RESTON, Va. – National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) President Cindy Isaacsen, RPR, an official court reporter from Shawnee, Kansas, joined leaders from three branches of government to participate in a special virtual nationwide third grade mock trial event held Sept. 17 in recognition of national Constitution Day. NCRA is the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers.
The third grade mock trial program was launched 10 years ago by the Hon. Robert J. Wonnell of the Kansas 10th Judicial District Court in Olathe. The first event was held at Forest View Elementary School. Since its inception, the program has expanded beyond those classrooms to all elementary schools within the state. This year’s event marks the first time the event has gone viral nationwide.
Isaacsen, who holds the nationally recognized professional designation of Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) and is an official court reporter for the 10th Judicial District Court in Olathe, joined the Hon. Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Hon. Marla Luckert of the Kansas Supreme Court, Gov. Matt Meyer of Delaware, and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran from Kansas.
“Court reporters play a vital role in preserving the integrity of our judicial system and ensuring accurate records of legal proceedings,” said Isaacsen, who has participated in a number of mock trial events held in conjunction with the 10th Judicial District Court. “We are honored to participate in this important initiative to strengthen civic understanding and engagement among young Americans and to help introduce them to the court reporting profession.”
The national mock trial event and others like it aim to highlight the importance of civic education and encourage greater public participation in democratic processes. The participation of leaders from federal and state levels underscores the bipartisan commitment to fostering civic knowledge across the country in grade school classrooms.
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.
If you’re looking for a career that is on the cutting edge of technology, offers the opportunity for work at home or abroad, like to write, enjoy helping others, and are fast with your fingers, then the fields of court reporting and captioning are careers you can explore at NCRA/discoversteno.org.
The NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program, a free online six-week introductory course, lets participants see if a career in court reporting or captioning would be a good choice for them. The program is an introduction to 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 the iStenoPad app.
To arrange an interview with a working court reporter, captioner, legal videographer, 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.
About NCRA
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 125 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.
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. Career information about the court reporting profession – one of the leading career options that does not require a traditional four-year degree – can be found at NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.
