News

The Director of State Courts Office is accepting applications for a virtual court interpreter orientation training program to be held on five dates over three upcoming weekends. The orientation will start on Sunday, Sept. 13 and continue on the following Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 19-20, and Sept. 26-27.

Interpreter orientation training is normally offered in-person, but this session will be held online via Zoom to provide for continued training opportunities in light of the pandemic.

Faculty includes judges, attorneys, and certified court interpreters. A $140 fee covers all sessions and training materials. The Sept. 13 session will start off with two legal terminology lectures, from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. The remaining Saturday and Sunday sessions will run from 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. The application deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 8. In order to participate, attendees must have a computer or tablet, internet access, and the free Zoom application downloaded on their device.

While Spanish interpreters are most often requested by the courts, efforts are constantly being made to recruit qualified interpreters for other languages, such as Arabic, Burmese, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Hmong, Karen, Somali, and Vietnamese. The courts use interpreters in more than 50 different languages each year, including sign language. Scholarships are available for certain non-Spanish spoken languages.

Individuals who are already interpreting in a legal or administrative hearing setting and in other fields, such as healthcare and education, are encouraged to apply. Participants who complete orientation, achieve minimal testing levels, and meet other requirements will be placed on a public roster of interpreters used by courts, law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and law-related agencies.

This training is part of the Director of State Courts Office Interpreter Program, which aims to improve language access in the courts. For more information on these training sessions, and to register, visit the court system website at http://www.wicourts.gov/services/interpreter/cert/orientation.htm

For more information contact interpreter program manager Carmel Capati in the Office of Court Operations, carmel.capati@wicourts.gov or (608) 266-8635.