The Language of Justice Online

Designed for court and community interpreters who perform legal interpreting in many settings, this unique curriculum was authored by four U.S. experts, including two attorneys specialized in legal interpreting. The lead author is Isabel Framer, former Chair of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) and an appointee of former President Obama to the U.S. State Justice Institute. Additional subject matter experts who contributed to the training manual and accompanying workbook include: two law professors; legal services agencies and nonprofit community services in Washington, DC; and the DC Bar Association.

The Language of Justice covers:

• An overview of the U.S. legal system
• Requirements and procedures of legal interpreting
• A model code of professional conduct and standards of practice
• Linguistic mediation techniques
• Legal terminology

The course fee includes 12 hours of live training, 8 hours of self-paced training, The Language of Justice: A Training Manual (retail: $45), The Language of Justice: Exercises and Role Plays (retail: $25), handouts, video assignments, a final assessment, interpreting skills practice and feedback from the trainer and fellow participants.

Both community and court interpreters need guidance on how to perform effective legal interpreting in community settings. Unlike the courtroom, most legal interpreting in the community is often collaborative. Interpreters may provide legal interpreting for:

• Attorneys at a domestice violence center.
• Special Education meetings in school settings.
• Worker's compensation Independent Medical Exams.
• Child abuse investigations by Child Protective Services.
• Medical exams for insurance following car accidents.
• Immigration services provided by lawyers or paralegals.
• School board hearings, Social Security Disability Insurance medical exams, human rights discrimination complaints, sexual assault forensic exams and more.

Feedback from our participants:

The course was challenging and rewarding. James was knowledgeable, patient and genuinely interested in our experience as interpreters.

I enjoyed the course very much. I took away some valuable hints and recommendations on how to become a better court interpreter and also what I need to work on to achieve that.

Mr. Plunkett was a great teacher. He is very knowledgeable in the legal setting.

Instructor: James W. Plunkett, III, Federally Certified Spanish/English Court Interpreter (FCCI)

Class Schedule: Fall 2022: Exact dates to be determined. Contact us for a spot on the waitlist.

Timetable: 12:00-5:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m.-2:00p.m. PT) each day with a break from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT)

CEUs:

• Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI): 7 CE hours (5 Performance-Based)
• International Medical Interpreters Association: 0.7 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs
• American Translators Association: 10 ATA CEPs
• The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf: 2.0 RID CEUs*
• Maryland Court Interpreter Program: 12 CE credits
• Pennsylvania Interpreter Certification Program (ICP): 12 CEUs
• Washington State Court Interpreter Program: 20 CEUs (7 Ethics, 13 Performance)
• Judicial Council of California: 13.5 CIMCE credits
• Ontario Council on Community Interpreting: 20 OCCI PDUs

*Please note that there is an additional $20 processing fee, per program, for RID CEUs.

Learning objectives:

After completing this course, you will be able to:

Unit I Procedures and Ethics (7 hours)

1. Discuss requirements for legal interpreters.
2. Exhibit a sound understanding of relevant codes of ethics.
3. Demonstrate the correct application of a code of professional conduct and standards of practice to ethical challenges.

Unit II Linguistic Mediation (7 hours)

1. Demonstrate the correct use of modes of interpreting.
2. Practice the steps for linguistic mediation.
3. Apply linguistic mediation techniques and strategies.

Unit III The U.S. Legal System (6 hours)

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the U.S. legal system.
2. Handle challenging requests from clients and attorneys.
3. Review terminology required for non-courtroom legal interpreting.

Participant requirements:

• Completion of a minimum of 40-hours of interpreter training
• Community (medical, social services, educational) or court interpreting experience

Technical requirements:

• Computer (Recommend i5 processor or above)
• Zoom (Updated Version)
• Chrome or Firefox (Updated Version)
• Quality headset with boom mounted microphone (Essential equipment for your professional life. Invest now. No earbuds, please!) Advice on choosing a headset.
• High speed internet (minimum 5 mbps upload/10 download) Test Your Speed.
• Ethernet cable (Must connect computer directly to router. Minimum quality CAT6)**
• Ethernet to USB adapter (if needed)**
• Blank or uncluttered background (for VRI)**
• External Monitor**

**Recommended but not required

This course is limited to 20 participants. Once the course has reached capacity, those interested will be added to a waitlist in the order in which their inquiry is received.

Disruptive Behavior Policy

In order to uphold the collaborative nature of our online training programs, Cross-Cultural Communications reserves the right to remove any participant for abusive or aggressive behavior, spoken or written, towards CCC staff, trainers or other participants. We recognize that the past year has been difficult for everyone. However, our participants, trainers and staff have the right to a safe and respectful learning and working environment. We thank you for your understanding.

Training Participant Information Release

By registering for our live online training programs, you agree to allow Cross-Cultural Communications, LLC to share your contact information with participants in the same training session for purposes of creating a collaborative online training experience for all participants. Should you have concerns or not wish to have your contact information shared by CCC, prior to the training session please contact Michelle Gallagher, Managing Director.

Cross-Cultural Communications records its live online training sessions for quality control purposes. Recordings are not shared with anyone outside of the organization or training session.

Visit our Terms of Use for our training policies and procedures, including our refund policies.