Reston, VA, April 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, is gearing up to participate in Celebrate Certification Month during May. The 2021 celebration marks the fourth year NCRA members will celebrate their professional growth and share with clients the benefits of choosing a certified professional.
During the monthlong event, members are encouraged to share with customers, clients, and potential clients the importance of working with professionals who hold national certifications. The campaign is also designed to encourage NCRA members and nonmembers to earn a certification or to add to any they already hold. In addition to showing proficiency in various skills, numerous NCRA membership surveys have found that court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers who hold NCRA certifications make more money and are often in higher demand than those who do not hold national certifications.
“Members of NCRA, whether a stenographic court reporter or captioner, instructor, firm owner, or a legal videographer, know that every word matters when it comes to capturing the official record, and so do the letters we earn that we list after our names,” said NCRA President Christine Phipps, RPR, a freelance court reporter and firm owner from North Palm Beach, Fla.
“These letters are more than just an abbreviation. They reflect the investment we have made in ourselves and the commitment we have made to our profession to ensure we deliver the highest level of services possible,” she added.
NCRA offers the following nationally recognized professional certifications:
Registered Skilled Reporter (RSR): NCRA's newest designation, the RSR recognizes those stenographic professionals who are looking to validate their beginning level of competency. Created as a stepping-stone credential to ultimately achieving the Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) designation, the RSR certification will offer the prestige of an NCRA certification for those early in their careers. Candidates do not need to be members of NCRA in order to take the RSR Exam. Candidates must pass three five-minute Skills Tests (SKT) that evaluate their skills in literary at 160 words per minute, jury charge at 180 words per minute, and testimony/Q&A at 200 words per minute, with a 95 percent accuracy rate on each leg to pass.
Registered Professional Reporter (RPR): RPR stenographic court reporters are among the top contributors to the profession in terms of technology, reporting skills, and professional practices. The RPR has been offered since 1937, and many states currently accept or use the certification testing in place of a state certification or licensing exams. RPRs have passed tests requiring them to write up to 225 words per minute with a 95 percent accuracy rate. Currently, nearly 5,700 NCRA members hold the RPR certification. Registered Merit Reporter (RMR): RMRs must hold the RPR and have shown the ability to write at speeds of up to 260 words per minute with a 95 percent accuracy rate. Currently, more than 1,620 NCRA members hold the RMR certification.
Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR): The RDR designates the highest level of certification available to court reporters and distinguishes high-level, seasoned reporters as members of the profession’s elite. Currently, just over 500 NCRA members hold the RDR certification.
Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR): The CRR recognizes a realtime reporter’s knowledge of current technologies and a high proficiency of at least a 96 percent accuracy rate at speeds up to 200 words per minute. Realtime reporting instantly translates the spoken word to text, allowing for an immediate transcription of proceedings. Currently, more than 2,300 NCRA members hold the CRR certification.
Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC): CRCs have passed a skills test, a written exam, and attended an educational workshop. The CRC tests for competence and provides quality education to those who are interested in entering the captioning field. Currently, nearly 800 NCRA members hold the CRC certification.
Certified Legal Video Specialist (CLVS): CLVSs hold a high level of skill and understanding of all aspects of video deposition recording, court proceedings, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and
The court reporting and captioning professions offer viable career choices that do not require a four-year college degree and yet offer good salaries, flexible schedules, and interesting venues. There is currently an increasing demand for more reporters and captioners to meet the growing number of employment opportunities available nationwide and abroad. 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 recording legal cases 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.
To arrange an interview with a working court reporter or captioner, 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 14,000 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.
Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to be one of the fastest areas of projected employment growth across all occupations. According to 247/WallSt.com, the court reporting profession ranks sixth out of 25 careers with the lowest unemployment rate, just 0.7 percent. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree—can be found at NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.