The Couch – A few questions about scheduling depositions

There is a new colleague on The Couch. Read the post and see if you can lend a hand. Please note: all contributions should be sent to the Editor and not entered in the comments. We will make sure that all data that might make the...

08 December, 2017 / 3 Comments

The Couch – Going Beyond Agencies

The Couch is back. This is a space where we can share our doubts, our knowledge and help our colleagues. All data that might make the parties or case identifiable have been removed. Please note: all contributions should be sent to the Editor and not...

13 October, 2017 / 7 Comments

Procedural Memory and the New Kid Jitters

Once again, we revisit our archives for articles that were well received by our long time readers. Not so much of a throw-back, but a recycling of pertinent and valuable knowledge. Use the comments area to let us know how you like it. By Jennifer de...

06 October, 2017 / 5 Comments

Brazilian Jury Observations — a Florida Court Interpreter’s Perspective

This is Part II of Javier Aparisi's report on his Brazilian adventure. Pedri, a family friend from my early years in São Paulo, accompanied me a few days later in our visits to the Barra Funda regional court in São Paulo. This judicial complex offered a...

20 January, 2017 / 4 Comments

So You Want to Be the Favorite Freelancer

I’ve been working as a staff interpreter for a long time in various jurisdictions, so I’ve hired freelance interpreters (of languages from Achi to Zuni) hundreds of times—probably thousands. And let’s face it: every court has its favorites. For any language for which a court has multiple options, certain freelancers (or agencies, but that’s another subject) will be the go-to when there’s a big assignment, or a last-minute one, or a vacation to be covered. Well-meaning administrative offices try to encourage or enforce a fair rotation, but there will always be someone who has an extra edge. A question asked by prospective and working freelance interpreters alike is often: how can I get more work? Or the flip side: is there really enough work for me? So here’s the answer: There may not be enough work for everyone, but there will always be enough work for those who go the extra mile to make working with them a pleasure. So how do you become one of those people? Let’s see:

26 August, 2016 / 1 Comment

The Militant Interpreter

The phrase itself should set off an alarm. Or perhaps “militant” is too strong a word. How about “the advocate interpreter”? Merriam-Webster defines militant as "having or showing a desire or willingness to use strong, extreme, and sometimes forceful methods to achieve something,” or, in...

26 November, 2015 / 15 Comments

On Protocols and Professional Standards

“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...

12 June, 2015 / 2 Comments

Lessons from Atlanta

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...

29 May, 2015 / 3 Comments

Challenges from Outside the Profession: Friend or Foe?

**Flashback First Friday** This was originally posted on the NAJIT Blog back in 2012. Leave a comment about being challenged! A good, healthy session of constructive criticism by a senior colleague about our performance or skills as interpreters is something I venture to say we would all...

03 April, 2015 / 1 Comment

The Fixer

          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...

17 October, 2014 / 2 Comments