A Year of Growth, Gratitude, and Community: Welcome to 2025   The NAJIT Observer   As the new year begins, at The Observer, we are excited about what the upcoming year holds. The beginning of a new year offers us a great opportunity to reflect on our past successes,...

The Couch: Starting Fresh-Advice for New Graduates in Judiciary Translation and Interpreting The NAJIT Observer   A Brief History of The Couch Series [caption id="attachment_36172" align="alignright" width="300"] A symbolic representation of interpreters and translators fostering understanding, depicted by a figure on a couch and another actively listening[/caption]   Since its debut...

Judiciary Translation vs. Judiciary Interpretation: Which Path Resonates with You? By: Julli Jaramillo   Language professionals are essential in bridging communication gaps within the judiciary system. As experienced judiciary interpreters and translators, your expertise is vital in ensuring justice and equity for all parties involved. However, many aspiring...

Preparing to Do Relay with a Colleague Abroad   Reme Bashi   Have you ever had to do relay interpreting with a colleague who is outside the United States, and who doesn’t speak English?  Here are some tips to help you achieve the best team interpreting performance. [caption id="attachment_37550" align="alignleft" width="300"]...

Let’s Test Your Ethics The NAJIT Observer Team  Welcome to “Let’s Test Your Ethics” As professional interpreters and translators, we often navigate challenging situations that test our ethical judgment. Whether it's balancing confidentiality with transparency or maintaining impartiality in emotionally charged settings, these dilemmas are part of our...

About the LEP’s Right to “Hear Everything” in Court Janis Palma   [caption id="attachment_37467" align="alignleft" width="300"] The United States Supreme Court building, a symbol of justice and the rule of law[/caption] One of the rules of thumb that interpreters often follow in court is the if-then structure, which we...

The Importance of Being Called by Your Name By: Ann Heath-Huynh   As the year draws close to an end, we all seem to have different reasons to be scrambling about. Perhaps, in a rush to close business deals or to buy Christmas presents, or planning holiday events. We...

I came to the profession as many of you did, if you started your interpreting career ten or more years ago. I had a 15-minute phone interview with an agency owner, and I was hired on the spot and given very few instructions. I started interpreting...

I have to be really honest. Every time I hear about a problem here or there with some client or court who does not want to pay a fair compensation to the interpreter, or someone wondering why the interpreter needs to prep for an assignment...