Certified Court Interpreter-Spanish

Job Overview

Continuous recruitment until filled. Court interpreters perform a wide variety of language interpretation activities on an assigned and as needed basis for the Superior Courts of California and for parties to proceedings, including witnesses, defendants, attorneys, other court personnel, and the public.

This is a single level classification. Employees perform consecutive and simultaneous courtroom interpretation as well as sight translation of written texts as required.

• Interpret from and into English and the applicable non‑English language using simultaneous and consecutive modes at court proceedings and for other court‑related departments at the court’s direction.
• Make sight translations for the benefit of the court of documents such as court petitions, reports, waivers, felony disposition statement forms, and short documents introduced as evidence.
• Interpret for judges, attorneys, court staff, and other court‑related departments at the court’s direction.
• Notify the court of any issues or situations that may impede interpreter performance.
• Research and understand terminology used in court, including legal, technological, scientific, and medical terms.
• Review the daily docket and coordinate with Courtroom Services Management to determine which courts and proceedings require an interpreter, and accurately complete daily activity logs or other paperwork as required.
• Perform additional duties as assigned, such as providing general court information to the non‑English speaking public and processing related documents.
• Serve as a representative of the Court, displaying courtesy, tact, consideration, and discretion in all interactions with other members of the Court community and with the public.

• Perform related duties as assigned.

• Correct usage of grammar and vocabulary of the language pair specified, assuming the source language speaker uses correct grammar and vocabulary.
• Knowledge of legal concepts and forensic terminology in both English and the non‑English language(s).
• Adherence to interpreter ethics and standards as stipulated in California Rules of Court Rule 984.4, Professional Conduct for Interpreters.
• Familiarity with the general range of regional and cultural variations in the specified language.
• Certification as a “Certified Court Interpreter” issued by the Judicial Council of California or registered as a Court Interpreter by the Judicial Council of California.

• Orally convey meaning from and into English and the applicable non‑English language by interpreting in simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation modes; the meaning must be conveyed accurately without editing, summarizing, adding meaning, or omitting.
• Interpret accurately and remain impartial in adversarial and emotionally charged situations.
• Conduct ongoing research into variations in terminology and usage of the specified language.
• Use office equipment, including computer, telephone, and copiers, as required by the assignment, including use of transmitter and receiver equipment provided by the court for simultaneous interpretation.
• Interact professionally and cooperatively with those contacted in the course of work.

Any combination of education and experience that could likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the necessary qualifications includes:

• Education:
  
  High school diploma or equivalent.
• Experience:
  
  Ability to perform consecutive translations, as demonstrated by certification.

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver’s license.
• Possession of a valid Certificate as a “Certified Court Interpreter” issued by the Judicial Council of California or registration as a Court Interpreter by the Judicial Council of California.

The demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met or are encountered by an employee while successfully performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to…