NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDICIARY

General Resources

• Nevada State Courts Bench Card
• Washington State Courts Bench Card

• Second Judicial District Court Zoom Resources – Illustrated Guides, Instructions Script, How-To Video, and more
• T.E.A. Language Solutions – Blog: Zoom’s Sign Language Feature, Simultaneous Interpretation in Webex, links to demo videos, and more
  
• Zoom Simultaneous Interpretation Feature
  
• Webex Simultaneous Interpretation Feature
  
• Fifine USB Gooseneck Microphone
  
• Bose QuietComfort 35 II Noise-Cancelling Headphones
  
• Maker Hart Just Mixer S
  
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
  
• Williams Sound Interpretation Equipment
  
• National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators’ position papers and white papers – a treasure trove of best practices for guiding proper policymaking from the ground floor up and for improving existing practices for successfully working with interpreters
  
• New Mexico Judiciary's Language Access Basic Training – a phenomenal resource for understanding general best practices for serving the Limited English Proficiency public, the different levels of bilingualism, and more
  
• Nevada Administrative Office of the Courts’ Resources for Working with Interpreters
  
• NAJIT Guidelines on Proper Remote Interpretation: Tech Setup, Compensation for Remote Interpreters
  
• The Interpreter’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities
  
• National Center for State Courts – Language Access
  
• "Getting to Know Court Interpreters" - I'll Allow it Nevada! Ep. 36
  
• "Untold Stories of Court Interpreting" - I'll Allow it Nevada! Ep. 37
  
• "Tips and Tricks for Remote Interpretation" recorded webinar by Jessica Escobar, CCI
• E-mail Seth Easley <seasley@nvcourts.nv.gov>  or Mandy Walker <courtinterpreters@nvcourts.nv.gov>

VOIR DIRE FOR NON-CREDENTIALED INTERPRETER

Ethical Consideration:

• Are you a potential witness in this case?
• Do you know or work for any of the attorneys, parties, or witnesses in this case?
• Have you read and understand the Code of Professional Responsibility (CODE)?
• Have you ever been disciplined for conduct that violates the Code in another state or by any professional association?
• Have you ever been convicted of a felony/gross misdemeanor/crime against a child/sex offense?

Communicative Compatibility:

• Have you had an opportunity to speak with the person for whom you will be interpreting?
• Did you have any difficulty understanding everything that the person said?
• Do you speak the same language?
• Does that person have any dialectal or idiomatic issues that you do not understand or which you cannot interpret into English?

Knowledge of the Languages and General Education:

• How did you learn English?
• Have you formally studied English in school or college?
• How did you learn the other language?
• What is the highest grade or degree you completed?

Interpreting and Translating Skills:

• Have you passed any accreditation or certification exams for interpretation or translation? If yes, describe.
• Are you a member in good standing of professional associations of interpreters or translators? If yes, describe
• Do you attend meetings/conferences/other gatherings of professional interpreters? If yes, describe.
• Have you ever interpreted in Nevada or any other state? If yes, describe.
• Have you ever been disqualified or removed from interpreting in a court?

Things to Consider

• The dangers of using untrained and unqualified individuals
• The link between having qualified interpreters and meaningful access to justice
• The differences between interpretation in live situations and in telephonic/virtual settings
• How best to voir dire interpreters, even if they are recognized as being certified
• With a vast range of judicial proceedings comes a vast range of different vocabulary. It's incumbent upon the ALJ to ensure that the interpreter's skill set is commensurate with the specific subject matter at hand.
• When to use consecutive vs. simultaneous interpretation
• When to use relay interpretation
• The importance of ascertaining the LEP's preferred language, e.g. an LEP who speaks some Spanish may actually speak a native language much better
• Cultural differences and presumptions about the law and how people are going to act and interact with each other
• Power dynamic difference between judge/ALJ and the party appearing before the ALJ. This can create conditions which make it much more difficult for the party to meaningfully participate in the hearing.
• The mechanics of interpretation
• What makes for successful interpretation in a courtroom setting

Remote Interpretation: Setup, Dos and Don'ts

For virtual hearings:

• Stable internet connection for all participants- wired is best vs. Wi-Fi
• Quiet, non-echoey space
  🚫 Avoid empty-ish spaces, bare walls or floors, and high ceilings, or counter them with good microphone
• Close-up view of faces through adequate web cameras
• Speak close to and directly into high-quality, directional, noise-canceling mircrophones/headsets
• All notifications sounds on all devices turned OFF
• Compliance with ISO Standards (International Organization for Standardization)

For hybrid hearings with remote interpreters:

• Same as for virtual, plus:
• Good microphone and camera system in the courtroom/meeting room with AV bridge and each speaker at their own microphone
  🚫NOT one microphone for everyone in the center of conference table or ten feet away on the wall-mounted webcam/screen

The interpreter should be able to hear every single speaker with crystal clarity and have good line of sight to them also through the cameras as zoomed in as possible on faces.

Ask interpreter for feedback and even advance guidance, whenever possible. Make adjustments.

🚫Do not assume your device or webcam microphone is good enough for the space you are in. Test your setup in advance to know how you really sound to others.

🚫Do not assume that non-interpreters can gauge what proper sound quality is for interpretation purposes.

🚫Telephones should be avoided whenever possible