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Legal Interpreter Certificate Program (All Languages)

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Turn your bilingual skills into a rewarding legal and court interpretation career.

Program Overview: 

As the population of Texas grows and becomes more culturally diverse, the demand for professional legal interpreters is also growing. The Legal Interpreter Certificate Program at UT Austin's Center for Professional Education (CPE) introduces students to the world of legal interpreting, preparing them to use their language skills both inside and outside the courtroom. In addition to courtroom procedures, students will learn the basics of legal interpreting as it is conducted on a daily basis, such as with depositions, witness preparing, attorney-client interviews and law enforcement interviews.

In Texas, there is a particular need for legal interpreters that speak Spanish, in addition to languages of lesser diffusion such as Farsi, Tagalog and Punjabi.

All instructors are Master Licensed Court Interpreters, with vast knowledge and experience in court interpreting.

Who Should Enroll: 
  • Anyone that has interpreting experience but is not licensed and would like to prepare to take the JBCC exam in order to become a Licensed Court Interpreter in Texas
  • Attorneys that speak more than one language and would like to learn more about laws and regulations that govern court interpreting or improve their interpreting skills
  • Legal assistants and paralegals that are bilingual and are often asked to interpret in their workplace, but lack the knowledge and skills required to interpret in a professional manner
Learning Outcomes: 
  • Understand fundamental tasks that are performed by legal interpreters such as interpreting for depositions, attorney-client interviews and police interviews
  • Understand federal and state regulations that govern the profession, and the consequences of infringing these laws
  • Become familiar with and learn to abide by the Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary
  • Learn how to interact with staff and members of the judiciary, when interpreting in a court setting
Prerequisites: 

The minimum requirement for this program is a High School Diploma. A High School or GED diploma are acceptable proofs of general education.

Students must possess written and oral proficiency (mid-level or higher) in English and another language.

Students must also have good computer skills, as the course will be partially taught online, and assignments will require knowledge of Word and Excel.

Additional Information: 

The course requires a computer with a broadband internet connection, a webcam, headphones, microphone, pen and paper.

This course has been approved by the Judiciary Branch Certification Commission (JBCC) as a Pre-License Orientation course. In order to obtain full credit and a certificate of accomplishment to be presented to the JBCC, students must complete all ten online modules and attend all ten classroom sessions.

This is a Canvas-based program.

Program ID: 
LAN-6001 (Sugar Land) and LAN-6002 (Austin)

At A Glance

Duration: 
3 months
Modality: 
Hybrid (Classroom and Online Components Required)
Tuition: 
Early Bird Rate until 30 days prior to start date: $1,345. Regular rate: $1,495.
Payment Options: 

Find additional information about payment options.

Contact

teclegal@austin.utexas.edu

Center for Professional Education
The University of Texas at Austin
1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 2.408
Austin, TX 78701

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Fax: 512-471-2905
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