CAREER PROFILES
Court Interpreters in Short Supply
Put Your Second Language First
Courtrooms in California and across the nation are facing a shortage of qualified court interpreters to assist non-English speak- ing defendants, litigants and witnesses in criminal, misdemeanor, and delinquency matters, as well as in certain civil matters such as divorce or separation, child custody and visitation proceedings. In fact, many states across the country are implementing new laws requiring courts to provide certified interpreters to indigent non- English speaking people in civil and criminal courts. Why is it so important to have qualified inter- preters in a courtroom? Why is a friend, or a family member, not suf- ficient to perform this service? There are several important rea- sons. First, the law is a discipline in which language and exactitude are very important. A difference of a word can make a difference in whether one’s claim is successful. Second, interpreting is a complex skill. For example, a proper interpreter does not “report” what one party has said to the other, but instead repeats verbatim what that party has said. And third, and most important, access to jus- tice is meaningless if you cannot understand the proceedings in
which you are involved. This is a career which is extremely rewarding both financially
and personally. If you are fluently bilingual, and are willing to get special training to become a Certified Court Interpreter, you could make nearly $300 a day as an independent contractor in the state of California. The starting salary for a full-time staff court inter- preter in Ventura County, California is $73,445. The demand for these professionals is so great that excellent salaries and benefits are also available across the nation and at the Federal court level. The career can also be fulfilling on a personal level, because helping people to have good, accurate communication in the judicial system is so crucial. Everyone must have the opportunity to be represented fairly and accu- rately and to understand the pro- ceedings. It takes a special skill to be able to interpret and translate lan-
guages, slang, specialized terms and technical words with precision and to do it immediately at the moment they are spoken. There is a great feeling of accomplishment in being able to help people in these serious situations and to be a part of the pursuit of justice.
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