Tips for court reporters

working with interpreters

Additional  resources:

 

“How to Work with Legal Interpreters”

 

Journal of Court Reporting                                              

April 2002

National publication of the National Court Reporters Association

 

 

 

“How To Work With Interpreters”

 

Journal of Court Reporting                                             

August-October 1996

National publication of the National Court Reporters Association

 

 

How to tell the difference and select a qualified interpreter:

 

Interview and qualify the interpreters first before you schedule them.  If you take the time to set up your criteria once, and make a list of who meets the criteria, you'll be ready with professional interpreters at hand.  If you rely on an Interpretation/Translation agency to meet your requests, review how they qualify their staff.

 

Here’s what to look for:

 

Þ Obtain Texas Department of Licensing Licensed Court Interpreter Number.

Þ Verify their status at: http://www.license.state.tx.us/LicenseSearch/ 

Þ  Focus on candidates who specialize in legal interpreting who cite training and membership in professional associations and certifications.  (A degree in Spanish is not enough…)

Þ Verify their law firm references

Þ Verify their fluency in English yourself by calling and speaking with them.

Þ Confirm  if they perform simultaneous or consecutive; see TIP under “Modes of Interpreting” on the Working With Interpreters page.

Þ Ask if the interpreter subcontracts and may send another interpreter if overbooked.  If they do then ask for that person’s qualifications.

Þ Ask about their rates, payment terms, minimums and advance notice requirements.

Þ Translators will need to see or be familiar with the document to be translated before giving you an estimate.

Þ If you have a large sized translation that is a rush, be aware of the common practice of dividing the assignment among a variety of translators.  Ask your agency if they do that. 

 

You’re all set!

 

 

 

 

PROPER PROCEEDURE MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER

 

Ask the interpreter to provide you with spellings of names of people and places in the foreign language.  They can jot down the names of family members, places of birth, names of schools, etc., while interpreting and write it out for you after the deposition is finished.  I have a pre printed tablet in anticipation of the topics and spellings.

 

Ask the interpreter to tell the witness not to gesture, nod, shake their, head or respond with an “uh huh” or “unh unh”.  You can ask the attorney to make the request through the interpreter, but either way it avoids disruptions to a clear record.  I have incorporated this spiel into my work for twenty years with full appreciation from the attorneys.

 

Have the interpreter sit between you and the witness.

 

Swear the interpreter in first.  Then have the interpreter interpret for you as you swear in the witness.  Refer to the Oaths, Ethics and Rules page on this site for our oath.

 

The Interpreter can work in consecutive or simultaneous mode.  Consecutive is when the interpreter waits for the witness to finish a few sentences and then interprets verbatim what was said.  Simultaneous interpreting is when the interpreter speaks at the same time the speaker is speaking.  If you are uncomfortable with this mode, ask the interpreter to use their equipment.  We have headsets and transmitters that allow us to speak softly without interrupting the speaker so you can work to the top of your speed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ability to interpret a foreign language in court is not the same as being bilingual.  Many untested bilingual people try to get work as interpreters without any training and without knowing the rules of court procedure.