Membership
Benefits
A Future for Court Reporting and Your Job Security
CCRA boasts
a highly successful team of court reporting professionals who are knowledgeable
and skilled in the California legislative arena. CCRA has defeated every
single bill ever introduced to replace court reporters with ER. Since 1980
there have been eleven such attempts. CCRA provides extensive lobbying efforts
in Sacramento and is the only organization lobbying for all reporters, both
officials and freelancers.
Enhanced Court Reporting Environment
CCRA has sponsored key legislation
designed to make your job easier and more enjoyable.
For officials, this includes legislation to provide additional fees for
one-person dailies, additional fees for transcripts on disk, protection
for transcript copies, increase of folio rates, and indemnification for
realtime transcripts.
For freelancers this includes sponsorship of legislation to eliminate
the requirement to be a notary public to swear witnesses at depositions,
indemnification for realtime transcripts, and the right to sell deposition
transcript copies to anyone requesting one, absent a protective order. (Freelancers could previously only sell copies to parties to a case while
other legal professionals were actively selling, trading, and data banking
our transcripts.)
CCRA supported the consumer attorneys with funding and grass roots phone
calls on the 1996 tort reform initiatives. Passage of these initiatives
would have greatly diminished the number of depositions being taken.
CCRA has also sponsored legislation to exempt transcribers from being
classified as employees by the EDD, sponsored legislation to establish the
CSR Board, as well as legislation which created the Transcript Reimbursement
Fund, a fund which gives relief to indigent litigants without court reporters
working for free.
CCRA Online
The only California state publication devoted
to both officials and freelancers, this truly invaluable publication keeps
you informed on professional trends, technological developments, and legislative
and legal issues. Learn what is going on in the reporting community and
the latest developments in your profession. CCRA Online is a monthly electronic
magazine.
Continuing Education Seminars
Exciting, state-of-the-art seminars
and conventions, held at various locations around the state, for your convenience.
These provide professional enhancement and CE accreditation for your NCRA
status on a wide array of reporting-related topics, including recent changes
in the laws which affect you. Meet court reporting's most influential leaders
and make contact with vendors who showcase the latest technology. Networking
events provide you with the opportunity to meet new people and have some
fun!
Insurance Programs
As a CCRA member, you are entitled to group guaranteed issue
health insurance coverage through Aetna, discounted disability and long term
care coverage, critical illness and competitive life insurance rates.
Contact
Peter Burford, CCRA's Insurance Expert by email at
pbur98@hotmail.com or by phone at 904-955-0703.
Hawaiian Airlines Preferred Affiliate Program
Introducing our newest benefit - Hawaiian
Airlines Preferred Affiliate program! Now you can get a great plane fare
to Hawaii with your CCRA membership. Booking a reservation on
www.HawaiianAir.com/Affiliate is quick and simple. Just:
It's that Simple!!!
By using your Affiliate Program Code to
book a reservation, your friends and family members will be able to
purchase tickets at the lowest available web fare. CCRA membership
will save you money on a plane ticket now!
Mahalo!
Other Benefits
A credit card is available through MBNA, as well
as Hertz and Avis benefits, in the form of a discount coupon to be
used when renting a car.
Tax Deductions
Contributions or gifts to California Court Reporters
Association are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for Federal
income tax purposes. However, they may be tax deductible under other
provision of the Internal Revenue Code except that portion of your dues, which
are allocated to association lobbying expenses. California Court Reporters
Association estimates that your dues, which are allocated to lobbying expenses
is 56% for the year 2003.
Membership
Information
CCRA Mission Statement
The mission of the California Court Reporters Association is to advance
the profession of verbatim shorthand reporting by promoting professional
reporting excellence through education, research, and the use of state-of-the-art
technology; establishing and maintaining professional standards of practice;
and advocating before legislative and regulatory bodies on issues which
impact the judicial system and others served by the court reporting profession
of California.
CCRA membership
will run 12 months from the last day of the month in which
you join.
Membership in CCRA does not represent an
endorsement by CCRA of the member's company. Members of CCRA are
individuals, not companies.
