects on the federal judiciary, which has hurt access by the public to the judicial process and to the court system overall.
  • April 11, 2013 — Special Donation to NCRF from the Shorthand Reporters Association of Australia (SRAA)
    Earlier this year, the Shorthand Reporters Association of Australia ceased to exist as an association and had to make a decision about the remaining funds in their bank account. SRAA officers, including former president Suzanne Mendra and treasurer Polly Templeton, decided to close the bank account and donate the remaining funds to NCRF.
  • April 11, 2013 — Stenograph steps up for NCRF—AGAIN!
    Once again, Stenograph is donating a new Diamante to NCRF for the Foundation’s fundraiser at Convention in Nashville this summer. Raffle tickets will be sold on site only: $50 for one, or three for $125. The winner will be able to choose one of the exciting Diamante colors.

March

February

  • February 28, 2013 — Improve the quality of your audio
    Wes Long, Director of Technology for Dynamic Captioning, LLC explains that there is actually a lot you can do to help fix "muffled" audio.
  • February 21, 2013 — Court Reporting and Captioning Week highlights
    Theindependent.com reports on two official court reporters for the Ninth Judicial District of Nebraska, who are getting involved with National Court Reporting and Captioning Week.
  • February 21, 2013 — Future stenographers participate in demonstration
    Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, made news again as students in the court reporting program continue to participate in National Court Reporting and Captioning Week.
  • February 20, 2013 — Captioning business to host open house Wednesday
    Voice to Print Captioning LLC is hosting an open house and demonstration of realtime court reporting and captioning technology.
  • February 20, 2013 — Court reporting school makes news in Texas
    Kiii TV News interviewed Whitnie Brezina and Iris de la Garza from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, about the occupations in the field as part of National Court Reporting and Captioning Week.
  • February 20, 2013 — People urged to consider court reporting as a career
    During National Court Reporting and Captioning Week, court reporter Tracy Bennett, RPR, CRR, is encouraging today’s youth to consider a career in court reporting.
  • February 20, 2013 — Spirit Week at College of Court Reporting
    In celebration of the first annual National Court Reporting and Captioning Week, the College of Court Reporting is hosting a spirit week.
  • February 20, 2013 — The importance of court reporters
    The Harding Law blog posted on Saturday about the importance of a court reporter's role and how court reporters are essential in recording and memorializing the testimony and argument presented.
  • February 15, 2013 — Court Reporting and Captioning Week recognized in Congressional Record
    Congressman Ron Kind joins nationwide effort to showcase professionals, career opportunities in stenographic court reporting and captioning.
  • February 7, 2013 — Capturing the spoken word and each other’s hearts
    When we think of couples, more than a few come to mind. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Sonny and Cher. John Lennon and Yoko Ono. In the court reporting world, we have several couples who have captured the spoken word — and each other’s hearts. Some have met while on the job, others through mutual friends, and some even while visiting an online forum. Whether they’ve been together for decades or just met within the past few years, these court reporting couples have made a mark in the industry and have been there for each other along the way.

January

2012

December

  • December 20, 2012 — Distinguished Service Award Nominations Now Open
    The Distinguished Service Award encourages and recognizes work amounting to distinguished service by individual members of NCRA for the benefit of the reporting profession.
  • December 20, 2012 — Donate Your Vacation Property to NCRF
    NCRF needs vacation properties for its Sixth Annual Vacation Property Auction to be held at NCRA’s Firm Owners Executive Conference in Dana Point, California, February 3-5, 2013.
  • December 20, 2012 — TRAIN tips and success stories
  • December 20, 2012 — Time savers to be had with just a little effort
    With the start of the new year, why not make a pledge to make your life easier? Give me an hour, and you can start saving time.
  • December 19, 2012 — 2012 SAVE award
    Recently, the White House issued nominations for the SAVE Award (Securing American Value and Efficiency), an award given annually to the federal government employee who proposes the best idea to make government work more effectively and efficiently and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
  • December 6, 2012 — Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus planning for an expanded program in 2013
    The Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus held a meeting to begin planning for an expanded program for 2013. NCRA strongly supports the caucus and will continue to attend briefings and meet with members of Congress to ensure that broadcast captioners and CART providers are represented with our nation’s elected officials on Capitol Hill.
  • December 6, 2012 — Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus planning for an expanded program in 2013
    The Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus held a meeting to begin planning for an expanded program for 2013. NCRA strongly supports the caucus and will continue to attend briefings and meet with members of Congress to ensure that broadcast captioners and CART providers are represented with our nation’s elected officials on Capitol Hill.
  • December 6, 2012 — Gifting and the holiday season
    With the holiday season upon us, it is important to remember why NCRA focuses so strongly on educating court reporters, attorneys, and other legal professionals on the subject of incentive gift-giving. While many offices will likely be inundated with desserts, gift baskets, fruit, and other small thank you gifts during the month of December, the ethical implications often associated with such gift giving should be kept in mind as the year draws to a close.
  • December 6, 2012 — Many affected by courts' budget cuts
    Over the past few months, a number of articles have shed light on how budget cuts in courts are harming average Americans. On RH Reality Check, a blog site supported by a law firm that focuses on women’s issues and gender disparity, an October 16, 2012, article by Sheila Bapat mentions that some states have reported greater difficulties in timely restraining order hearings and enforcement of abuser sentences.
  • December 6, 2012 — Senate fails to ratify United Nations CRPD Treaty
    On December 4, the United States Senate failed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty (CRPD) from the United Nations by a vote of 61 in favor to 38 opposed.
  • December 6, 2012 — Tennessee Court Reporters Association hosts one-day Boot Camp
    The Tennessee Court Reporters Association, in conjunction with NCRA’s Government Relations Department, hosted approximately 30 members for a one-day, mini Legislative Boot Camp. Throughout the day, sessions were held on the basics of politics, grassroots lobbying, and communications tips and techniques, with an intense focus on the issue of third-party contracting.
  • December 6, 2012 — “Make the Promise” and guard the record of America’s heroes!

