RESTON, Va., January 26, 2023 — The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners and legal videographers, has designated Feb. 4-11 as 2023 National Court Reporting & Captioning Week, and the Nebraska Court Reporters Association (NeCRA) is joining in the celebration.

The weeklong event themed “Steno, always in my heart” brings court reporters, captioners, court reporting firms, schools and others in the legal industry together to help showcase what makes court reporting and captioning a viable career choice. Those reasons include a quicker entrance into the workforce since a four-year degree is not required, great salaries, flexibility of schedule, interesting venues and the increasing demand for more reporters and captioners to meet the growing number of employment opportunities available in the field. 

NeCRA hosted a kick-off networking happy hour on Friday, February 3, in Omaha for all Nebraska stenographic reporters and students.  Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen will present a proclamation during a ceremony at the State Capitol recognizing the week as National Court Reporting and Captioning Week. In addition, the Association, individual members and students alike will bring the court reporting and captioning careers to the attention of social media users across a variety of platforms with their use of the hashtag #CRCW2023.  “The event sends a message about the important and vital role human court reporters and captioners play in providing the most accurate mode of capturing the spoken word and turning it into text,” said Tina Nelson, RMR, CRR, NeCRA vice president. “This career is a hidden gem, and NeCRA is spreading the word that the job possibilities are endless. Being a freelance court reporter my entire career, I have primarily reported depositions in settings as varied as meticulously furnished conference rooms to cramped county jail rooms and everything in between. I’ve also had opportunities to report federal court hearings, workers’ compensation trials, school board disciplinary meetings and provided CART (computer-aided real-time translation) for a hard-of-hearing student at a local university campus. There are so many unique ways to use this skillset; you can find your niche or explore all of them.”  The 2023 event marks the 11th year NCRA has hosted the celebration.

Court reporters and captioners rely on the latest in technology to use stenographic machines to capture the spoken word and translate it into written text in real time. These professionals work both in and out of the courtroom reporting legal hearings and depositions, providing live captioning of events, and assisting members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities with gaining access to information, entertainment, educational opportunities and more. 

If you are looking for a career that is on the cutting edge of technology, that offers the opportunity to work at home or abroad, if you have an interest in the legal system or helping the deaf and hard-of hearing community, if you excel at grammar and spelling, then the fields of court reporting and captioning are careers you should explore. NeCRA is excited to announce that Metropolitan Community College in Omaha is exploring the possibility of launching a court reporting program in the fall of 2023. For continuing updates on this topic, please visit www.necra.us.

The NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program is a free online six-to-eight-week introductory course that lets participants see if a career in court reporting or captioning would be a good choice for them. The program is an introductory course in stenographic theory and provides participants with the opportunity to learn the basics of writing on a steno machine. There is no charge to take the course, but participants are required to have access to a steno machine or an iPad they can use to download an iStenoPad app. 

The NCRA A to Z programs are taught by volunteer professionals working in the court reporting and captioning arenas who also share insights into the many aspects of court reporting and captioning that make it a viable profession, including good salaries, flexibility, interesting venues, and the increasing demand for more reporters and captioners to meet the growing number of employment opportunities available in the field.

To arrange an interview with a working court reporter, captioner, or a current court reporting student, or to learn more about the lucrative and flexible court reporting or captioning professions and the many job opportunities currently available, contact pr@ncra.org. 

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has been internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 12,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator, and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership.