It was one of those “deer-in-the-headlights” moments. The judge proclaimed, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!” and then looked at me, pointedly, to interpret. The courtroom was silent. It is hard enough to come up with a good equivalent without...
On this blog, we dedicate a great deal of time and effort to the profession of interpreting for the courts. We tell stories, share experiences, propose new ideas, and issue calls to action. This week, let’s look briefly at some issues related to translating for...
Just another day in court: trapped in the middle of a contentious divorce trial between two pro se parties full of rage and completely unversed in the rules of law and trial proceeding. After hours of arguing, Mrs. Divorcee calls her first witness: her 92-year-old...
As I walked into the conference room I noticed the chairs where set up so the participants would sit in groups of six, with the tables forming a large crescent facing the front on the room. On each table was a random assortment of items...
Acrobatics: A metaphor for how to interpret with confidence and humility Those who know me outside of interpreting know that acrobatics (specifically partnered “Acroyoga”) is my not-so-secret other love. I am tempted to wax enthusiastic and convert you all to Acroyoga right here and now, but...
This week's post comes from Maria Teresa. Glad to post it on her behalf. - Kevin On my way to the terminal to catch my flight to Chicago at Newark Airport, I was on a shuttle bus. There, I saw a sign that caught my attention...
Within the past few years I’ve had the unique privilege of thanking someone who is among the most significant individuals in my life. It got me thinking about all the people whose influence has spanned decades and impacted the core of who I am, and...
Do your local, regional or state courts have a Language Access Plan (LAP) in place? A Language Access Plan, much as the name suggests, is a detailed description of the language related encounters and services an agency has in place in order to provide effective communication...
I can be clicking on “Likes” at 2:30 a.m. sometimes, not because I am such a great fan of Facebook but because I cannot sleep and decide to catch up on comments and posts by friends. I can wake up three and four times...
In my home I am “the fixer”. This is not a role that I chose knowingly and intentionally; it just came with the territory. I own a home, so if anything breaks I am the one in charge of fixing it or finding someone...