November

  • November 29, 2012 — At the TRAIN Stop…
    As you may know, the new Windows 8 contains major changes in the user interface. A very helpful tutorial for anyone who is starting to use Windows 8 can be found here.
  • November 29, 2012 — Productivity: My top 10 gadgets
    Productivity is defined as "The quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services." As a busy professional, I am always striving to find new ways to aid me in my quest to complete a job more efficiently. After all, who doesn't want more time to spend with family and friends; right? Read more about Lynette's top 10 gadgets.
  • November 14, 2012 — Court reporters make headlines working with veterans
    In the wake of Veterans Day yesterday, court reporters are making headlines nationwide because of their participation in transcribing veterans histories as a part of NCRF’s “Make the Promise” initiative.
  • November 9, 2012 — Special Election Coverage
    It is our pleasure to provide you with a brief update on the election and our nonpartisan analysis of what’s next in Washington.
  • November 8, 2012 — Make it meaningful
    As we approach Veterans Day (November 11), the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) urges all members of NCRA to honor our nation’s veterans this November by honoring their service from Veterans Day through Thanksgiving by participating in a Make It Meaningful activity. There are so many things we can do to say, Thank You.

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

2011

December

November

  • November 29, 2011 — Subtitles key to powerful online videos
    A subtitled video makes for far more powerful content, Forbes argues.
  • November 21, 2011 — NCRA Executive Director Mark Golden to Leave Association in May 2012
    Mark Golden, executive director and chief executive officer of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), announced today that he will leave the association upon the expiration of his current contract.
  • November 18, 2011 — Arizona Movie Theatres Install Closed Captioning Equipment
    A legal agreement initiated by blind and deaf customers helped Harkins Theatres to begin installing closed captioning equipment.
  • November 18, 2011 — Criminal Cases Begin Using Electronic Evidence
    A vehicle’s “event data recorder” is capable of recording a driver’s behavior.
  • November 14, 2011 — Alexander Gallo Holdings’ sale approved
    Alexander Gallo Holdings, LLC received court approval for its sale to Bayside Capital, Inc.
  • November 8, 2011 — BBC voice recognition captioning angers viewers
    Captioning errors on the BBC’s live shows have been drawing negative attention from consumers and the media. Stories in major media outlets have mocked the network’s “ludicrous” computer-generated captions.
  • November 8, 2011 — Changes at Gallaudet spark debate over deaf culture
    Gallaudet University is widely known as a higher education institution for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. In recent years, however, an unprecedented number of incoming students to Gallaudet don’t fit the traditional mold of students coming from schools for the deaf who use sign language to communicate.
  • November 8, 2011 — Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children at increased risk of bullying
    A child who is deaf or hard-of-hearing faces unique challenges in keeping pace with his or her classmates. Add bullying to the mix and you have a problem that can be overwhelming for the student, the parents, and the school staff.
  • November 8, 2011 — ESPN releases captioning video
    Global sports television network ESPN has released a video showing how realtime stenographic captioners provide 100 percent coverage for its six domestic networks, two international networks, and numerous online offerings.
  • November 8, 2011 — FCC reverses almost 300 captioning exemptions
