Certified Court​/Legal Interpreter

Benefits:

• Contract
• Freelance
• Flexible schedule

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 from assignment to assignment, depending on the customer’s needs. We will provide the interpreter with as much notice as possible. From time to time, there may be rush requests (less than 24 hours’ notice).

• Provides consecutive and/or simultaneous interpretation between the target language and English and vice versa.
• Leads three‑way telephonic, video conference, or on‑site interpretations between U.S. government officials/legal representatives and low English proficiency individuals as required.
• Performs virtual remote interpretation using MS Teams, Zoom, or similar platforms.
• Travels to onsite interpretation assignments (less than 50 miles round trip), as needed.
• Signs the certification form at the end of each assignment that attests to the accuracy of the interpretation.

• Must be a U.S. citizen residing in the continental United States.
• Must be a certified court interpreter.
• Must be willing to undergo Public Trust security clearance processing.
• A minimum of four years’ experience in consecutive and/or simultaneous interpretation.
• Trained in the interpreting field and/or extensive experience in court or legal environments.
• 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.
• Know specialized legal vocabulary (and terminology) in both English and the foreign language.
• Speak in English and target foreign language fluently, including regionalisms and colloquial slang, without altering meaning.
• 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).
• Demonstrates adherence to the interpreter Code of Ethics.
• 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.
• Adept at consecutive and/or simultaneous interpretation, while simultaneous interpretation is the most frequent form of interpretation used in the courtroom.
• Excellent oral communication skills, including appropriate delivery and poise.
• Demonstrates high professional standards for courtroom demeanor and professional conduct.