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Earning a master’s degree in translation can lead to a wide variety of career opportunities, including becoming a court interpreter. If you’ve ever thought about pursuing a career as a legal interpreter, it is important that you know and understand the ins and outs of the profession in order to obtain the necessary qualifications.

Read on to learn about the role itself, its responsibilities, and its benefits.

About Being a Legal Interpreter

The purpose of a court translator is to help individuals who speak a foreign language or are hearing impaired to communicate in a judicial environment. This role is necessary as it is crucial that everyone in a court room is working off of the same, accurate information.

Typically, services of a legal interpreter are required in a civil or criminal court for a witness or defendant in need of translation assistance, with translations being supplied during:

• Arraignments
• Motions
• Pretrial conferences
• Preliminary hearings
• Depositions
• Trials
• Legal meetings

One of the main requirements for this role is that the designated court translator must be fluent in both languages. Additionally, the individual must be well versed in the legal system and processes for both national and international justice systems.

Lastly, it is common that a court interpreter may be required to translate legal written documents for the witness or defendant.

Responsibilities of a Court Translator

This role involves more than just translating court proceedings word for word. It also entails depicting the meaning, tone, and style of the message to ensure a fair trial while remaining impartial.

While the main responsibility of a legal interpreter is to bridge the communication gap between a witness or defendant and the court, there are many other duties that are part of the role, including:

• Carefully listening to the native language of the defendant or witness to promote understanding and a more accurate translation
   
• Assisting in communication with the courtroom, including lawyers, court staff, and the judge
   
• Interpreting everything that is said in both the source and target language without changing, adding, or omitting anything
   
• Abiding by the rules of confidentiality to ensure a fair trial and that nothing is repeated outside of the courtroom

As you can see, there are many responsibilities of this role that are necessary for a court proceeding. It is also important to note that there are certain things a legal interpreter cannot do, including:

• Provide legal advice
• Discuss the case outside of translation duties
• Explain what specific words or terms mean
• Answer questions relating to court proceedings

It is important to note that there is a difference between translation and interpretation. Learn more about different roles and responsibilities of a translator vs. an interpreter on our blog.

Benefits of Becoming a Court Interpreter

As shown above, court interpreters are crucial to the judicial system, as they help ensure all parties involved fully understand the events of a court proceeding. While this position can pose challenges, there are many accompanying benefits that lead individuals to pursue the role. 

Benefits of becoming a court translator include:

• Impacting the lives of others – By providing the services of a legal interpreter, you are giving individuals the right to representation. You have the opportunity to truly understand the situation they are in and provide clarity and factual information to a courtroom.
   
• Learning the legal system – Choosing to go into this profession will help you to better understand both national and international legal systems. Not only will this let you further your professional career, but it will also help you to better understand your personal rights.
   
• Aiding defendants or witnesses – There are instances where the individual you’re translating for may be innocent or wrongly convicted and the act of accurately translating their side of the story can help bring a fair trial and facilitate justice.
   
• Building a flexible work schedule – Typically, this role allows you to choose which cases you’d like to take on. This means you can dictate how much or how little you work, giving yourself more freedom to do what you like outside of work.

Learn More About Kent State’s Degree in Translation

For those looking to become a court interpreter, know that Kent State can give you the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. To speak with us about our translation degree, contact our team today!