    In response to numerous calls for review from deaf and hard-of-hearing advocacy groups, the FCC has reversed a 2006 order that allowed hundreds of organizations to claim exemptions from captioning requirements.
  • November 8, 2011 — Hidden Content In Your Documents: What You Don't Know Can Be Dangerous
    Scott Smull, CEO of Workshare discusses the risks of unknown data lurking in your documents. Republished with permission from The Metropolitan Corporate Counse, learn how you can protect yourself against unwanted problems that arise from unintended metadata.
  • November 8, 2011 — MTV explores the lives of deaf college students on ‘Quiet Campus’
    mtvU, MTV’s college network, has released a new reality series called Quiet Campus, which chronicles the experience of deaf students at Washington, D.C.’s Gallaudet University, a well-known higher education institution for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
  • November 8, 2011 — Mobile Apps increasingly integrated into higher education
    A recent nationwide survey from the Campus Computing Project showed dramatic growth in the use of mobile computing on college campuses over the past year.
  • November 8, 2011 — NAD urges White House to make disability part of diversity in judicial nominations
    In a statement released in September, the National Association of the Deaf issued a call for the White House to make disability a part of its efforts to increase judicial diversity.
  • November 8, 2011 — NCRA promotes captioning quality standards
    NCRA offered strong comments in favor of captioning standards in response to recent FCC proposed rulemaking. NCRA’s stance reaffirmed the Video Programming and Accessibility Advisory Committee’s (VPAAC) assertion that regulations related to closed captioning “should address caption completeness, placement, accuracy, and timing.”
  • November 8, 2011 — Sony captioning glasses show promise for mixed audiences
    Leading electronics manufacturer Sony recently released lightweight captioning glasses for closed caption viewing and audio playback by people with hearing and visual disabilities.
  • November 8, 2011 — VITAC gets spooky for Halloween
    VITAC continued their Halloween tradition this past October of providing closed captioning for a public domain horror flick.
  • November 4, 2011 — Budget Cuts Expected to Increase Jail Population in Morgan County, AL
    Due to large state budget cuts, many court jobs have been cut, leading to around 200 criminal cases being backlogged.
  • November 4, 2011 — ESPN and Closed Captioning
    If it wasn't for court reporters, ESPN would not be able to fully function. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires every domestic network on ESPN to be 100 percent closed-captioned. ESPN has six domestic networks and also Video on Demand (VOD), Pay-Per-View, Goal Line and Buzzer Beater, espn.com, espn3.com, and two international networks that are all captioned.
  • November 4, 2011 — New $123M Courts Complex in Norfolk
    Due to aging facilities dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, the city of Norfolk, Virginia has decided to complete a new court complex.
  • November 4, 2011 — Stenograph Aims to be Eco-Friendly
    In an effort to be eco-friendly, Stenograph is offering $750 cash back for outdated writers.
  • November 4, 2011 — Task Force on Contracting (TFOC) holds in-person meeting
    NCRA's Task Force on Contracting (TFOC) held a meeting in Chicago, Ill., from October 29 to 30 to discuss plans for the 2011-2012 year. The task force is making progress toward assisting our affiliate associations with enforcement of existing legislation of third-party contractual relationships across the country.
  • November 2, 2011 — November Board of Directors Meeting
    In recent years, NCRA has expanded access to its Board meetings as a means of elevating levels of transparency and member access to the governance of the association.

