The NAJIT Observer (TNO) was created in 2011 in response to NAJIT’s members need for a tool
to share information, first-hand experiences, and the occasional fun moment with colleagues.
We are delighted with the response TNO has received from our members and subscribers. And
thanks to our dedicated and generous contributors, TNO’s archive features an amazing number
of posts that you can search by category or author.
Do you want to contribute a post? Send us an email at TNO_editor@najit.org.
Enjoy The NAJIT Observer!
Stop the presses! The summer issue of Proteus is hot, ready to read and better than ever! I will admit that as the new editor-in-chief I am not exactly objective on the topic, so why don’t you take a look and see for yourself? This...
**Flashback First Friday continues with a piece on honesty in the profession from 3 years back** Recently, I had some work done at the house. It was a simple installation of a security system, done by a pretty reputable company with a clean-cut salesman...
I just read a blog by my dear friend (yes, even if we haven’t seen each other in years!) David Mintz, former NAJIT Chair and webmaster extraordinaire. I so enjoyed reading his irreverent takes on all kinds of different topics that...
The Blog Subcommittee, part of the NAJIT’s Public Relations Committee, is seeking volunteers. Please review the description of the committee below. The NAJIT Blog subcommittee produces posts with information that is pertinent to the advancement of judiciary interpretation and translation. Our audience transcends professional and geographic boundaries:...
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.” ― Confucius The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines protocol as “a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations.” There were no such rules, standard procedures, or protocols for interpreters in courts of law within the...
**First Friday Flashback! Here's a fave from early 2013. Comment below!** Today, a judge compared trial interpreters to a piece of furniture. I couldn’t be more pleased! Happily, this judge has had enough experience with good interpreters to know that our role is, indeed, much like an...
The NAJIT conference in Atlanta was intellectually stimulating and for some of us—or maybe all—it was also very good for the soul. We laughed, we sang, we danced, we ran into old friends and made new ones. In short, a lot of those present thought...
I spent Friday morning with Clifford Fisher, an attorney cum professor who educated us on the ins and outs of Recordings, Translations and Transcriptions. That afternoon I worked Accent Reduction with Juanita Ulloa, an opera singer who interprets in her spare time! We practiced...
There is something about “being” a translator that is very different from “being” an interpreter. It’s not just about sitting in front of a desk by yourself versus being surrounded by people when you do your work. Translators want to take their time finding that...
Two months ago, my esteemed interpreter colleague Kevin blogged about studying for the interpreting exam. In particular he wrote, “If you are a complainer: quit complaining. If you are an interpreter who needs to pass an exam, dedicate yourself to skills building” (www.najit.org/blog, 3/13/15). Never...