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About the Program
The Sonoma State University Legal/Court Interpreter Program is an academic certificate program, created to train the student in the three modes of interpretation—sight, consecutive and simultaneous—that are required by the California courts. It is the only interpretation certificate program in Northern California that develops skill in all three modes concurrently in each class.The goal of the program is to train students to work as professional court interpreters and to prepare students to pass the State of California Court Interpretation Certification Examination, in both written and oral formats. Classes meet in the evenings, twice a week in the Fall and Spring semesters. Summer session is spent in court observation, with five class meetings, and in final preparation for the state examination.
About the Profession
The role of the court interpreter is to interpret accurately and completely for highly educated people with an extensive vocabulary as well as people with limited language skills, while maintaining the totality of the meaning. Interpreters are often called upon to translate written documents from one language to another and vice versa.
Upon certification by the state, court interpreters earn a minimum of $265/day when working for the courts. Employment may be full-time, part-time or on a contract basis. Interpreters are also found in hospitals, administrative agencies, government agencies, law firms and translation agencies. Some have gone on to become certified in the federal court system.
At this time, there is a tremendous need for English/Spanish interpreters in California. Studies indicate this need will only continue to grow, as more Spanish speakers make California their home. It is an excellent field for growth and development.
Who Should Attend
- Bilingual Spanish/English individuals who are interested in court, administrative, and other legal translation and interpretation work
- Bilingual Spanish/English individuals working in law enforcement and government
- Bilingual Spanish/English free lance interpreters who would like to become certified for work in the courts
Admission Requirements
There is no educational admittance requirement, but it is recommended that prospective students have a minimum of 56 undergraduate units of college work. Students are required to take a bilingual entrance examination, both written and oral, which emphasizes vocabulary, usage and comprehension. Those students who achieve a passing grade are invited to apply for admission to the program. Students may be wait-listed and admitted if an opening becomes available. Students who do not achieve a passing grade are encouraged to enroll in further classes in English and Spanish and are invited to register for the examination the following year.
FAQ’s
What is a court interpreter?
An individual whose job it is to interpret or translate orally from one language to another, everything that is said, while preserving the tone and level of the original, adding and deleting nothing.
What makes a successful court interpreter candidate?
Native-like mastery of English and a second language, wide general knowledge, extensive vocabulary from formal legal language to colloquialisms and slang; mental and verbal agility; the ability to deal with lawyers, court personnel, the public etc.; an understanding of the terminology and procedures used in court AND training. Also required are interpretation skills, bicultural sensitivity and a highly developed sense of professionalism.
Is special training recommended to become an interpreter?
Yes. Court interpreting is a very demanding job that requires complete fluency in both English and the foreign language. The level of expertise required for this profession is far greater than that required for everyday bilingual conversation. The interpreter must be able to handle the widest range of language terms that may be presented in the courts, everything from specialized legal and technical terminology to street slang. Most people do not have full command of all registers of both English and the foreign language and, therefore, require special training to acquire it. Although there are no minimum requirements that must be met in order to apply to take the state certification test, applicants are encouraged to complete formal, college-level course work and training in both languages and modes of interpreting before applying for the examination.
How long does it take?
One year. The program begins in the fall and finishes at the end of the following summer. Classes meet two times per week in the evenings. All of the courses must be taken and passed in sequence to earn the certificate. The units earned in this program may be applied to a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies in the Hutchins School at SSU.
What are the costs?
There is a $20 fee to take the written entrance examination. The total course cost, including books and materials is approximately $4500, which is paid by semester as the units are taken. There is a $50 certification fee.
Program Coordinator:
Joni Boucher, B.S., is the Program Coordinator for the SSU Legal/Court Interpreter Program. Her legal experience as a litigation paralegal includes work with solo practitioners, private law firms, the courts and businesses. She is a member of the Alliance for Law Related Services Committee, sits on the Board of Directors for Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals and represents REAP to the Sonoma County Bar Association.
Program Instructor:
Corinne Cline, M.A., has been a Federal and State Certified Court Interpreter in Spanish for 30 years. She holds graduate degrees in Education and Latin American Studies from UCLA, where she also earned her Certificate of Court Interpreting. Formerly, Ms. Cline was the Director and Lead Instructor for the University of Massachusetts Court Interpreter Training Program.