October

  • October 27, 2011 — NCRA Launches New Logo to Coincide with Era of Member Empowerment
    Learn more about the new logo, new site, and new direction for NCRA
  • October 27, 2011 — NCRA Website Under Construction
    Learn more about the new website construction and how to report any usability issues.
  • October 20, 2011 — 12 Reasons You Should Be Providing Daily Copy
    As part of the Writing Our Future initiative, NCRA members identified the increasing demand for paperless court reporting as one of the trends that will change the profession in the future.
  • October 20, 2011 — Georgia Board of Court Reporting Holds Town Hall Meeting on Regarding Current Issues in Georgia
    On October 1, 2011, the Georgia Board of Court Reporting held a town hall meeting in Savannah, Ga., on all current issues of concern to Georgia court reporters. Among the subjects covered were third-party contractual relationships among court reporting firms.
  • October 20, 2011 — Grace Period for Enforcement of NCRA Code of Professional Ethics Gift Giving Rules Ends October 31st
    This spring, the NCRA Board of Directors approved new gift giving rules set forth in Provision 8 of the Code of Professional Ethics. The Board also approved a grace period for members to have time to learn about these new rules and make the appropriate changes to their marketing strategies.
  • October 20, 2011 — JCR Is Seeking Tax Tips
    Are you a freelancer or an official who has great ideas on how to help ease tax preparation? If so, the JCR team wants to hear from you.
  • October 20, 2011 — Join NCRA in the Walk4Hearing
    The NCRA CART and Captioning Communities of Interest are sponsoring a team for the November 6, 2011, Walk4Hearing in Washington, D.C., and we need your help!
  • October 20, 2011 — NCRA Promotes High-Quality Captioning Standards to FCC
    NCRA offered strong comments on FCC proposed rulemaking regarding closed captioning on broadcast television programming placed on the Internet.
  • October 20, 2011 — NCRF Awarded $5,000 for Veterans History Project
    The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust has awarded a $5,000 grant to the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) in order to expand the Veterans History Project (VHP) by interviewing and transcribing the oral histories of disabled American veterans who are members of the DAV.
  • October 20, 2011 — November Board of Directors Meeting
    In recent years, NCRA has expanded access to its Board meetings as a means of elevating levels of transparency and member access to the governance of the association. That has included prompt publishing of summaries of the Board meetings as well as encouraging any members who wish to attend the meetings in person to do so.
  • October 20, 2011 — Stanislaus County Superior Court in California Goes Green
    Case file documents in the Stanislaus County Superior Court are now being scanned electronically to cut back on paper use in a process called the Transcript Assembly Program.
  • October 20, 2011 — Strong NCRA Presence at CTC Will Have Lasting Effects
    NCRA had a significant presence at the 2011 Court Technology Conference (CTC) from October 4-6, in Long Beach, Calif.
  • October 20, 2011 — Student Initiatives Program
    Dave Wynne, Senior Vice President for Sales and Education, Stenograph L.L.C., is promoting NCRF's Student Initiatives Program by sending out a blog entitled, "Hone Your Court Reporting Skills and Honor America's Heroes."
  • October 20, 2011 — Texas Judge Keeps Staff Through 25-Year Seat
    Collin County, Texas, Judge Jerry Lewis retired after a 25-year seat. Judge Lewis kept the same staff for 25 years, including NCRA member, Marigay Black.
  • October 20, 2011 — Update from the Reporters of the Michael Jackson Trial
    What's new with the Conrad Murray trial? Mavis Theodorou and Patricia McNeal, the official court reporters covering the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, took advantage of an unexpected break in their schedule to provide an update on what has happened so far.
  • October 20, 2011 — Webinar to Be Held for Potential Board Members -- NCRA Wants You!
    Just what IS involved in NCRA Board service? What are the duties and responsibilities? Here's your chance to find out! A web-based orientation will be held on Tuesday, October 25, at 9:00pm EDT for anyone interested in seeking future Board service.
  • October 20, 2011 — Wisconsin to Celebrate Court Reporters Week
    On September 26, 2011, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed the proclamation decreeing that October 16-21 would be "Court Reporters Week."
  • October 6, 2011 — California Launches New Prison Policy
    California will launch their plan for realigning prisons beginning this month by sending nonviolent felons to local facilities as opposed to state facilities.
  • October 6, 2011 — Ethics First Participation Requirements Updated
    Based primarily on the results from Writing Our Future, the Ethics First program has become an NCRA members-only benefit. This creates another reason for nonmembers to join NCRA - to use the Ethics First logo as an added marketing tool for themselves and their firms.
  • October 6, 2011 — Ethics First Task Force Releases New Logos
    The Ethics First Task Force has released new versions of its logo to further differentiate Ethics First participation from NCRA individual membership. The logos recognize NCRA members who have made a commitment to abide by and promote the rules of the Code of Professional Ethics (COPE), particularly with regard to gift-giving.
  • October 6, 2011 — More Hearing Students at Gallaudet University
    An increasing number of students are attending Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. A traditionally deaf and hard-of-hearing educational institution.
  • October 6, 2011 — NCRA and Schools Celebrate National Punctuation Day
    NCRA celebrated National Punctuation Day on September 24, 2011, by offering schools a punctuation-free version of a speed contest legal opinion to punctuate.
  • October 6, 2011 — New Jersey Synagogue Uses CART in Services
    For the fourth year, a New Jersey Synagogue is offering CART during High Holy Day services, which began last night.
  • October 4, 2011 — NCRA Aggressively Pushing Steno at CTC 2011
    This week, NCRA – along with three partners – will be aggressively promoting stenographic court reporting at the Court Technology Conference in Long Beach, Calif.
  • October 3, 2011 — Reporting the Michael Jackson Trial: What Court Reporters Want to Know
    NCRA has been in touch with the official court reporters who are covering the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor. They are Mavis Theodorou and Patricia McNeal, official reporters for the Los Angeles Superior Court. They have agreed to keep us posted on the news that court reporters want to know about the case.

