The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, announced that the head of its philanthropic arm will retire in January.

BJ Shorak, Deputy Executive Director of the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF), will be replaced by NCRA Senior Director of External Affairs Mary Petto.

“Today’s announcement does not mark the end of an era for NCRA and NCRF, but rather a step into the future for both organizations as they continue to work together to advance the court reporting and captioning professions,” said Marcia Ferranto, CEO and Executive Director of NCRA.

“BJ has committed the last 28 years of her career to building lasting relationships between NCRF and like-minded organizations, establishing unprecedented programs that benefit our members, students, and the legal profession as a whole and creating a legacy on which the Foundation will continue to grow,” she added.

Petto, who has been with NCRA for a year, most recently established NCRA’s Corporate Partnership Program to strengthen the Association’s mission to promote and protect the court reporting and captioning professions.

“I’ve had the privilege to work closely with Mary over the past year on a variety of fundraising activities for NCRF and am confident that her experience and fundraising talents will carry NCRF on its strategic path well into the future,” Shorak said.” I am confident that NCRF’s presence in the industry will remain strong and viable with the leadership of Mary and Marcia, who also has extensive experience in the fundraising arena.”

Shorak joined NCRA in 1987 as Director of Research and Technology. She was named Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation in 1992 when it began operating separately from NCRA.

Throughout her tenure, Shorak has successfully built lasting relationships with organizations and individuals that have led to dozens of meaningful programs

“I know I speak for hundreds of others whose lives BJ has touched through her work with the Foundation, that as she begins this new journey in her life, we will always be grateful for her commitment that has created the legacy she leaves behind: making a difference in the court reporting and captioning professions, and a smile in our hearts and on our faces whenever we think of her,” said NCRA Past President Tami Keenan.

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic captioners, court reporters, and legal videographers, announced that three major industry leaders serving or representing the court reporting and captioning professions have signed on to the Association’s corporate partnership program, NCRA said in a press release.

There’s still a place for courtroom stenography in the technological revolution by court reporting agency CourtScribes.

NCRA welcomed MacCormac College, Chicago, Ill., Magna Legal Services, Philadelphia, Pa., And U.S.  and Legal Support, Washington, D.C., as corporate partners.

NCRA’s Corporate Partnership program, which ranges in levels of support from $10,000 to $100,000, aids in business and workforce development efforts by NCRA and the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF).

“We continue to focus on the next generation of captioners and court reporters by illustrating that these professions are viable and lucrative career opportunities,” said NCRA executive director and CEO Marcia Ferranto. “We’re excited about the diversity of the organizations that are joining our commitment to closing the shortage gap of stenographers nationally.”

“NCRA recognizes that there are various methods available to capture the spoken word, but our emphasis is on ensuring that both the general public and the legal industry understand that stenography is by far the most effective and desired method,” Ferranto said

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.

The shortage of court reporters is being felt in Horry County, South Carolina, and Bobbi Fisher of Myrtle Beach, who works as a court reporter in Horry County’s Family Court, says she’s afraid  that when her generation leaves the courtroom there won’t be anyone to replace them.

Ginny Jones, spokesperson for the S.C. Judicial Department, said that since fewer people are entering the profession and the numbers of new court reporters hasn’t kept up with retirements, machines are the obvious choice to remedy the problem.

She said the South Carolina Court Administration is already experimenting with digital recorders.

“In January 2018, the S.C. Supreme Court issued an order for a Digital Courtroom Recorder Project,” Jones told The Horry Independent. “This proven technology, which is operated in courtrooms by trained staff, is now capturing the record effectively in five courtrooms and is coming to more this year.”

But Jones went on to note that technology is not replacing human court reporters where they are available.

“It is important to note that we view digital recording as a supplement to court reporting; it has never replaced an existing court reporter, nor do we intend for it to.”

If no court reporters are available, the courts are more likely to take plea bargains over trials. Defendants who opt for a trial will have to wait until the proper staff is available.

South Carolina Senator Greg Hembree called the court reporter shortage a “huge” problem.

“Yes, it is a huge problem, especially in Family Court,” he said. “We’ve got judges that can’t hold court because they don’t have court reporters.”

He said the government is willing to increase court reporter salaries if  need be.

He calls letting machines help with recording court proceedings “a good experiment” but said, “In the meantime, we’ve got cases that are not getting heard.”