News

“The heat is on…the heat is on, on, on….” I think that’s an ‘80’s song. It’s summertime, and the heat sure has been on. It’s about to get even hotter in Vegas and Georgia. NVRA has their annual convention July 29 in Savannah, Georgia, and one of our student liaisons, Monica Anderson, will be attending, as well as take her first certification test. We all wish her well and look forward to hearing how the convention goes in Savannah. The board had to designate their two NCSA delegates to serve for the 2021/2022 year and who were to attend in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 28 through the 30th. VCRA put forth a resolution regarding NCRA giving states some more advanced notice of their virtual webinars and conventions by sharing a Google calendar, as an example. Some states were taken by surprise to learn after having been approved for their March virtual seminars that NCRA was going to hold one on the same date. We don’t want our members to have to struggle with making a choice of whether to attend and support their national association or their state association on the same day. We’re also going to roll the dice and have our first social for VCRA members that are in Las Vegas after the annual business meeting. If you’re planning to attend NVRA convention or NCRA convention, please reach out and let me know. I would love for Monica to meet you in Georgia, and we’d love to see you in Vegas at Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill.

Your board is planning to have their first in-person board meeting since June 2020 on Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Charlottesville with a social thereafter. Please save the date, and we’ll keep you posted on the details. Members are more than welcome to attend board meetings. We’re working for you. And you’re always more than welcome to work on committees. The more members involved, the more unity and strength we have in numbers.

I have so enjoyed members reaching out asking questions or looking for guidance. It is what I signed up for, to be helpful and to guide. It’s what the whole board signed up for. Any association’s goal is to help its members, as well as show solidarity and strength in their profession. I know the more seasoned reporters can remember first joining associations to get mentorship, make connections to find agencies to work for, to learn how to handle certain situations, to become stronger in their skill set. Wasn’t it worth it? It sure was to me. I know many students have come through and expressed how invaluable it has been to them. And the seasoned reporters want to continue to be involved to keep up with the ever-changing technology, commiserate, share war stories, and share solutions. Some have even become agency owners themselves and network to find reporters to help cover their clients. It is a win-win.

Our Lawyer and Paralegal Liaison Committee sponsored and put together a video for the Virginia State Bar Association’s virtual convention. It was so nice to be thanked for our support, and you can see that at VCRA’s Facebook page. We promoted hiring our members and agencies for assignments, explained our CCR program and how it’s the only body of certified court reporters in Virginia. We stressed scheduling early with agencies, as well as utilizing VCRA’s Pro Bono member volunteers.

I don’t know how every single court in Virginia works their security, but in Fairfax, they stopped giving out badges to court reporters unless they were part of the reporting pool for the criminal docket. I have become, quite honestly, tired of feeling like a criminal having to take off my shoes, step on an icky floor in paper shoes way too big for my size 6 feet, and be interrogated over the material in my new hips. I’ve had reporters express frustration over having “the list” taken away and having to go through the security scrutiny. I have written a letter to Fairfax Circuit Court chief judge and sheriff’s department asking them to reconsider giving badges to Virginia Court Reporter Association members. The biggest reason I was told they would not give us badges is because there was no governing body with which to complain to in order reprimand us, sanction us, like the lawyers are members of the bar association, so they can go to the bar associations for reprimanding. Gee, if we only had our licensure bill passed, we would have a governing body, right? Well, I’m suggesting that if they’re Virginia Court Reporter Association members, then there is a body with which to file a complaint. We have a CCR ethics complaint system in place. You wonder what would we be reprimanded for? Usually leaving the cell phone on, talking on the cell phone in court. Oh, it has happened.

I want to share something that came up in the last couple weeks. As many of you know, I have my own homegrown agency. I had a client reach out to me to express frustration over large price quotes to receive copies of two-hour depositions regular delivery. He explained there were exorbitant charges from the big-box agency that doesn’t even have a home office in the Commonwealth to the tune of $1,000. He also shared how the defense counsel forced to use the big-box agencies are not too happy either with their services. I discussed his option of filing a complaint in court because of the anti-contracting legislation that is in place. His idea was to just hire his own court reporter not to be the official record but just so he could purchase a reasonably priced transcript he could give to his expert witnesses. He’d be paying an original price to get a transcript that would be cheaper than the big-box agency’s cost for a copy. Now, big-box agencies are touting the shortage of court reporters. Is this really a good use of resources? Do you agencies and reporters really want to lose out on copy sales? I suggest those engaged in such practices rethink their business model. You are hurting your business and reporters’ livelihoods if this takes off as a practice utilized by attorneys who are fed up.

