NEW YORK, April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) and the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting (STAR) today announced that both organizations’ Boards of Directors have voted unanimously to pursue a merger that would create CAPTUR, The Council for the Advancement of Professionals, Technology, and Unbiased Reporting.
CAPTUR will be the industry’s first association to unite every professional who creates, supports, and protects the legal record including stenographers, digital court reporters, voice writers, legal transcribers, videographers, scopists, editors, proofreaders, students, instructors, agency owners, managers, and related professionals. The announcement builds on two years of deepening collaboration between AAERT and STAR, including the inaugural 2025 Unity Summit, which drew participation and enthusiasm from a broad range of court reporting professionals.
“The dedicated professionals who capture the legal record deserve an organization that will bring everyone to the table to champion them with the strongest voice possible,” said Andrea Wecker, President of STAR.
CAPTUR would offer members of both organizations expanded professional development opportunities, a stronger and more unified voice with clients, courts, and key stakeholders, and one dedicated to ensuring the legal record is respected, understood, and valued as the vital public trust it represents.
“The success of the Unity Summit shows just how much demand there is for an association that puts human judgment, skills, and expertise assisted by technology at the center,” said Susan LaPooh, President of AAERT.
The merger will culminate at the 2026 Unity Summit, May 14-17, 2026, at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The gathering will mark not only a milestone for both organizations but a turning point for the profession as a whole.
For more information about CAPTUR, visit https://aaert.org/?page_id=7946.
For more information about the 2026 Unity Summit, visit https://unitysummitconference.com/.
The American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT) provides education and certification for professionals engaged in digital court reporting, transcribing, and associated roles. For more information about AAERT, visit https://aaert.org/
STAR (the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting) is a professional membership organization that supports the entire court reporting ecosystem across all methods of capturing the record. For more information about STAR, visit https://staronline.org/.
Contact:
Matt Riley, Executive Director
matt.riley@aaert.org
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SOURCE American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers
