News

Happy 2021 to you!  I started writing this message on New Year’s Day.  As I sat, watched, and listened to Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest, I pondered the video footage of 2019’s year-end celebration in comparison.  We had no idea back on December 31, 2019, what awaited us.  I for one sure was looking forward to VCRA’s Roaring 2020 convention and getting a lot of wear out of my flapper dress during the year.  It was to be the year of celebration and excitement.  And it turned out to be a year of learning a lot of new things and FAST.  The phrase “new normal” was in our daily speech.  We all have had to overcome a lot of challenges, but we did it, and we still will continue to do it because there is no other option.

And now I pick up writing on Saturday the 9th.  What a week it’s been.  I’ve talked to a few reporters this week who have shared that though they are enjoying being remote, they are mentally exhausted from all the screen time, the sad news coming from our nation’s Capitol, the COVID numbers rising, tired of feeling isolated, tired of not being able to go where they want and when they want, tired of the mask.  

As your president, I’ll admit:  Personally, I’ve had my days of feeling over-whelmed and tired of not being able to be with family and friends freely.  As your president, I’ll admit:  It’s exciting to work with the board and plan events and keep us moving forward in positive momentum.

The board has planned our first Virtual Spring Education Day for March 20, and at the request of the members, not having it be all day.  You can find details in the newsletter.  We’re going to have some fantastically useful items up for raffle as well.  We will be holding our annual election of board members electronically the week of March 14 and announcing results on Education Day.  We are also working on presenting other virtual opportunities throughout the year with another half day and software-specific training.   With COVID still among us and slow rollout of vaccine, it’s just best to accept that this is the safest alternative for earning CEUs and being together.   We’re hoping, fingers crossed, we can have an in-person social in September.

We have quite a few things planned for Court Reporting & Captioning Week, which is February 6 through 13.  We’re going to “kick” it off with a Super Bowl Half Time raffle.  Be watchful of your emails for how you can participate in this week of recognition of you!

We’ve noticed a lot of discussion about recording the video at attorneys’ request.  Reporters are an impartial party doing their reporting job and it’s always best to direct counsel to hiring a professional videographer for quality and usable video, especially to be synched.  In today’s Town Hall, NCRA President Phipps said they are working on a best-practices guideline for that.

We want to give a shout out to the reporters working on the Hill January 6th.  You worked until the wee hours the following morning with what looked like nerves of steel.  Professionalism for us all to work by.

At first glance, things may not appear to be what they really are.  I was shocked to find out I misread this.  Why did I misread this?  Was it the photograph I was more fixated on?  Was it my jumping to conclusions of just seeing the first couple of words with the photograph as to what the full message was about?   And why did I do that?  What did you first read it as?

We all can admit we have done it.  We probably are surprised when we get an errata sheet back that we missed that word, glossed over that word.   It could have been just a bad day or we just need to slow our brains down, take a break, go back to it before sending out.

We all have our own opinions and feelings.  That’s what makes us unique.  We all have our own paces with which we work or how we perform tasks.  This year, let’s make it a goal, a resolution, to have empathy and   respect for  each reporter's preferences for remote versus in person, good days versus bad days, likes and dislikes.  

We have each other and a great profession.  It’s a gift.  Let’s hold onto that as we move forward through 2021.

Donna Linton, RMR,CCR,CLR
VCRA President

For a COVID year, your board has been busier than any other year. I have to say again how blessed I feel to have such a dedicated, energetic, enthusiastic group to work with for this association. We have had to have more emergency pop-up meetings than ever in VCRA’s history. We have come across, as many professions have come across, the necessity to add new policies to conform to the new circumstances we are living in.

We were disappointed to have to postpone our convention at Lynchburg again due to COVID. Based on the questionnaire and feedback, even if registrants weren’t worried about COVID, they would find wearing a mask for that many hours uncomfortable and it just wouldn’t be as fun if we had to maintain such distance. The Virginian was amazing to work with and we’re happy to say we’re keeping the date March 2022 in place with them and Mark Kislingbury. We would have loved to make it for 2021, but due to what we’re hearing with when Jepson Hall would take reservations again, when movie theatres would be playing long-awaited movies, when courts will have trials, when other associations are still planning virtual conventions into mid-2021, we felt it safest to lock in a realistic date.

BUT...we have moved quickly to put together a one-day virtual convention on Saturday, November 14, that will include our beloved 50/50, some fantastic door prizes, and a social for registrants at the end of the day. By now you have received the information. We just can’t get enough tech advice and Kristina Tan and Michele Eddy will have their latest and greatest tips. We also will have John Stirrup there to help us feel comfortable going to our representatives with issues that concern us and how to establish a relationship with our representatives. We’ll also get a recap on the efforts for the last bill and have open Q&A. And we’ll have national award-winning health journalist Pilar Gerasimo to talk about our circadian rhythms and more. You won’t want to miss it.

Speaking of pushing things out because of COVID, we have followed guidelines for the retention of our notes for seven years on civil matters. You may want to just hold onto them two or so years longer because of trials being pushed off. I’ve had trials scheduled to go March 2021 and being told they’ll get back to me for a date in 2023. Yes, 2023. So I thought, gosh, I started depositions in that case in 2014. We’re just going to need a little bit more cloud storage.

We have had so many of our members turn to us for assistance in getting answers to questions that we are happy to give or get the answers to if we don’t already know it.

As mentioned in the summer issue, we tried to get answers to questions that, yes, still keep coming up about where the reporter needs to be to swear in the witness, do you need to ask to see their ID, do you need to record the ID and oath. Christopher Reho, your membership chair, and I met with two associates of the Supreme Court of Virginia via WebEx to express the concerns members have brought before us. I particularly brought up security concerns about asking for ID in front of other participants on camera, keeping that recording, storing that recording, and why is it a judge or a clerk, even in person, never asks to see the ID of a witness before they’re sworn in? Shouldn’t we be governed by the same rules? The Secretary of the Commonwealth has stated it sounds like our duties should fall under the court system, yet we’re directed back to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the Supreme Court. The Commonwealth Electronic Notary Handbook says we have to ask for their ID. We gave examples of how other states are giving Supreme Court mandates regarding

the court reporters’ duties, this would forego having to follow the Electronic Notary Handbook, which really seems to be geared more towards signing agents. We discussed the questions we commonly get: Does it have to be a Virginia case and you can swear a witness in that is located in another state? Does the reporter have to be in Virginia to administer the oath? We were directed by the Supreme Court back to legal counsel (trust me, we’ve done that), to continue to reach out to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office, and Statute Va. Code Va. Code 47.1-6.1. Do I have a plan C for getting us clarity? You betcha.

National Paralegal Day is October 23. Reach out to a paralegal and let them know you appreciate them. VCRA has reached out to the various paralegal associations throughout the Commonwealth during Virginia’s Paralegal Week. We have come up with some of their input of what they would like to see from reporters and we have shared with them what reporters would like. It also encourages them to utilize reporting services from our member CCRs.

I, for one, am happy not to be sweating…sweating from summer and sweating from worry. We do have a convention! And the fall leaves are beautiful. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, November 14.

Donna Linton, RMR,CCR,CLR

VCRA President

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.