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Akorbi provides information for the legal community in a variety of ways. Our most
recent article (below) was featured in the e-newsletter of Legally Large, a consulting
firm designed to help law firms operate at maximum efficiency.
Don't Get Lost In Translation...
For Attorneys...
Know the Texas State stipulations for court certified interpreters
Have you ever needed an interpreter? What are the Texas certification requirements
for interpreters? What House Bill requires a court to appoint an interpreter? What
is interpreting in the first place? This brief article will shed light on these
questions.
What is the difference between translation and interpreting?
This article focuses on interpreting, but for the sake of definition, interpreting
refers to transferring meaning from one language to another using oral communication,
while translation refers to transferring meaning using written communication.
What are the Texas State stipulations for interpreters?
State Court: [Texas] House Bill 2735, which was passed by the 77th Legislature
in 2001, requires a court in a county with a population of 50,000 or more to appoint
licensed court interpreters if a motion is made requesting an interpreter and the
judge determines that an interpreter is necessary.
State Certification: If a court requires an interpreter, the next step is
finding one who is officially court certified. The Texas Department of Licensing
and Regulation (TDLR) oversees court interpreter licenses, and language offerings
for the TDLR are managed by the National Center for State Courts Consortium. The
Consortium provides language certification in Arabic, Cantonese, Haitian-Creole,
Hmong, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Certification Requirements: To become certified, the interpreter must pass
a written and oral exam, be able to perform consecutive and simultaneous interpreting,
speak fluent English, and be authorized to work in the U.S. Please note that if
you require an interpreter for a deposition (or other legal interaction) in a state
besides Texas, you must research that state's interpreter requirements and available
language certifications. They may or may not be the same as those of Texas.
For more information, visit
http://www.license.state.tx.us/court/court.htm .
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