News

The Director of State Courts Office is accepting applications for a two-day interpreter training session to be held in Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 at the Hotel Mead Conference Center.

While Spanish interpreters are most often requested by the courts, increased efforts are being made to recruit qualified interpreters for many other languages such as Arabic, Burmese, Mandarin, French, Hmong, Karen, Lao, Punjabi, Russian and Vietnamese. Limited scholarships may be available for some of these spoken languages. In 2015, the courts used interpreters in more than 50 languages.

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 members include judges and certified court interpreters. A $195 fee covers the sessions, lunch and all training materials. Each session will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The application deadline is June 3.

Applications are also sought from people already interpreting in a legal or administrative hearing setting and in other fields, such as healthcare and education, who want to broaden their experience. Bilingual advocates who wish to learn more about the court interpreting profession are also 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’ interpreter program, which aims to improve interpretation in the courts. For more information about the training sessions, and to register, visit the court system website.

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