Distinguished Service Award

Nominations open Jan. 1, 2026

The purpose of the National Court Reporters Association Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is to encourage and recognize work amounting to distinguished service by individual members of the National Court Reporters Association for the benefit of the reporting and captioning professions.

Nominees may include members who:

• Have worked in the background for many years to further the goals of the profession
• Have devoted countless hours to NCRA or to association affairs
• Have contributed articles to the JCR
• Have been active in legislative or public relations efforts over the years

The award winner will be announced during the Premier Session at the next NCRA Conference & Expo.

The committee may direct that the name of any candidate or candidates not selected be carried forward for consideration by the next year's DSA Committee. To make sure your candidate remains on the list, please submit his/her name each year.

Note: Nominations for the DSA may be submitted only by NCRA voting members or affiliated court reporting associations. See the eligibility requirements below.

Eligibility requirements

A recipient of the Distinguished Service Award shall meet the following qualifications:

• Shall be a Registered Member of the Association in good standing, Registered Retired Member [i.e. RPR (Ret)], or a Registered Retired Lifetime Member who was a member in good standing upon retirement.
• Shall not be acting as a member of the Distinguished Service Award Committee, or as an officer or director of this Association.
• Shall not be an NCRA Past President until three years has elapsed upon conclusion of Board service.
• Shall have been involved in NCRA affairs on an extensive level, during which involvement the candidate shall have rendered distinguished service to this Association, which has contributed to its good reputation, general welfare, or worthy accomplishments.
• The DSA Committee may consider, among other things, services rendered to state and other reporting associations, public affairs and public relations, writing for association publications, and the advancement of the profession.