Translation For Lawyers

According to Federal Regulations, informed consent must be received from all patients and subjects prior to performing medical treatment or testing. All information pertaining to informed consent must be presented in writing and in a language understandable to the individual. If the individual is a non-English speaker, all informed consent documentation must also contain a foreign language translation

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Attorneys love to tell stories about a long-winded verbal exchange between the non-English-speaking witness and the interpreter, or the non-English-speaking defendant and the interpreter, which always ends with the interpreter solemnly declaring "Yes", while failing to inform the English-speaking lawyers of the remaining portion of his or her communication in that foreign language.

What many lawyers don't realize, through, is that they have just met an unqualified person, who, irrespective of his/ her fluency in English and in the given foreign language, is not ready to serve as an interpreter in a legal setting.

Continue reading "Russian Interpreter’s Poor Interpretation Causes a Halted Trial: Why Attorneys Must Learn to Differentiate Between Competent Court Interpreters and Unqualified Individuals" »

Today, many attorneys and even judges continue to be unaware of the professional responsibilities of the foreign language court interpreters. Without such awareness, courts will continue to rely on ad hoc interpreters, or on unqualified bilingual persons who are not familiar with the role of the court interpreter. Don’t let sub-par court interpretation by well-meaning amateur interpreters ruin your case! Learn everything you can about the role of professional court interpreters.

Continue reading "Language Interpreter Accused of Giving Legal Advice to Spanish-Speaking Defendants: What Attorneys Must Know About Court Interpreters" »

As more and more minorities are becoming attorneys, some bilingual attorneys may choose to also act as a foreign language interpreter for their foreign-born client. The thinking is that since their language skills are sufficient, they can save the court time and their client money by doubling up as a court interpreter. However, acting as both the attorney and the interpreter for your client raises numerous ethical questions.

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Bankruptcy proceedings are difficult for any individual and any business. They can be even more burdensome for non-English-speaking debtors due to the language and cultural barriers. The Department of Justice helps the non-English speakers by providing Vietnamese translation, Hmong translation, Tagalog translation, Korean translation, Chinese translation, French translation, Arabic translation, and Spanish translation of Bankruptcy Information Sheet on its Web site.

Continue reading "Translations of Bankruptcy Information Sheet, and Court Interpreters for 341 Meetings" »

One of the most common areas for appealing a case involving foreign language interpreters is the trial court’s decision to appoint or refusal to appoint a foreign language interpreter. In general, the trial court is given wide discretion as to whether or not a foreign language interpreter is needed.

Continue reading "Foreign Language Interpreters- Appealing Points of Law Pertaining to Appointment of a Court Interpreter" »

Libel is defined as defamation that takes the form of writing. In general, in order to plead a case for libel, the pleading must show that the statement in question used defamatory language or language that adversely affects a person's reputation. Further, the writing must be about the plaintiff and must be communicated to a third person.

When the alleged defamatory writing is written and communicated in a foreign language, determining whether these elements are satisfied presents a unique challenge to the court.

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