News

The Director of State Courts Office is accepting applications for interpreter training to be held in Stevens Point on Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8 at the Dreyfus University Center at UW-Stevens Point.

While Spanish interpreters are most often requested by the courts, increased efforts are being made to recruit qualified interpreters for many other languages, particularly those spoken by incoming refugee populations. Individuals fluent in Arabic, Burmese, Farsi, French, Khmer, Russian, Somali and Tibetan as well as more rare languages such as Chin, Karen, Karenni (Kayah), and Mon are encouraged to apply. This training is open to sign language interpreters as well.

Training sessions are intended for individuals who are interested in learning the fundamentals of court interpreting and are designed to give participants an overview of the needs and expectations of the court with emphasis on ethical conduct, legal terminology, court procedure, and basic legal interpreting skills. Small group practice exercises will help to develop interpreting skills. This orientation is intended as an introduction to the complexities of court interpreting, rather than as an in-depth training. Faculty includes judges, attorneys, and certified court interpreters.  A $175 fee covers the sessions and all training materials. Each session will run 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on two consecutive days.  The deadline for submitting an application is Feb. 21.

Applications are sought from individuals who are currently interpreting in the legal arena or administrative hearings regularly. The court system also seeks applications from working interpreters in other fields, such as healthcare and education, who want to broaden their experience to include legal settings and to bilingual advocates who wish to learn more about the court interpreting profession.  Participants who attend orientation, achieve minimal testing levels, and meet other requirements will be placed on a public roster of interpreters used by courts, law enforcement agencies, lawyers, and law-related agencies.

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

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