September

  • September 30, 2011 — Heidi Thomas Appointed as Director of NCRA
    Heidi Thomas, a national broadcast captioner based in Atlanta, has been appointed as a director to the Board of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA).
  • September 26, 2011 — A Break in Microsoft's Cloud
    The first email hit TechCrunch’s tip line at 11:32 EDT. Others quickly followed saying the same thing: major Microsoft cloud services are down worldwide.
  • September 26, 2011 — Apple, Dropbox Back Privacy Bill
    With many Americans leading an increasingly digital life, it's not surprising that the government is turning to things like cell phone and email records when conducting investigations.
  • September 26, 2011 — Captioning for Ducks
    Attentive Duck fans at Oregon’s first home football game of the season at Autzen Stadium on Saturday may have noticed strings of words flashing across the Duck Vision scoreboard in-sync with the announcements by game officials.
  • September 26, 2011 — FaceBook Testing Realtime Translation
    The ability to communicate with ease across languages and cultures has so far been the stuff of futurists and science fiction writers.
  • September 26, 2011 — Keep Confidential Information Out of Email
    The New Workshare Protect 7 helps reduce the number of times people accidentally email documents with hidden comments and suggested edits not intended for public distribution.
  • September 26, 2011 — PACER Fees to Rise
    The basic fee federal courts charge for electronic copies of court records will be hiked by 25%, a panel overseeing federal court administration announced Tuesday.
  • September 26, 2011 — Realtime Hookup Videos
    NCRA's Realtime Systems Administrator Committee has put together some videos dealing with hooking up to realtime.
  • September 26, 2011 — Technology in the News
    Links to various technology related stories in the news.
  • September 26, 2011 — Using an iPad in a Jury Trial
    In April of 2011, we began the trial. We structured our trial plan and presentation around these overarching themes, using the ABC Regulations and Dram Shop provisions as key demonstrative exhibits.
  • September 26, 2011 — Wireless Hacking Is No Joke
    Midsummer in Las Vegas is to geeks, hackers, and IT security pros what mid-April in Augusta is to golf fanatics: an opportunity to watch the best in their respective fields strut their stuff.
  • September 21, 2011 — Alexander Gallo Holdings Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
    Alexander Gallo Holdings LLC (AGH), parent company to Esquire Solutions, filed for Chapter 11 restructuring in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
  • September 21, 2011 — Brown & Gallo, LLC, Reprimanded for Incentive Gift-Giving Violations
    In September 2011, the Board of Court Reporting of the Judicial Council of Georgia issued a public reprimand to Brown & Gallo, LLC, and a $3,000 fine for its admitted unethical conduct with regard to incentive gift-giving.
  • September 21, 2011 — NCRA Legislative Efforts Result in $979,000 of Grants to 3 Schools
    Huntington Junior College (WV), Cuyahoga Community College (OH), and the New York Career Institute (NY) have received a pair of grants from the Department of Education amounting to $979,000.
  • September 21, 2011 — NCRF Awarded Grant to Expand VHP
    The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust has awarded a $5,000 grant to the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) in order to expand the Veterans History Project (VHP).
  • September 19, 2011 — Court Reporter Shortage Delays Murder Retrial
    Raleigh, NC Superior Court Judge has delayed the retrial in Jason Young’s case.
  • September 19, 2011 — Record Fees Increasing in Federal Courts
    A 25 percent rise in the charge for electronic copies of court records in Federal Courts was announced last Tuesday.
  • September 19, 2011 — Texas County Court Dates Vanish from Docket
    Due to a glitch in the court-docketing system in Parker County Court, hearing and trial dates for all pending cases disappeared on September 2.
  • September 16, 2011 — Thank You, Student Sponsors!
    For several years, NCRA has asked members to donate money to sponsor students at the NCRA Convention and Exposition. The donated money is divided among the students who attend the Student Seminar Program and mailed to them after convention.
  • September 6, 2011 — Earn Professional Development Credits by Reading Al Betz's Books
    Al Betz, an author, court reporter, and owner of Outfluence, LLC, has three books available for purchase in our online store - Outfluence, Polishing the Pearl, and Powerwriters.
  • September 6, 2011 — Honor America's Wartime Veterans
    On September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks on our nation, America will pause to honor and remember those who died.
  • September 6, 2011 — Iowa Hosts Federal Experiment
    Iowa’s Southern District Federal Courts will now have cameras in their courtrooms again after a three-year absence due to budget cuts as an experiment in the Federal Courts.
  • September 6, 2011 — Partnership Announced Between Fusion Reporting and Paragon
    Paragon Legal and Fusion Reporting, both legal services companies out of Atlanta, Georgia, have recently announced a partnership in order to provide direct access to legal services and solutions.
  • September 6, 2011 — Pay Raises Proposed for New York Judges
    A New York State commission has recommended that state judges receive a 27% pay raise over the next three years.
  • September 6, 2011 — Students - You Are the Future of the Court Reporting Profession!
    Court reporting students are the future of the profession. That's why the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) has created the Student Initiatives Program to help you achieve your goals.

