Spanish <> English Certified Court Interpreter

This is a remote position.

Spanish <> English Certified State Court Interpreter

Locations: Various U.S. cities

Requirement: U.S. Citizen

Type: Freelance contractor – as needed

Global Language Strategies, a language service company in Northern VA, is seeking an experienced, certified Court Interpreter to support federal government customers. These requests are made on an as-needed basis and require interpreters with flexible schedules (primarily Monday through Friday, 7 am - 7 pm EST). Hours will vary by assignment, depending on the customer's needs. We will provide the interpreter with as much notice as possible.

Legal/Certified Court Interpreter Duties:

1. The interpretation supports DOJ prosecutors. This is a high-level interpreting role in which the interpreter is expected to keep pace with the session and have a deep understanding of legal/court interpreting.
2. DOJ interpretation involves support of DOJ prosecutors, including court cases where criminals from other countries are extradited to appear in US federal courts.
3. The majority of court cases and interpretation assignments, in general, are consecutive, but there may be a need for simultaneous interpretation at some point.
4. Leads three-way telephonic, video conference, or on-site interpretations between U.S. government officials/legal representatives and low English proficiency individuals as required.
5. Performs virtual remote interpretation using MS Teams, Zoom, or similar platforms.
6. And/or willing to travel to onsite interpretation assignments (less than 50 miles round trip), as needed.
7. Occasionally, we also proffer assignments at various Bureau of Prisons detention centers where interpreters are used during interviews between defendants and DOJ attorneys or material witnesses and DOJ attorneys.
8. If you are in the DC metro area, most court and proffer assignments involve Spanish LEP defendants and/or witnesses and are located in the Washington DC district court or, for proffers, located at the Alexandria, VA, detention center or other BOP location.
9. Most assignments, local to DC, will not involve travel. However, there will sometimes be a need for specific certification, such as a federally certified interpreter, that will necessitate travel, which follows GSA rate reimbursement for travel, mileage, etc., and is approved by the client before we can authorize.
10. Travel is not considered for any assignment that is 50 miles from the home of record - that's local and not reimbursed under the DOJ contract.
11. Sign the certification form at the end of each assignment that attests to the accuracy of the interpretation.

Requirements

1. Must be a U.S. citizen residing in the continental United States.
2. Must be willing to undergo Public Trust security clearance processing.
3. A minimum of four years’ experience in consecutive and/or simultaneous interpretation.
4. Court certification is required.
5. Must be versed in legal terminology and experience interpreting for law enforcement (local, state, federal).
6. Trained in the interpreting field and/or extensive experience in court or legal environments.
7. Strong command of both English and the target foreign language vocabularies used in formal, legal, and diplomatic, consultative, and casual modes of communication in various contexts, including colloquial slang, idiosyncratic slang, and regionalisms.
8. Know specialized legal vocabulary (and terminology) in both English and the foreign language.
9. Speak in English and target foreign language fluently, including regionalisms and colloquial slang, without altering meaning.
10. Highly proficient in both English and the target language (i.e., rating of at least Level 3: Professional Proficiency assessed by the Interagency Language Roundtable scale).
11. Demonstrates adherence to the interpreter Code of Ethics.
12. Able to accurately and idiomatically turn the message from the source language into the target language and vice versa without any additions, omissions, or other misleading factors that alter the intended meaning of the message from the speaker.
13. Adept at consecutive and/or simultaneous interpretation, while simultaneous interpretation is the most frequent form of interpretation used in the courtroom.
14. Excellent oral communication skills, including appropriate delivery and poise.
15. Demonstrates high professional standards for courtroom demeanor and professional conduct.

Desired Qualifications:

***Federal, State, National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), or Judiciary Interpreters and Translators Certification Examination (JITCE) certification in interpretation