MCRA Transcription Attorney's Fees

Despite MCRA’s best efforts in an attempt to get the Trial Court to recognize that certified court reporters should be deemed qualified to do transcription work in the Commonwealth, we have failed.

Although we were successful in getting the Office of Transcription to open up the transcription list, they did so by creating an exclusionary RFP that is crafted in such a way to exclude court reporters, officials, and the transcriptionists who have been on the OTS list since it was first issued in 2008.

At this point, the MCRA legislative committee has consulted with an attorney and discussed the option of taking our concern of certified court reporters being denied the right to do transcription work for private-paying clients to be heard by the court.

In order to do this, we must raise $10,000 to retain the attorney to represent those certified court reporters and agency owners who wish to be heard on this issue; to fight for the right to be able to transcribe court proceedings, a job that we are more than qualified to do.

It was discussed at the town hall how the American Association of Electronic Reporting and Transcribers (AAERT) is determined to infiltrate the court reporting industry.  It is sad to report that in the RFP that was just issued, the Trial Court deems an AAERT certificate holder to be deemed qualified to transcribe, yet a working court reporter in the Commonwealth, including CSRs and officials, are excluded in their RFP.

No one can say what the outcome will be if we take our case to court.  What can be said, however, is that court reporters will be united in standing up and fighting for their profession and will not yield and turn a blind eye to what is happening, which is watching another part of our profession taken away from us.

As of the writing of this letter, $1,000 has been pledged by three agency owners.  We would like to have another seven agency owners match that pledge.  We urge MCRA members who are interested in this cause to contribute as well.  

Once the total of $10,000 is reached,  that money will be deposited into an IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Account) .   MCRA will be sending out emails to keep our membership informed on this issue and any new developments.

Sincerely, MCRA Board