What’s Going On in Our Field Right Now? By Julli Jaramillo I’ve been keeping up with what’s been happening in our field, and I think now is a good time to update everyone. There’s a lot shifting right now, and it’s not all happening in one place. You see...
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 in 2017, The Couch has been the place to provide our members with the space to discuss...
Language Access on the Biggest Stage By: Julli Jaramillo Last month, millions of viewers tuned in to watch the Super Bowl Halftime show. As always, the spotlight was on the teams, the halftime show, and the commercials that quickly became part of the cultural conversation. But behind the...
Let’s Test Your Ethics: The Digital “Assist” The NAJIT Observer Team Honoring the Lunar New Year Before we turn to this month’s ethical discussion, we want to pause to recognize the Lunar New Year. For many communities around the world, this celebration marks renewal, reflection, and the beginning...
Playing The Infinite Game In Your Interpreting Career By: Jiraporn-Ann H. Huynh With Special Credit To Contributor and Editor: Hilda Shymanik I was at a dental event for an elite group of dental practitioners who don’t just fix teeth and collect money; they are highly specialized dentists whom...
On Verbatim By Ángeles Estrada, M.A., F.C.C.I. Verbatim is a Latin expression that means “word for word,” and it is the golden rule for court-reporters whose charge it is to preserve the record. But, what about court interpreters? An interpreter's oath is different from the court reporter’s oath....
Carrying the Work Forward: Welcome 2026 Julli Jaramillo When people talk about nonprofits, they often talk about them as if they are abstract things. Structures. Boards. Logos. Missions. But the longer I’ve worked with NAJIT, the clearer it has become to me that this organization moves because...
Writing for The NAJIT Observer By: The NAJIT Observer Writing for The NAJIT Observer is not only an opportunity to share insights and experiences, but also a powerful way to refine our own skills, uplift newcomers, and honor those who have paved the way for us. Whether...
A few decades ago, “language access” was not really a phrase. Litigants who did not speak English were frequently left in the dark as to their own judicial proceedings, and this carried severe consequences. The evolution of court interpreting as a profession has relied on the...
“Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating based on national origin by, among other things, failing to provide meaningful access to individuals who are limited English proficient (LEP)” (lep.gov). In state courts, where Title VI...