We Can Do This!
Many Court Professionals have had to adapt to significant changes to how they practice their profession as courts begin to reopen. These changes are designed to keep our families and us safe. Please remember to continue following all safety protocols and keep updated on the safety suggestions from the COVID-19 Task Force, which is working hard to create thoughtful, measured guidelines to keep our families and us safe and ensure that members of the public who go to court stay safe. Please remember that courts themselves are working on individual operating guidelines to reopen. Please review operating guidelines for the courthouse in which you practice (HERE) to be informed of the different protocols in place. Lastly, please check out Chief Justice Melton’s Public Service Announcement, Justice Needs Jurors.
We’re also on social media!
Please follow the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news about Georgia’s Judiciary. Also, please don’t forget about our new website, which is up and running: OCP.GEORGIACOURTS.GOV. Please remember that you can submit any questions or any requests on our new website by clicking on Court Professional Requests. This link is also available on our website.
Please don’t forget to check out the September issue of the Georgia Courts Journal. This and other issues are available HERE.
Staff suggests that you take a look at your GCR profile and update your contact information, as well as reviewing your privacy settings to reflect the contact information you want to share on our public directory. Thank you.
BOARD OF COURT REPORTING.
Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP)
LEAP took place via Zoom this year, where 91 newly-licensed court reporters and firm owners attended. It was a complete success, and staff received very positive feedback for this event. We thank our court reporting presenters Bill Able, Maxyne and Richard Bursky, LaQuetta Carter, Brenda Elwell, and Anita Moore for their assistance in making this event a success and for their excellent work with their presentations. A special thanks to Bianca Bennett, Events and Testing Manager, for the excellent work done in putting LEAP together.
From GCRA: Last year, GCRA President Brenda Elwell attended an 8th grade career fair in Oconee County. 600 students visited the GCRA booth. Sadly, this year’s event has been canceled. GCRA received information on an opportunity to submit information to the schools for virtual learning. If there is anyone who would like the information to send to a school of your choosing, please e-mail president@georgiacourtreporters.org, and information will be sent to you to pass along to your school.
Attention Voice Writers: GCRA’s Education Committee is interested in hosting webinars for voice writers to help you get some last-minute CEUs by the end of the year. Keep an eye on your e-mail for a survey to focus on the topics you would like to see. If you’re not receiving e-mails from GCRA, please e-mail president@georgiacourtreporters.org so you can be added to the mailing list.
Job Board
DeKalb County State Court has a position available for a stenowriter with real-time capabilities to start on December 1. For more information, please view the job posting HERE, or contact Rebecca Crutchfield of DeKalb County State Court.
Reminders.
That ball drop will happen sooner than you think, and with it comes the deadline for continuing education hours. Please remember that Part 2, Section C, Subsection 1 of the Continuing Education Manual states that proof of CE must be sub-mitted on your GCR profile within 30 days of completion of said educational activity. Failure to do so will result in rejection of your submission. Also, please don’t forget that the deadline to submit your CE hours is December 31.
Firm Owners: Please remember that you are responsible for verifying that any court reporter you network with or employ for any job in a court of the State of Georgia or a deposition in a case pending in a Georgia court must possess a current, valid CCR certificate and must be in good standing with the Board. A firm that fails to verify the reporters’ license status sent on jobs for that firm is potentially subject to discipline.
We thank you for your service to the State of Georgia; please don’t forget to send us any news or accomplishments of your fellow Court Reporters to our GCR e-mail address.
COMMISSION ON INTERPRETERS.
Please don’t forget to review the recommendations issued by the spoken languages and Sign Language subcommittee of the COVID-19 Task Force. Please visit the COVID-19 Task Force’s website to keep abreast of any developments.
In other news…
Our orientation workshop for new interpreters is now taking place online. The candidate interpreters can register online through their GCR account for this event and do the orientation workshop at their own pace. You can now register to take the written exam and schedule it at any time in which you feel ready, as written exams are taking place one-on-one rather than in a group setting. Please contact our GCR staff with any questions or if you need assistance registering. Our special thanks to the instructors who worked with staff to make this a successful project: Maria Ceballos-Wallis, Philippe Dumoulin, Carola Lehmacher-Richez, M. Catherine McCabe, and Dr. Michelle Yrigollen-Robbins.
Reminders.
Staff has expanded the resources available for court interpreters not only to use to study for the written and oral exams but also for those interpreters looking for resources to expand their knowledge of their profession and their skills.
What’s Coming Up?
Atlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators.
AAIT will be hosting a webinar called “Practice Makes Perfect: Developing an Interpreting Practice Strategy to Achieve Success.” Please visit AAIT’s website for more information or to register.
National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators.
Please don’t forget to check out the NAJIT Academy for interesting and educational trainings.
Access to Additional Tools
The National Center for State Courts’ Language Access Ad-visory Committee made available their national database for State Court Interpreters free of charge until July 1, 2020. This database will help you locate certified interpreters with more ease.
Please remember to check Georgia’s database first. Said database is available HERE. If you cannot locate an interpreter on Georgia’s public directory, you can access the national database HERE.
Please contact John Botero, Program Manager of the Office of Court Professionals of the Judicial Council/AOC and staff to the Commission on Interpreters by e-mail or by calling 404.656.5171 if you have any questions or require further assistance.
We thank you for your service to the State of Georgia; please don’t forget to send us any news, recognitions or accomplish-ments of your fellow court professionals to our GCR e-mail address. We’d also love to advertise any trainings, workshops, and seminars; please don’t forget to keep us in the loop.
