Attention Interpretation and Translation Enthusiasts
By Kevin Casillas

Have you ever wanted to pick the brain of a lawyer to understand the use of legal terms and Michigan law? Call me an interpreting/translator geek, but I actually look for these opportunities. As professional interpreters and translators, we must constantly seek to expand our bilingual ranges, update our knowledge, and learn from the experts of the fields we interpret and translate.

When it comes to court interpreting, unless you have gone to law school, play golf with lawyers, or are married to one, your interaction with lawyers may be limited to assignments . . . that is until now. Last month I attended a new venue for Michigan interpreters and translators presented by Bromberg and Associates, a corporate member of MiTiN. The agency offers free-lancers monthly sessions to talk with experts in various fields. On February 22, I and close to a dozen interpreters and translators conversed with Attorney David Dickinson, a veteran civil litigator.

Throughout the workshop he detailed legal steps of accident-related damages (scheduling conference, discovery via interrogatories, subpoenas, and depositions -mediation-facilitation-trial). He explained various types of comparative negligence and its bearing on what a lawyer attempts to get from a deposition. He also offered suggestions for interpreters when communication problems occur, i.e., long narratives, convoluted questions, tricky idioms relating to car movement, and specialized vocabulary used by expert witnesses. The discussion led to a valuable interchange among the group on interpreter ethics.

Overall, my recommendation is to set aside some time to attend these valuable, monthly Mentoring Meetings. The next one will be on March 28th, the topic, the Challenges of Language Interpretation in Health Care. Medical Interpreters, be sure to attend. For more information call Bromberg & Associates (313) 871-0080. They will also host on March 12th a session of possible interest to your clients: Title VI [LEP] Compliance for Recipients of Federal Assistance. As a member of MiTiN, an organization that seeks “to promote the continuing education and development of interpreters and translators,” I applaud Bromberg & Associates efforts and look forward to their workshops.