January 2024 Course Updated Deadlines

Hello everyone!

Please note the following deadlines for the CEOs and CERs:

• January 4th – CEO and CER Orientation

• January 12th (Day 1) - CEO/CER Course (8 am - 5 pm) - Zoom Only – Registration Deadline: January 1, 2024

• January 13th (Day 2) - CER Only Course – (8 am - 5 pm) - Zoom Only Registration Deadline:  January 1, 2024

• February 3rd – All assignments due to instructors

• February 10th – Approved list of students completing course due to SCAO for testing and evaluations returned to students

• February 26th @ 6:00 pm – Pre-exam review with MECRA and SCAO by Zoom

Click here to Zoom into your Session

We are excited to work with everyone very soon!

MECRA

Membership and Fundraising Initiatives

Our Mission:

• Our mission is to provide excellence in court recording and transcription.

• We strive to provide the best education, mentoring, and leadership in our field.

About MECRA:

MECRA was founded in 1978. Since then, MECRA has grown to be the largest association in the field of electronic/digital court recording in the United States.

We specialize in training CERs and CEOs for certification in the state of Michigan. The training is a prerequisite to testing that is administered by the Court Reporting and Recording Board of Review.

We also provide continued education, refresher programs, video operator training, courtroom procedure, issuance of continued education certificates annually during our conference, and mentoring to our members along with students.

Benefits:

• Continued education on courtroom procedure, recording equipment, technology updates, freelance training, video operator training, and deposition training.

• Invitation and discounted rate to our annual conferences.

• Legislative representation for page rates and other legislative topics.

• Educational material on our Member Portal.

• Access to experienced CERs and Freelance Firms to assist you in your day-to-day routines.

• Annual publication of “The Transcript.”

• Discounts with trade vendors.

• Ambassador program and mentoring

Membership: (Dues are payable annually)

• Newly certified as a CER or CEO - FREE for the 1st year (2023 or 2024)

• Retired certified CER or CEO - $65 annually

• First time CER or CEO member - $100 for the 1st year

• Renewing CER or CEO member - $130 annually

We have conveniently set up online registration for membership and contributions to our initiatives.

JOIN US TODAY! - Click here

NEW in 2024!

If you are interested in investing into our Legislative, Scholarship, and Indigent Initiatives, you may make a contribution to keep our programs viable.

• $20 - $100: Silver Donor

• $101 - $500: Gold Donor

• $501 - $999: Platinum Donor

• $1,000 and over: Diamond Donor

Invest into MECRA Initiatives today! - Click here

We welcome our fellow CERs, CEOs, Video Operators, and Freelancers!

We are thrilled to serve you!

Classified for our Members

Request to send to our members:

Name: Alison Sackley

Email: ukalisonsackley@gmail.com

Phone: 2694203238

Subject: Hiring retired Court Reporters?

Message: I am a member of the board of the Allegan County Legal Assistance Center in S.W. Michigan. We are working to hire a part-time Patron Assistant. This position would provide legal assistance (not advice) to members of the public who have issues requiring legal resolution or existing cases in the Allegan Court system. We are a non-profit and pay this position between $17-20/hr for a 12-18 hour week. Extensive training would be provided, however, experience of the court system is very beneficial and shortens the learning curve. If this might be suited to ex-Court Reporters, do you have anywhere positions like this could be posted and made available to your membership?