Legal Interpreter Training

The requirements for legal and for court interpreters are not the same. Court interpreters must have a college degree, complete a legal interpreter training program, and pass a court interpreter certification exam. There are different exams that meet the state or national requirement

Across the country, the job outlook for interpreters and translators will see an 18% increase over the next 5 years. This is largely because there is a diverse population that requires legal representation and the immigrant presence in the US is only increasing.  ...

Nowadays, the number of people immigrating to the United States is constantly rising. Therefore, due to the increasingly multinational profile of the United States, interpretation services have become pivotal...

A legal interpreter works with the spoken word during depositions, in court, over the phone, in video conferences, and in interviews. A legal translator works with the written word....

Are you considering becoming a legal or court interpreter, but aren’t sure if the career is right for you? Like any profession, legal interpreter jobs have challenges and benefits....

The dress code for interpreter assignments isn’t necessarily uniform across the board due to the many different areas in which interpreters work. When it comes to interpreting in court or other legal settings, you also need to account for and respect the formality of the overall situation....

If you’ve ever considered becoming a court interpreter you may imagine yourself in the heat of a trial interpreting for someone on the stand. While this is certainly one part of a trial where an interpreter is needed, a full criminal trial involves much more than hearing testimonies...

If you’re preparing to become a legal interpreter, you may have heard of the interpreter code of ethics. These are a series of best practices that all interpreters, not just legal interpreters, are expected to abide by in their work...

There are many roles for certified legal interpreters in the justice system of the United States. One of the most commonly discussed roles is that of a court interpreter...

Court interpreter training can actually help interpreters in their everyday lives thanks to the knowledge they will inevitably gain by training and working in the legal system.

The defendant isn't the only one on trial in the courtroom – one could argue the language spoken is as well. In court, the jury only has the evidence presented by the defense and the prosecuting attorneys, as well as the statements...

It can’t be emphasized enough how important the work of legal interpreters is. Without qualified linguists, people with limited English proficiency have found themselves at the hands of the U.S. legal system - at times for completely unjust reasons.

Legal interpreters have many challenges. Being unbiased and detached is perhaps the hardest, but the most important skill of a legal interpreter. How do you survive working as a court certified Interpreter?

When considering a Legal Interpreting Certificate training program, many people will likely think of (and receive) an educational course that is specific to the type of interpreting needed within a courtroom. However, there are many instances where legal interpreting is needed outside of traditional court settings

The role of a court interpreter can, at times, be unclear. As a conveyor of information between multiple parties, you are expected to be as accurate as possible to create an atmosphere that models a direct conversation between those parties as if an interpreter wasn’t even needed.

When considering pursuing a court interpreter certification program, or any other type of legal interpreter training program, it’s important to know what you need to get out of these classes in order to be successful in the legal field. Language training, proper legal ethics and legal vocabulary are only the tip of the knowledge iceberg when it comes to learning how to be a court interpreter.

Legal Interpreting is a demanding profession, not only because of the skills required to convey a conversation between multiple parties and languages, but also due to the fact that there is a specific code of ethics to which all professional interpreters should comply. This is not only at the professional level, but also at the industry level and, in the case of legal and court interpreters, at the state level. These ethical conducts tend to overlap, and some major ones are outlined below.

Nowhere is the wording you choose more important than in a court of law. A person’s innocence can hang on the interpretation of a single word or phrase, and how the jury understands it. This need of complete accuracy in the courtroom shows that, as a legal or court interpreter; you should know exactly what you’re saying and its meaning at all times.