Distinguished Service Award

Nominations open Jan. 1, 2026

The purpose of the National Court Reporters Association Distinguished Service Award is to encourage and to recognize work amounting to distinguished service by individual members of the National Court Reporters Association for the benefit of the reporting and captioning professions. That may include members who have worked in the background for many years to further the goals of our profession; who have devoted endless hours to NCRA or state association affairs; who have contributed articles to the JCR; or who have been active in the legislative or public relations fields over the years.

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 by NCRA voting members or by affiliated court reporting associations. See below for more information.

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 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.

Performance criteria

• A candidate for the DSA shall be a Registered Member of the Association in good standing, or a Registered Retired Member or Registered Retired Lifetime Member who was a member in good standing upon retirement.
• The candidate 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.