August

  • August 30, 2011 — County Praises California Computer System - Others Hate It
    A state computer project is being touted as an electronic super train that in about five years will link all the courthouses in California and law enforcement agencies to share information.
  • August 30, 2011 — Court Reporting School Distinguishes Steno from Voice
    When deciding to train to become a court reporter, students want to know the difference between machine court reporting (steno) and voice court reporting (mask).
  • August 30, 2011 — NCRA Expo Vendor Video Tour
    NCRA's Technology Evaluation Committee takes you on a video tour of the 2011 NCRA Expo at the Annual Convention in Las Vegas. The committee focused its efforts on new products and services being offered at the Expo.
  • August 30, 2011 — Pennsylvania Justice Touts Videoconferencing
    Toward the beginning of his 13-year tenure with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus P. McCaffery was given a preview of the cost-saving and practical benefits of videoconferencing.
  • August 30, 2011 — Pennsylvania Supreme Court Proceeding to Be Televised
    Next month, people will be able to watch from the comfort of their living rooms as lawyers argue before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court the fate of two people on death row.
  • August 30, 2011 — Product Spotlight
    YesLaw Online Case Repository is a web-based repository for deposition and court content.
  • August 30, 2011 — Report from Visionary Legal's Voice Recognition Realtime Expo
    "Evaluation" was the goal as several members of NCRA and TCRA attended the Expo presented by Visionary Legal.
  • August 30, 2011 — Repository Offers PACER Court Records
    Want to see the federal indictment of a mortgage fraudster? You got it. Need the docket for a U.S. appeals court case? It’s yours. All with the click of a mouse — and your 16-digit credit card number.
  • August 30, 2011 — Skype Used in Custody Case
    A deported Mexican couple won back custody of their two U.S.-born daughters in part thanks to testimony given over Skype, an apparent first in a U.S. custody case.
  • August 30, 2011 — Technology in the News
    Technology stories in the news.
  • August 30, 2011 — West Case Notebook Now Integrates with Worldox
    Thomson Reuters today announced that West Case Notebook, West’s case analysis software and part of the Westlaw Litigator Suite, now integrates with Worldox® Document Management System (DMS) software.
  • August 17, 2011 — Board of Directors Meeting Summary
    The Board of Directors Meeting Summary from the July 25-26 & 30, 2011, meeting in Las Vegas is now available.
  • August 17, 2011 — Changes to NCRA Advertising Policy
    The NCRA Board of Directors voted to change NCRA's advertising policy so that nonmember court reporters or court reporting firms headed by a nonmember would be subject to NCRA's Code of Professional Ethics.
  • August 17, 2011 — Ethics First Task Force Releases Second Video Aimed at Attorneys
    The NCRA Ethics First Task Force has developed and released a new video targeted at attorneys, relaying to them the potential consequences of incentive gift-giving.
  • August 17, 2011 — Task Force on Contracting Meets in Las Vegas
    NCRA's newest task force, the Task Force on Contracting (TFOC), met in person during NCRA's Annual Convention in Las Vegas.
  • August 16, 2011 — Casey Anthony Trial Webstreamed
    Read about how the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida utilized video technology to cover the Casey Anthony trial.
  • August 16, 2011 — Closed Captioning Available at University of Oklahoma Football Games
    On September 3, The University of Oklahoma will begin providing closed captioning services for the first time at their football games on their video board.
  • August 16, 2011 — HarQen Develops a Voice Service Product Symposia
    HarQuen is currently developing a voice service product called Symposia, a smartphone/desktop program which aims to capture records of meetings and interviews for analyzing and sharing purposes using social media and database integration.
  • August 3, 2011 — Different Approaches Taken to Closed Captioning and Transcription
    In an effort to better accommodate hearing impaired students, many colleges and universities are renewing their emphasis on closed captioning in the classroom.
  • August 3, 2011 — Harry Potter Presented with Captioning
    Last Wednesday July 27, a theatre in the Midwest US showed “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II” in closed captioning for the hearing impaired.
  • August 3, 2011 — NCRA PAC Raises Nearly $4,000 at Annual Convention
    Over the course of NCRA's Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NCRA PAC successfully raised nearly $4,000 through our “Spin to Win” iPad2 giveaway.
  • August 3, 2011 — NCSA Body Passes Two Resolutions at Annual Meeting
    The NCSA body approved two resolutions, which will now go to the NCRA Board of Directors. Resolutions 11-01 and 11-02, both submitted by the California Court Reporters Association (CCRA), passed the NCSA body unanimously.
  • August 3, 2011 — New Services and Name for Worcester Court Reporting Firm
    The Varallo Group, previously known as “Court Reporting & Management Services,” announced this week that they will now offer additional services to their business including sales support, marketing, and website design.