I hope everyone is able to go somewhere on vacation now that restrictions have been lifted. We all work hard and need time away to rejuvenate. I hope you all have a fabulous summer!

Donna Linton, RMR,CCR,CLR

VCRA President

It is hard to believe we are almost at the halfway mark of the year!   And it is that time of the year to renew your valuable membership. 

For the past few years, the Board has discussed the need to raise the membership dues.  They actually haven’t been raised since 2005.  That’s over 15 years.  We were planning to implement it last year, but due to the unknown of what financial impact COVID would have, we postponed.  For Professional membership, the dues will now be $120.  For Professional members who hold a CCR, the renewal price will be $150 ($120 membership dues + $30 CCR renewal fee). 

The Board has been getting the word out about the CCR, the only state-level certification program in the Commonwealth.  We have promoted it to paralegal associations and bar associations by sponsoring and attending their virtual conventions and meetings.  The dues increase will allow us to promote it even more enthusiastically in the coming years.  We are letting everyone know VCRA members are their only go-to professionals in the Commonwealth.  

Save the date for Saturday, October 2^nd for VCRA’s Virtual Wellness Webinar and Friday, March 25^th through Sunday, March 27^th, 2022, for the much anticipated in-person Roaring ‘20’s convention, in Lynchburg, Virginia.  We can’t wait to see you!

Finally, renew early, and you could win!  Members who renew between now and June 15^th will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card.  Renewal reminders will start arriving in inboxes in about a week, but if you’d like to renew now, please click this link.

Membership is a crucial part of VCRA’s mission to promote our profession.  We are stronger together.  Thank you for your continued support!

With warm regards,

Donna L. Linton, RMR-CCR-CLR

President, VCRA

Spring has sprung, and more reporters are springing into action with in-person jury trials. There is a sense of happiness to be getting back into some normalcy with seeing friends and family in person, and apprehension about having to dress up and commute for job assignments. Some would be happy not to ever have to attempt a remote deposition or nonjury trial again. I’ve found it all depends on the quality of the WiFi and It’s not about the reporter being afraid of the technology.

We definitely had more people comfortable attending virtually when we held our second virtual continuing education event on Saturday, March 20 for Spring Education Day. Our attendance doubled from November’s Zoomvention. It was a great success due to our generous sponsors and donators, our over 40 raffle prize winners, and fantastic speakers Margie Wakeman Wells and Kristina Tan. They got fantastic reviews, and we will be sure to have them back again soon. We had attendees share their past vacation photos. It was so nice to see the places people have traveled and enjoyed themselves. The survey results had everyone saying even when we can get together in person, for convenience, they would still like to see remote opportunities for CEUs. We will definitely be taking this feedback into consideration.

We also announced on March 20 the results of our 2021/2022 election. Welcome to our new board members Linda Kia, Monica Anderson, and Alicia Greenland. We were really sad to see our student liaison Zelma Lee have to leave us after her two-year term was up, and we look forward to seeing her name on the ballot next year for a board position when she graduates. Lori McCoin Jones stepped off the board, but she will be helping out on committees when she can.

If you’re an electronic notary, I’m sure you received the email from the Notary Commission pertaining to HB2064. Not on VCRA’s behalf, but on my own behalf, I did write the following: “I need clarification. Are you wishing the certification page of deposition transcripts to have this information – location of notary at time of administering the oath and whether remote or in person – or is this just for notarizing documents?” Response: “This is information that must be included in the notarial area of an electronic notarizations.” I wrote back: “When court reporters/notaries are swearing in a witness electronically, via Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, et cetera, do you consider that an electronic notary act where we have to put this information on our certification page that gets attached to the back of a transcript attesting to the fact that we swore the witness in, we’re not a party to the case, we have no financial interest in the outcome?” Okay. I realize that was quite a long sentence. Their response: “Please refer to the Handbook for information on allowed notarial acts and requirements. If it is not specifically listed, your question would be legal in nature and you will need to contact an attorney for guidance.”

We’ve included in the newsletter the actual HB2064 bill, and I am going to reach out to the original authors to find out what their intent was. VCRA has already consulted a lawyer in the past about interpretations of the Handbook and at this point, as your president, I’ve gone in circles more than once with this with the Supreme Court and Notary Commission.

Back in February I wrote to the Attorney General, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Supreme Court about issues members have brought to us of email solicitations from overseas to do transcription, the notary questions that have continued to come up, concerns about pressing record on Zoom in place of a videographer, and anti-contracting laws not being enforced.

Since we’re still under an Executive Emergency Order, education days have been virtual. The Education Committee made a video to share for virtual high school career days and had its first showing was at South Lakes High School located in Reston, Virginia. We’re reaching out to guidance counselors across the state to attend their virtual career days.

