CAREER PROFILES
Court Interpreters
in Short Supply
Put Your Second Language First
Courtrooms in California and across the nation are facing a which you are involved.
shortage of qualified court interpreters to assist non-English speak- This is a career which is extremely rewarding both financially
ing defendants, litigants and witnesses in criminal, misdemeanor, and personally. If you are fluently bilingual, and are willing to get
and delinquency matters, as well as in certain civil matters such as special training to become a Certified Court Interpreter, you could
divorce or separation, child custody and visitation proceedings. In make nearly $300 a day as an independent contractor in the state
fact, many states across the country are implementing new laws of California. The starting salary for a full-time staff court inter-
requiring courts to provide certified interpreters to indigent non- preter in Ventura County, California is $73,445. The demand for
English speaking people in civil these professionals is so great that
and criminal courts. Why is it so excellent salaries and benefits are
important to have qualified inter- also available across the nation and
preters in a courtroom? Why is a at the Federal court level. The career
friend, or a family member, not suf- can also be fulfilling on a personal
ficient to perform this service? level, because helping people to have
There are several important rea- good, accurate communication in
sons. First, the law is a discipline in the judicial system is so crucial.
which language and exactitude are Everyone must have the opportunity
very important. A difference of a to be represented fairly and accu-
word can make a difference in rately and to understand the pro-
whether one’s claim is successful. ceedings. It takes a special skill to be
Second, interpreting is a complex able to interpret and translate lan-
skill. For example, a proper interpreter does not “report” what guages, slang, specialized terms and technical words with precision
one party has said to the other, but instead repeats verbatim what and to do it immediately at the moment they are spoken. There is a
that party has said. And third, and most important, access to jus- great feeling of accomplishment in being able to help people in these
tice is meaningless if you cannot understand the proceedings in serious situations and to be a part of the pursuit of justice.
S A L U D O S 20 H I S P A N O S
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100