An Open Letter to Our Colleagues at NCRA from CalDRA, ACRA, MCRA, OCRA, VCRA & WCRA:

Like all of our sister state reporting associations, we at the Deposition Reporters Association of California (CalDRA) are passionately devoted to maintaining the highest standards of impartiality and a fair, lawful, and competitive playing field for the stenographic reporting profession based on quality, integrity, and price, three items which are of foremost importance to our consumers.
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) announced a new corporate partnership program that seeks and obtains contributions as high as $100,000 from participants. CalDRA, as well as the undersigned NCRA affiliate associations, are writing today to respectfully seek clarification about this program, specifically regarding the participation in the program of corporate partners whose policies and operations may be in direct conflict with your Code of Professional Ethics (COPE).

We respectfully request the following:
1. Disclosure of the amount that each corporate partner has paid to NCRA
2. The percentage of NCRA's revenue projections identified as coming from corporate partnerships
3. Whether corporate partners are required to abide by NCRA's COPE
4. If so, please describe:
   a) What steps were taken to assure that the corporate partners abide by COPE
   b) Whether NCRA will entertain complaints regarding COPE violations by corporate partners during the term of their participation in this program
   c) When COPE violations are substantiated, what NCRA's policies are or will be regarding continued partnership with the corporate partner that is in violation of COPE
   d) Whether corporate partners are granted any decision-making input/authority in regard to the policies and procedures of NCRA, including, but not limited to, policies and procedures related to COPE

Observe that our requests for information do not distinguish between kinds of corporations that elect to become partners because: (i) compliance with NCRA's COPE properly does not distinguish between kinds of corporations; and (ii) when it comes to upholding the ethical standards of businesses that arrange for the services of officers of the court, neither do the undersigned.
In addition, please be advised that the undersigned associations are planning to hold a state summit to discuss NCRA’s responses to these questions.
Thank you in advance for your efforts to address our concerns.
Sincerely,
Deposition Reporters Association of California
Arizona Court Reporters Association
Massachusetts Court Reporters Association
Ohio Court Reporters Association
Virginia Court Reporters Association
Washington Court Reporters Association