You can read the January board meeting minutes to see what the board has been working on. If you would like to participate on a committee, please let us know. We are always looking for new ideas and perspective, and you will make a difference. One of the greatest rewards of donating your time to the board is the friends you make. One of the other greatest rewards is knowing you are helping so many people.

We are hoping to have a board meeting in person in September and a social after. And we are very much looking forward to seeing everyone in Lynchburg for our much anticipated in-person convention March 25-27, 2022, with our headline speaker Mark Kislingbury. Be sure to save that date... again.

Donna Linton, RMR,CCR,CLR

VCRA President

The recipients of the 2021 Tayloe and Pro Bono Awards were announced at the VCRA Virtual Spring Education Day on March 20th, 2021.  Below are the videos of the announcements.  Congratulations to Gwenda Applegate for winning the Tayloe Award and Rose Adams for winning the Pro Bono Award!

Tayloe Award

Pro Bono Award

The VCRA would like to thank the sponsors and donors who helped make our Virtual Spring Education Day possible!

Our Virtual Spring Education Day was held on March 20th, 2021, and we're happy to say it was huge success!  90 attendees, great speakers and dozens of prizes given away (and don't forget the now famous wheel of names)!  Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to make this Education Day so great!

Greetings VCRA voting members,

We hope you are planning to join us on Saturday, March 20, 2021, for our Virtual Spring Education Day.  Due to COVID restrictions, we currently are prohibited from gathering together indoors in groups larger than 10; and, therefore, it once again will be necessary that our election of officers and directors will need to be held electronically to allow our new Board of Directors to begin serving the membership of VCRA and fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.  Our current Bylaws do not have a provision for electronic voting and require that at least 20 voting members be present at a meeting where elections are held.

In light of the current governmental ban prohibiting such gatherings due to COVID-19 restrictions, the VCRA Board of Directors is once again requesting our membership vote to suspend, for these special purposes only, Article IX, Section 3(b) and Section 4 of the Bylaws. Our complete Bylaws may be located at VCRA.net, but the pertinent sections regarding the election read as follows:

Section 3 – Voting
b) Voting of the membership by proxy on any issue, or for officers and directors, shall be permitted when such action is authorized by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Board of Directors and such proxy is delivered with the notice of the meeting and shall be permissible by mail, e-mail, or fax.

Section 4 – Quorum of Professional Members
At the annual business meeting or any meeting of this Association, twenty-five percent (25%) of voting members present, in person or by proxy, constitute a quorum, provided that no fewer than twenty (20) voting members are physically present. The action of a majority of the voting members at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall constitute the action of the voting members.

If you would like to submit any write-in candidates to be considered for election on the board, please send an e-mail to Liz Phillips at vcraexecutivedirector@gmail.com by March 17, 2021.

The complete ballot with instructions will be available beginning on March 18, 2021, and there will be a 36-hour window in which to cast your vote. 

Announcement of voting results will be posted by Saturday, March 20, 2021.

Please see the introduction to the incoming officers and directors below.

With warm regards,

The Virginia Court Reporters Association Board of Directors

Buy more raffle tickets on the VCRA Store online

If you've already registered or if you are unable to attend our Education Day, you can now purchase raffle tickets on the VCRA Store on VCRA.net!  You do not need to be present at the time of the drawings to win, and one ticket enters you into drawings for all the prizes.  This is one of the largest raffles we've ever held, so buy those tickets!

Click here to buy raffle tickets

More prizes added to the Spring Education Day raffle

If the seven amazing prizes in our Spring Education Day raffle weren't enough encouragement to buy a ticket (or 10), we are adding two more awesome items, bringing the total to nine.  One ticket enters you into drawings for all of them!

Martel Zoom Court Reporter Teleconference and Audiosync Kit - Compatible with all CAT programs One on One Help with Support!

($199.99 value)
Donated by Martel

Choice of Saverna Leather Tote (various colors) or Canvas Messenger Bag

($53.00 to $107.00 value)

Donated by Andrea Paige

Got questions for Stenograph?

Stenograph representative Andrea Paige will be available to answer those questions in the Zoom chat during our Virtual Spring Education Day lunch break!

Court Reporting & Captioning Week was a huge success this year.  The VCRA received recognition from the Governor and on the floor of the Virginia House by Delegate David Reid.  We held Tech Talk Tuesday to answer members' tech questions, gave out daily prizes and more. 

The NCRA held a drawing for all states who received official proclamations for one free registration to NCRA’s 2021 Conference & Expo happening July 29-Aug. 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we won!