Reston, VA, Dec. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RESTON, Va. – Dec. 30, 2025 - The nationwide 2026 Court Reporting & Captioning Week, sponsored by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), will be celebrated by court reporters, captioners, legal videographers, and others involved in the legal community. Feb. 7-14, marking the 14th year of observance. This year’s theme, Peace, Love, & Steno, will provide a platform for members to share with the public, potential students, and members of the legal field, more about the important work they do roles they serve, and the potential adventures at home and abroad this career path offers. NCRA is the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers.
Throughout the weeklong event, NCRA members, state affiliates, court reporting schools, students, vendors, and others affiliated with the legal world will come together to highlight why stenographic court reporting and captioning is the gold standard for making the most accurate record when it comes to capturing the spoken word.
“We are asking the media to help us showcase the stenographic court reporting and captioning professions this year by spotlighting local court reporters and captioners through interviews and sharing with viewers how they capture the spoken word and preserve it in text,” said NCRA President Cindy Issacsen, RPR, an official court reporter from Shawnee, Kan.
“The demand for stenographic court reporters and captioners is at an all-time high right now. It can take on average as little as two years to complete a stenographic court reporting program, allowing those who choose this career path the ability for nearly instant employment without the debt of a four-year college degree,” she added.
“Help us spread the word about this lucrative and flexible career option that could be the right fit for those high school grads not interested in college, degree holders who found their original career choice was not what they expected it to be, career changes, military spouses, and those transitioning from military service.”
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.
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 10,000 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 do not require a traditional four-year degree — can be found at NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.
