By Doug Friend
Spring has officially sprung — and with it one of my favorite issues of the year! It’s a season of renewal, growth, and exciting preparations for the upcoming NCRA Conference & Expo.
You’re receiving this update because you’ve recently shown your support for the National Court Reporters Foundation. Whether through an Angel donation, a raffle ticket, or even a modest donation — you are one of our treasured NCRF allies, and we thank you deeply for helping us fulfill our mission.
Our NCRF community knows how to bring the energy, especially at Conference time! Here’s a little of what’s in store:
- Three fun-filled raffles
- Our cherished Angel Thank You Luncheon on Friday, July 25 (by invitation only)
- The celebratory Saturday Awards Luncheon on July 26 where we honor our scholarship, grant, and award recipients (most conference attendees)
But before we gather in Minneapolis, we have some wonderful news and milestones to share with you:
- Introducing Peer-to-Peer Support: A new, professionally facilitated Zoom series that invites you to connect with fellow court reporters, CART and broadcast captioners, and legal videographers. Join the conversation, share your highs and lows, and support one another through the unique challenges of our profession.
- Announcing our scholarship or grant winners:
- The 2025 Gina Battaglia Memorial Student Intern Scholarship recipients
- The 2025 Stenograph Milton H. Wright Memorial Scholarship awardee
- Our newest Court to CART grant recipient
- A new scholarship for 2026: We’re proud to announce the NCRF Kim Dore-Hackbarth Memorial Student Intern Scholarship, generously sponsored by Buell Realtime Reporting of Seattle, Wash.
- Conference support spportunities: Be sure to check out the available scholarships and awards designed to ease the financial burden of attending the NCRA Conference.
- Ask Me Anything highlights: Catch up on insights from our ZoomUps and get the latest on NCRF and Career Launcher updates.
There’s so much more packed into this issue — because everything we do is made possible by your generosity and belief in our mission.
So sit back, enjoy this edition of the NCRF Angels Quarterly, and know that every contribution you’ve made is sparking real change in our NCRA and legal communities. You are appreciated.
Doug Friend, FAPR, RDR, CRR (Ret.)
NCRF Chair
