2007
Court interpreter training planned for Wausau, Madison
Madison, Wisconsin - July 31, 2007
The Director of State Courts Office is accepting applications for interpreter training sessions to be held in Wausau. The sessions are 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 interpreter skills. This orientation is intended as an introduction to the complexities of court interpreting, rather than as an in-depth training. Faculty includes court commissioners, lawyers, and experienced court interpreters.
A $160 fee covers the sessions, lunches, and materials. Each session will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on two consecutive days. The remaining schedule for 2007 includes: Wausau (UW-Marathon), August 25-26; and Madison (Pyle Center), October 20-21.
Applications are encouraged from individuals who are currently interpreting in court proceedings or administrative hearings regularly. The court also encourages applications from working interpreters in other fields who want to broaden their experience to include legal settings and bilingual individuals who are wish to learn more about the court interpreting profession. This training is open to both foreign language and sign language interpreters. Participants who attend the orientation, begin the testing process and meet other qualifications will be placed on a 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. According to mid-decade census data, Wisconsin’s Hispanic and foreign born populations increased 23.2% and 19.9% respectively between 2000 and 2005. As a result, Wisconsin courts increasingly must find qualified interpreters who can speak not only Spanish and Hmong, but also Russian, Greek, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Hindi, Arabic, Somali, Polish, and more.
For more information on these training sessions, and to register, visit the court system Web site at http://wicourts.gov/services/interpreter/training.htm
For more information contact:
Carmel Capati
Office of Court Operations
(608) 266-8635
carmel.capati@wicourts.gov