July

  • July 30, 2011 — Brock Wins Speed Contest; Bryce Is New Realtime Champ
    Alan Brock, RDR, CRR, of Boston, Mass., won NCRA’s 2011 Speed Contest with a combined score of 99.265 percent.
  • July 30, 2011 — Karen Yates Receives NCRF’s Aurelio Award
    The NCRF 2011 Aurelio Award winner was Karen Yates, RPR, CRR, CBC, CCP, FAPR, of Minden, Nev.
  • July 30, 2011 — Seven New Fellows Named at Annual Convention
    The 2011 Fellows were announced at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, July 30, 2011
  • July 29, 2011 — Arnella Sims Awarded 2011 Distinguished Service Award
    Arnella I. Sims, RPR, CRR, FAPR, of Los Angeles, Calif., was honored with the 2011 Distinguished Service Award.
  • July 29, 2011 — Official Election Results
    Three contested elections for board and officer positions were conducted at the meeting. As provided for in the Bylaws, all NCRA voting members were able to participate in the final voting online.
  • July 22, 2011 — 10 Alternatives to Dropbox
    Dropbox is a hugely popular “cloud-based” file sharing service (and app) that allows you to synchronize files among different computers.
  • July 22, 2011 — Behind the Pink Noise
    It starts like this: "May we approach, Your Honor?" Any veteran court observer knows what this means.
  • July 22, 2011 — Faster Transcriptions With "Listen N Write"
    Many occupations require individuals to take recordings of meetings and interviews to review later.
  • July 22, 2011 — Google Scholar Tips
    Google Scholar came online in November 2009, offering advanced legal research to everyone.
  • July 22, 2011 — Technology in the News
    Technology stories in the news.
  • July 22, 2011 — Updates to NCRA Advisory Opinions Offer Guidance on Gift-Giving Policy
    The Board of Directors approved a change to Provision 8 of the Code of Professional Ethics in March 2011, so that there is now a distinction between thank you (or marketing) gifts and incentive gifts (gifts given in direct exchanged for future work).
  • July 22, 2011 — Voice and Translation Services Still Not to Par
    Voice and translation services always look great in demos, but never work in the real world.
  • July 22, 2011 — Web to Replace Lawyers?
    Negotiating a settlement is expensive and difficult -- which is why automating the process so that a fee can be agreed on in minutes is so appealing.
  • July 22, 2011 — Why Realtime?
    A recent discussion by members of the Technology Evaluation Committee ranged from thoughts about the use of iPads to provide realtime in various parts of the country to different ways to overcome attorneys' objection to having realtime.
  • July 20, 2011 — Read Letter from NCRA President on Writing Our Future Project
    The initial outcomes from our ambitious, all-inclusive Writing Our Future project.
  • July 15, 2011 — NCRA Members Dominate Intersteno Speed Competition
    US steno writers performed exceptionally well in the Shorthand/Speech Capturing and Realtime contests at the 48th Intersteno World Congress.
  • July 14, 2011 — Degree in CART Enabled One to Type 220 WPM
    Ms. Ariana Jordan received a degree in communication access real time translation (CART) reporting from St. Louis Community College at Meramec and now regularly works for MTV, ESPN, and PBS.
  • July 14, 2011 — Gadsden State Community College Campus Convention
    NCRA held its eighth mini campus convention on June 7 at Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, Ala. NCRA Board Secretary-Treasurer Bruce Matthews, who served as the keynote speaker for the 23 students in attendance.
  • July 14, 2011 — NCRA Reaches Out to Students through Campus Conventions
    NCRA’s most recent campus convention enticed so many students to attend that it was moved into the prestigious Ceremonial Courtroom of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
  • July 14, 2011 — New York Career Institute Mini Convention
    NCRA made arrangements to hold its ninth mini campus convention in the prestigious Ceremonial Courtroom in Brooklyn.
  • July 14, 2011 — Ohio Court Reporters Association Defeats Potentially Damaging Bill
    On June 30, the Ohio Court Reporters Association's significant grassroots effort to remove potentially destructive language from the must-pass budget bill officially ended in success.
  • July 14, 2011 — Prince Institute Campus Convention
    NCRA’s first mini campus convention of 2011 was held at Prince Institute of Professional Studies in Montgomery, Ala., on April 18.
  • July 14, 2011 — Recordings from Virginia Tech Shooter's Civil Commitment Found Inaudible
    The audio tapes recovered from the high-profile case of the convicted Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho's 2005 civil commitment hearing serve as another piece of evidence for using stenographic court reporters as opposed to digital audio recording (DAR).
  • July 14, 2011 — Sage College Campus Convention
    Sage College in Moreno Valley, Calif., was the site of the April 30 NCRA campus convention – with 110 students in attendance! NCRA Board Director Kimi George kicked off the day with an inspiring keynote presentation.
  • July 12, 2011 — Disney Designed Audio Description Device Is Introduced
    Disney recently announced that starting July 6, guests with visual disabilities will be able to explore Disneyland through a new, Disney-designed device that provides audio description of Disneyland’s outdoor areas.
  • July 12, 2011 — NCRA to Have Major Presence at Intersteno in Paris
    NCRA will field one of the largest delegations to the Intersteno World Congress, in Paris, July 10-15, thanks in large part to the efforts of a number of NCRA volunteers, including Virgene Biggers, RPR, and Teri Gaudet, CRI, CPE.
  • July 12, 2011 — The Growing Court Reporting Industry
    The five largest court reporting companies on this year’s list had 49 court reporters on staff, compared with 40 at last year’s top five.

