Court Interpreter flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Title VI language access

Federal law barring national-origin discrimination by federally funded programs; state courts receiving federal funds must provide meaningful access to limited English proficient litigants.

Executive Order 13166

Directs federally funded programs to prepare written language access plans; many state court systems adopted such plans or court rules in response.

Court Interpreters Act of 1978

Federal statute governing interpreter services in federal courts; it does not apply to state courts, which follow their own rules and statutes.

Meaningful access standard

DOJ guidance standard requiring reasonable steps to ensure LEP persons can meaningfully participate; factors include number of LEP persons, frequency of contact, and resources.

Language access plan

Written court plan identifying LEP populations, describing interpreter services, training, notice, and monitoring; following it supports a safe harbor from liability.

I-speak card

Point-to-language card used to identify an LEP person's language; courts must identify the language rather than assume it from appearance or accent.

Video remote interpreting

Interpreting delivered by video link; useful for short or routine matters but disfavored for evidentiary hearings and jury trials where quality is critical.

State interpreter certification

Most states certify interpreters through state programs or the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification; certification is separate from federal certification.

Accuracy and completeness

First ethical canon: render the full message faithfully, preserving meaning, register, and tone, without adding, omitting, or editing content.

Confidentiality canon

Interpreter must not disclose information learned during an assignment; exceptions exist only where law requires or the court orders disclosure.

Impartiality canon

Interpreter must remain neutral, avoid bias or side conversations, and decline assignments where a relationship or interest creates an appearance of conflict.

Role boundaries

Interpreter speaks in the first person for the speaker and does not summarize, explain, or answer questions directed to a party.

No legal advice rule

Interpreters may explain their role and the interpreting process but must not explain legal terms, procedures, or consequences to a party.

Conflict disclosure

When a potential conflict exists, the interpreter discloses it on the record and lets the judge decide; unilateral mid-proceeding withdrawal is improper.

Continuing education requirement

Many states require continuing education units for certification renewal, commonly 10–20 hours per cycle, to maintain skill and currency.

Interpreter oath

Sworn promise to interpret accurately and completely, maintain confidentiality, and remain impartial; administered before the assignment begins.

Consecutive interpreting

Speaker pauses at natural boundaries and the interpreter renders afterward, often using notes; standard for witness testimony and short exchanges.

Simultaneous interpreting

Interpreter renders while the speaker continues, usually with a headset or whispered mode; standard for long monologues, jury instructions, and sidebars.

Note-taking for interpreting

Capture ideas, structure, and links with symbols and abbreviations rather than verbatim words; reserve margin space for names and numbers.

High-risk items

Numbers, dates, and proper names are the most error-prone items; note them in digits, verify internally, and never round or approximate.

Sight translation technique

Read a passage silently in chunks, then render orally at natural pace; track the line with a finger or pen and avoid paraphrasing legal terms.

Register matching

Preserve the speaker's formality level, honorifics, and technical vocabulary; do not upgrade or downgrade register to sound more natural.

Overlapping speech

When speakers overlap, the interpreter requests a pause or repetition through the court rather than editing or guessing at content.

Whispered interpreting

Chuchotage: simultaneous rendering in a low voice to one or two listeners without equipment; used for short sidebars and bench conferences.

Arraignment

Initial criminal appearance where the defendant is informed of charges and enters a plea; a core term in certified court interpreter vocabularies.

Voir dire

Jury selection examination of prospective jurors; also used for preliminary examination of a witness's qualifications.

Allocution

Defendant's statement to the court before sentencing; the term has a fixed target-language equivalent and should not be paraphrased.

Hearsay

Out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted; a core evidentiary term requiring consistent rendering.

Chain of custody

Documented record of evidence handling from seizure to trial; a fixed evidentiary term that must be rendered consistently.

Statute of limitations

Deadline for filing a civil claim or criminal charge; a civil and criminal term of art with a fixed equivalent.

False cognates

Words that look alike across languages but differ in meaning; literal renderings can change legal effect and must be avoided.

Unknown-term protocol

When a legal term is not known with confidence, the interpreter pauses, consults a glossary, or states the need to verify; never improvise.