For three days in Washington, D.C., NCRA members stepped into the role of advocates. Through leadership sessions, mock legislative hearings, and an advocacy day on Capitol Hill, participants in the 2026 NCRA Leadership & Legislative Boot Camp gained the tools and confidence needed to effect positive change for the court reporting profession.
Leadership and advocacy training
NCRA Boot Camp began with sessions designed to help participants strengthen their leadership voice and better understand how advocacy works at both the state and federal levels. Jesse Walker of International Leader Coaching led the leadership voice session. Attendees were also put into groups that they would serve with throughout the event.
Members explored strategies for mobilizing grassroots support, leading professional associations effectively, and building productive relationships with policymakers.
“We came to Boot Camp with a lot of fear and intimidation, but that was set aside on the first day. We learned so much,” said Melissa McKenzie, a freelancer from Attleboro, Mass.
At the end of the day, the groups fanned out for several working dinners to strategize for the mock hearings scheduled for the next day
Preparing for advocacy day
On the second day, Boot Campers met with their group and practiced delivering testimony and refining their messaging. Much of day two saw the various groups in hypothetical meetings with NCRA Board and staff, who served as industry leaders and legislators. At the conclusion of these meetings, each group participated in a mock U.S. Senate committee hearing.
These exercises challenged attendees to clearly articulate the profession’s priorities, in this case, passage of a bill that would investigate AI in the courtroom, while also responding to questions in a simulated legislative environment.
By the end, participants had sharpened their communication skills and gained confidence in presenting issues affecting court reporters.
“What I would say is that you need to be prepared for the hard questions, and learn from and appreciate those hard questions,” said Robin Herrera, RMR, CRR, CRC, a court reporter from Florence, S.C.
Putting advocacy lessons to work on Capitol Hill
The event concluded with meetings on Capitol Hill where NCRA members met with legislators and congressional staff to talk about the potential impact of AI on the court reporting profession nationwide,
Equipped with the leadership and advocacy training, participants engaged in 110 meetings across the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
“My first year I was so overwhelmed, but my second time around, I was so grateful that I was able to come,” said Kirstie Anderson, an official reporter from Tinley Park, Ill. “The session on leadership was amazing, and I hope to bring that out to my organization.”
The NCRA Leadership & Legislative Boot Camp prepares members to be effective advocates for their profession. By combining leadership development, advocacy training, and direct engagement with policymakers, the program helps ensure that members of the profession remain informed, engaged, and well represented in the conversations that shape the future of the field.
View the full 2026 NCRA Leadership & Legislative Boot Camp photo gallery here.
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