June

May

  • May 31, 2011 — Just What You Needed: Higher Taxes
    Yahoo Finance and SmartMoney discuss the Social Security tax and how it affects the self-employed freelancer.
  • May 31, 2011 — Stage Aid for Deaf Audience
    The use of electronic captions at cultural theatre venues has been promoted by a group of Jewish deaf and hard of hearing theatre lovers.
  • May 31, 2011 — The Wrongful Conviction as Way of Life
    This article describes wrongful conviction in great detail; Brandon Garrett analyzes the study of many people getting convicted for a crime they didn’t commit.
  • May 25, 2011 — Dropbox Accused of Misleading Customers on Security
    A complaint was filed with the Federal Trade Commission last week alleging that the popular Dropbox file-sharing service has been misleading users about the security and privacy of their files.
  • May 25, 2011 — Livescribe Smartpen Connects with Facebook, Google Docs, and Evernote
    Think about updating your Facebook status with pen and paper or sending an e-mail directly from an old-fashioned notebook (the paper kind).
  • May 25, 2011 — Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing
    Increasing costs are pressuring the manufacturing companies to take a closer look at the various resources that can provide services to the companies on the Internet itself, thereby saving costs and allowing easy access to the stored data.
  • May 25, 2011 — Six Reasons Why Chromebooks Are a Bad Idea
    Not everyone thinks Google's attempt to reinvent the computer will work. When it took the wraps off its stripped down, nothing-but-the-browser Chromebooks this week, Google was attempting its own iPad moment.
  • May 25, 2011 — Stenograph Introduces Built-in WiFi Option for Diamante Writer
    Stenograph recently announced its new, built-in WiFi option for the Diamante writer.
  • May 25, 2011 — Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara Automates
    Anoto Group today announced that the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara is improving efficiency and ergonomics for its clerks by adopting digital pen and paper technology.
  • May 25, 2011 — Technology Boom Triggers Privacy Alarm among Florida Lawyers
    Big Brother is here, and he is us. The conspicuous consumption that drives the market for smartphones and state-of-the-art gaming systems may make privacy -- even privacy expectations guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
  • May 25, 2011 — Technology in the News
    Technology articles in the news.
  • May 25, 2011 — To Skype or not to Skype
    The growth of video communications hit a new milestone on May 10 as Skype, the VoIP peer-to-peer provider, was purchased by Microsoft in a deal worth $8.5 billion.
  • May 25, 2011 — Using "Save As" to Conform to PDF/A
    Using "Save As" is perhaps the easiest way to apply the transformations necessary to existing PDFs, such as embedding fonts, setting color spaces, and the other 20 or so checks that Acrobat can undertake to conform to the PDF/A specification.
  • May 25, 2011 — Using an iPad to Recreate a Scene in a Deposition
    When taking a deposition of an adverse witness, I sometimes want to pin down a witness on exactly where he was standing or where some other events took place.
  • May 17, 2011 — Paulita Kundid Selected to Serve on the Florida Bar Citizens Forum
    NCRA would like to congratulate member Paulita Kundid, FAPR, RPR, CLVS, FPR for her recent selection to the Florida Bar Citizens Forum.
  • May 16, 2011 — Meet the Accidental Entrepreneurs
    The first Fortune story in this article is about a court reporter who acquired so many clients throughout the years that she was able to start her own court reporting firm with employees without even planning on it!
  • May 16, 2011 — Netflix Adds Captioning to iOS Apps
    Adding captioning to movies in Netflix for the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone is going to be a big deal for a lot of people, and Netflix has added that feature today.
  • May 16, 2011 — Technology Can't Replace Court Reporters
    This article defends the court reporting profession and its need for real, live, court reporters instead of technology, which has been introduced as a possible replacement for the profession.
  • May 4, 2011 — California’s Court Reporters Halt Implementation of DAR/ER in State Courts
    In late April, the California Court Reporters Association (CCRA) announced a significant legislative success. Assembly Bill 803 would replace official court reporters with ER in 20 percent of courtrooms per year over the next five years, basically phasing out all officials in the state. CCRA led the fight in defeating this destructive legislation operating a significant grassroots campaign to successfully lobby their state legislators.
  • May 4, 2011 — NCRA's Writing Our Future initiative moves to "Discuss & Debate"
    In March and April, more than 2,800 NCRA members took part in a survey as part of the Writing Our Future initiative. Now, the Board is asking for all members to participate in the "Discuss & Debate" phase of the initiative, which begins with the introduction of discussion threads on the NCRA Forum and online chats scheduled for next week.
  • May 3, 2011 — Montana State Supreme Court Implements Anti-Contracting Language and Gift-Giving Limitations
    In a major victory for the impartiality of the record, the Montana State Supreme Court issued an order, which modified the state’s Rules of Civil Procedure to include anti-contracting language and gift-giving limitations.
  • May 3, 2011 — Strong Grassroots Effort Helps ACRA Defeat Harmful Legislation
    Official court reporters in Arizona were under particular attack from their state legislature during the 2011 legislative session. Two identical bills were introduced in the State Senate and State House, which would replace live court reporters in grand jury proceedings with digital audio recording and digital video recording.
  • May 2, 2011 — Enacting Electronic Records for N.Y. Real Estate
    Electronic recording of official real estate documents has begun to be enacted to cut back on paper use and to better retain information over time.
  • May 2, 2011 — VITAC Captioners Brace for Nonstop Royal Wedding Coverage
    The nation’s largest captioning company, VITAC, provided more than 125 hours of Royal Wedding Coverage last Friday on 10 different national TV networks.

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