News

The VCRA is very excited to announce the relaunch of our VCRA Voluntary Certified Court Reporter Program. As you are likely aware, the CCR, which is administered by the Virginia Court Reporters Association, is the only state-based certification for court reporters in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We have endeavored to update the program to better reflect our changing industry and provide new avenues for obtaining CEUs.

While we have made changes, the core requirements for the CCR remain the same. To qualify, one must be a member of the VCRA in good standing and abide by all rules, policies, and procedures of the program and the VCRA. Once approved, the member must obtain 2.0 CEUs each three-year cycle.

Our relaunched CCR program now provides greater flexibility for obtaining and applying CEUs. As always, CEUs can be obtained by attending NCRA-, NVRA- and VCRA-sponsored events. Now, CEUs can also be obtained for providing pro bono services, attending college courses and serving on a VCRA board or committee. Additionally, if you exceed 2.0 CEUs in a given three-year cycle, a portion of those CEUs may be carried over into the new cycle.

Along with this relaunch, the VCRA plans to aggressively promote the CCR to the Virginia legal community. We want attorneys and paralegals to know that, if they hire a CCR, they are in good hands. To this end, the VCRA has created a new logo for the CCR designation. Reporters who have their CCR are free to use this logo in marketing and all other communications.

We know many of you have proudly displayed your CCR designation on your business card for years, and we hope the changes we have implemented will further advance this program. If you’re a Professional member without a CCR designation, we hope you’ll consider applying. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the CCR Committee at ccr@vcra.net.

With warm regards,

The Virginia Court Reporters Association Board of Directors

Dear VCRA members, sponsors, vendors, speakers and friends,

After careful consideration of the comments from members and the widespread health risks posed by COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 Convention scheduled for October 22-24 in Lynchburg, VA. Due to the circumstances, all registration fees will be fully refunded and checks will be mailed to all registrants. The hotel has been very gracious in working with us throughout this difficult time. We ask that you cancel your room reservation as soon as possible to allow the hotel to open those rooms up for other reservations, if possible. The number for The Virginian Hotel is 434-329-3200.

Please know that this decision was not taken lightly. Having the opportunity to interact with our members in person is our favorite time of the year. However, the ongoing pandemic has made the logistics of holding a large in-person event paired with health risks while traveling for our members increasingly difficult. Most importantly, the health, comfort and safety of our members, speakers and vendors are our highest priority.

VCRA is working on a virtual program to offer CEUs for this November, and details will follow soon. We appreciate your patience as we strive to work through the logistics of the cancellation and finalizing an enjoyable and educational virtual experience for you.

VCRA Board of Directors

In keeping with VCRA's bylaws, Article XII, Amendments, Section 2, we are notifying you of proposed bylaw amendment changes 60 days prior to the annual business meeting set for October 24, 2020, in Lynchburg, Virginia. Please go to the link below to review.

Click here to review proposed bylaw amendments.

Hopefully this message finds you adjusting to your new normal. It definitely has been a whirlwind of constant changes the past three months and, for most, extremely stressful keeping up with: the informational webinars, online platform trainings, electronic sticker marking, knowing what are the electronic notary rules, will I get unemployment or PPP or EIDL, does this mask offend anyone, and listening to the voices through the computer say, “Can you hear me now?”

There have been some wonderful and less exhausting events. We’ve had some virtual Zoom happy hours that have been informational and fun. I know some reporters have enjoyed the downtime to visit with family or help family.

The board of VCRA has been staying very busy for you. You’ll see in this issue a Q & A article about the electronic notary. Though I had a very pleasant conversation with the Commonwealth Notary Commission Office, I was unable to get responses to the questions. It just solidifies for me, as your president, as a reporter, as an agency owner, how our profession has very little guidance even with a notary license. They just don’t know what to do with us. We don’t fit into the typical notary practice. I do plan to have our voices be heard in a different venue, virus or no virus.

The convention committee has spoken with the hotel and we have peace of mind knowing we can successfully hold our convention with social distancing. Their ballroom is more than adequate to accommodate social distancing for our seminars and meals being served by staff.

We added a Facebook Members-Only page to help lend clarity when members are reaching out for help or to discuss topics that pertain to Virginia procedures so not to be confused by other wonderful state’s suggestions. Our volunteer seamstresses Michele Eddy, Tasiana Basdekis, and Rose Marie Adams created three different style masks to give to our members. The idea was thought of early on. Once we saw there was no escaping wearing them, the material we had preselected was ordered and they were fast at work.

We had our first board meeting in person with social distancing in Richmond on June 20. I feel so blessed to have a great board working for us. They are enthusiastic, have tons of ideas, are implementing those ideas, and are always speaking about what is best for the members. With social distancing in place, one of the hardest things to plan for is career education days. We still don’t know what the school schedule is going to look like, but we have some ideas of how to bring attention to our profession.

On behalf of our members, I wrote to VTLA to remind them to go to VCRA’s membership directory for hiring a court reporter. We have CCRs that take their continuing education serious like they do. Why wouldn’t they want to reach out to you for reporting services first, right? We all stick together to be the best that we can, so why wouldn’t they want the best!

Also, I wrote on behalf of VCRA to the Supreme Court Task Force on Jury Trials requesting they consider putting a court reporter on their task force to give input on bench conferences, seeing witnesses without a mask to testify, courtroom setup, and the like.

