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First Time in Federal Court? Start Here.

Presenter:   Katty Kauffman

Date/Time:  September 18 | 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm ET

AND

September 19 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am ET

Overview:

Newbies: Navigating the Profession

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to identify the principal types of proceedings and out-of-court assignments commonly encountered by federal interpreters, including court hearings, proffer sessions, and detention center visits.

Participants will also learn to recognize the institutional culture and professional expectations specific to federal practice, particularly regarding confidentiality, professional boundaries, and appropriate decorum in courtroom and out-of-court settings. In addition, participants will gain practical strategies to effectively prepare for and manage their first assignments in federal settings.

Presenter Bio:

Katty Kauffman is a seasoned conference and court interpreter and a member of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) and TAALS. She has also served as an instructor at York University’s Graduate School at Glendon College in its Master of Conference Interpreting program.

Trained in Chile and the United States, her extensive experience includes presidential summits, Organization of American States General Assemblies, and assignments for the U.S. Department of State. She is a federally certified interpreter and a state-certified interpreter in Florida, Maryland, California, and the District of Columbia. She has also served as a staff interpreter for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

What Does "Understanding" Mean?

Presenter:   Janis Palma, PhD, MLS, USCCI, NCJIT

Date/Time:  October 17 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm ET

Overview:

“Understanding” meaning in context is not as easy as most people imagine it to be. Language processing is a highly complex cognitive process. This webinar will examine some of the most salient theories about language meaning and understanding. Attendees will become familiar with the practical applications of theory to the practice of interpreting and get a clearer sense of how the Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals process the meaning of an interpreter’s rendition. Examples will include the legal, healthcare, and education domains.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this webinar, attendees will be able to,

1. Recognize some of the major theories in language studies that address meaning and understanding;
2. Identify the practical applications of semantic and pragmatic meaning to the practice of interpreting in various domains;
3. Articulate in their own words the difference between “understanding” an utterance an “knowing” what a word means.
   

Presenter Bio:

Janis Palma has been a federally certified English-Spanish interpreter since 1981, NAJIT- certified as an English-Spanish interpreter and translator since 2004, and has been teaching judiciary interpreters at all levels since 1986. She holds a PhD in Language Studies, a Master’s in Legal Studies (MLS), a Master of Arts (MA) in Puerto Rican and Caribbean History and Literature, and is currently working towards a PhD in Rhetorics, Communication and Information Design at Clemson University. She draws from her self- guided studies as well as formal education in language, literature, and the law, for course contents and publications that she carefully designs to provide interpreters with new and different topics intended to further their knowledge, skills, and professional expertise.

Ethics Across Fields: A Comparative Analysis of the Code of Ethics in Healthcare, Legal, and Educational Settings

Presenter:   Carola Lehmacher

Date/Time:  November 23 | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET

Overview:

This presentation explores and compares the codes of ethics that govern professional conduct in healthcare, legal, and educational settings. By examining the ethical principles and standards of practice of each field, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how ethics influence decision-making. Through a comparative analysis, the session will highlight both the similarities and differences between these codes, providing valuable insights into how each field addresses ethical dilemmas and challenges.

Learning Objectives:

This presentation explores and compares the codes of ethics that govern professional conduct in healthcare, legal, and educational settings. By examining the ethical principles and standards of practice of each field, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how ethics influence decision-making. Through a comparative analysis, the session will highlight both the similarities and differences between these codes, providing valuable insights into how each field addresses ethical dilemmas and challenges. Participants will be able to compare the core ethical principles that guide professional conduct in healthcare, legal, and educational interpreting and identify the similarities and differences among the codes of ethics for each setting. Moreover, they will gain a better understanding where these differences stem from principles are present in all three codes and what they mean. In the third segment, the presenter will introduce the differences and discuss those. Lastly, the presenter will highlight the importance of having a good understanding of advocacy, how advocacy is applied in the different fields, and come to an end with the conclusion. In the first segments, the presenter will provide a general overview of what a code of ethics is, and why it is important for interpreters to follow it. The different approaches of codes of ethics and their relevance in today's times will also be highlighted. In the second segment, the presenter will interact with participants in order to identify similarities among the codes of ethics.

Presenter Bio:

Carola Lehmacher is a multi-lingual freelance translator and interpreter with over fifteen years of experience working with government and industry at executive and operational levels. She holds two university degrees in Translation Studies and a master’s degree in Conference Interpreting. She is a Federally Certified Court Interpreter (FCCI) and a Master Licensed Court Interpreter in Georgia. Carola works as a conference interpreter for various local and international clients and is one of the voices of a major news network. Moreover, she is a licensed trainer of The Community Interpreter® International, teaches the Orientation Workshop for aspiring court interpreters for the GA Commission on Court Interpreters, and dedicates many hours to volunteer. She is the past Chair of the AAITE Ethics and Standards Committee, past President of AAIT, the Georgia chapter of ATA, and currently serves as Advisory Member to the Georgia Commission on Court Interpreters, and member of the Positions Paper Committee of NAJIT.