Finally, I leave you with this little story and thought that popped into my head walking my dog a few weeks ago. We’re going around the lake like we usually do for our afternoon stroll, and I say hello to fellow neighbors passing by. Most are wearing masks. I notice that they don’t look up. They barely say hello. It’s as if looking down will keep them safe. It’s as if not saying a word will keep me safe. We have to take precautions, yes. But we cannot look down. We cannot stay silent. When reporting remotely, if you can’t hear, say something. We have to protect the record. It’s our job. When together in a room, hold your head up high. You are the MVP, as one attorney just told me today. Be the strong protector of the record. Spread your love of the profession, not your germs: get your free member mask.

Looking forward sharing in an educational and roaring fun time with you October 23 in Lynchburg, VA.

Donna Linton, RMR,CCR,CLR

VCRA President

The membership level "Professional without CCR" has been renamed to "Professional."  Besides the name change, all other aspects of this membership level remain the same.

We are excited to announce the VCRA Members Group on Facebook, a brand new membership benefit.  This is a private Facebook group for VCRA members only where you can ask questions, get to know your fellow members and have fun!

To join, simply click the link below and request to join the group.  Of course, you need to be a member of VCRA (Join here). The $50 Membership Drive is still running!

Join Now!

With warm regards,

The Virginia Court Reporters Association Board of Directors

Policies and Procedures:

• The VCRA Members Group is to be utilized in a manner that encourages informative and effective communication and discussion.

• Members are encouraged to share advice, ask questions, and share ideas with each other respectfully and professionally.

• Administrators and moderators have discretion to remove posts that do not comply with these policies. Posts that are deemed personal, business, or political attacks will be removed immediately.

• The opinions expressed by members of the group do not reflect those of the VCRA.

I certainly didn’t think I would be writing my first President’s Message as your president without having our convention and annual board meeting. These are definitely unique times we’re living through, and as one reporter, Anita Glover pointed out, would rather be reading about them in history.

The Roaring ‘20s we are living in a very different way than we imagined. We’re certainly not able to live it up with themed gatherings or even able to celebrate momentous occasions. This virus has affected us all in our professional lives as well. Yet I have noticed how so many have reached out with support, financial information, free trainings, free dictations, free grammar classes, discounts on maintenance and remote services, and the list goes on. You see the evidence daily of what a great group of professionals we are, helping each other, supporting each other, despite some differences of opinions we had prior to the virus on licensure, methods, rates.

Times like these can bring out the worst in people, as the expression is used. It’s panic. It’s normal. A lot of reporters are geared to feast or famine, and it seems this is a famine none of us have seen. But we are all in this together. We’re not the only profession that is having to adjust and adapt. One thing to keep in mind to adapt is living in the moment. Life doesn’t wait for us to get over our imaginary fears and worries. It’s going to keep moving on. Move on with it is what you have control over. Take this time now to embrace new technology so you can move on with it. Remote depositions might become a more routine avenue for deposing out-of-state witnesses after all of this is over with to save attorneys’ clients’ money for travel. It will save you as the reporter the cost of parking, high tolls, wear and tear on your vehicle. And it is certainly going to give you more quality time at home and time to get your transcripts out faster. I know, for me, that is something I want to embrace.

VCRA has been working hard to help get the Governor to enter an emergency order to allow those having difficulty obtaining their electronic notary to keep the wheels of justice rolling along and keeping us a part of it. VCRA has been helping members and nonmembers successfully submit their electronic notary applications. VCRA has written to the VA Lawyers Weekly to let them know that many of VCRA’s members have their electronic notary license and are Zoom proficient and ready to work for their subscribers. VCRA has been here to answer your questions the best we can. We want to thank all of the members for your contributions and suggestions towards these efforts, especially Linda Kia and Misty Klapper.

Your new VCRA board wants to thank all of our registrants, speakers, vendors and sponsors for your patience while we successfully worked through the logistics in the most cost-effective way possible to move the convention to October. We are so looking forward to seeing everyone there and the fall leaves will be a hit as well as our speakers.

We still have a ways to go to get through this quarantine. Please feel free to reach out to VCRA for any help you may need or suggestions you have. We wish you much good health and happiness and please don’t forget…wash your hands.

Donna Linton, RMR,CCR,CLR

VCRA President

The VCRA is running a membership drive!  If you are brand new to the VCRA or if you were previously a member but haven't been a member for the past three years, you're qualified to join for only $50 (with CCR, $75).  If that wasn't incentive enough, your membership will be valid through July 1, 2021!

So what are you waiting for?  Join the association that is fighting for court reporters in Virginia, and take advantage of Early Bird member pricing for our 2020 Convention this March!  See you in Lynchburg!

What Membership Does For You

- VCRA fought off electronic recording going into Williamsburg and Norfolk courts.
- VCRA helped to push through SB 545, stopping contracting and keeping impartiality.
- VCRA has socials for reporters throughout the state to stay in touch.
- VCRA gives you opportunities for CEUs and special training.
- VCRA keeps you informed of legislative matters that concern you and your career.
- VCRA members get exclusive access to our quarterly newsletter.
- Remember, numbers speak volumes.  As individuals, we’re weaker; together, we’re stronger.

Those who qualify:

• People who have never been a member of the VCRA
• Former members who have not had an active membership for the past three years

To receive the discount: 

Enter VCRASTRONG in the box marked "Enter discount code" on the application. 

Click here to join now!

(Eligibility will be confirmed before application is approved.  Discount only applies to Professional with/without CCR applicants.  If you have any questions, please reach out to the Executive Director at executive-director@vcra.net.)