Federal Court Interpreter

Online Court Interpreter Training

Become a Federal Court Interpreter

Court Interpreters work to translate information from another language into English for the court systems. This 100% online course will fully prepare you to pass a State or Federal Spanish Court Interpreter examination.

Job Outlook for Court Interpreters

  • The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that demand for professional interpreters will grow 20% over the next decade due to an increase in foreign language speakers living in the country.
  • The BLS found that professional interpreters make over $51,000 a year on average. However, court interpreters make substantially more due to the complex nature of their work. On average, court reporters earn around $75,000 a year, according to Indeed.com data.

Course Objectives

  • Understand interpreting techniques – simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation
  • Learn criminal and civil terminology in both Spanish and English and the corresponding transfer into the opposite language
  • Master drug, firearm, fingerprint, gang terminology
  • Study juvenile court and children’s court terminology
  • Explore the necessary material to sit in either a State or Federal Spanish Court Interpreter examination
  • Understand courtroom protocol and the ethics of the court interpreter

Curriculum

  • INTERPRETING CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS I
    Learn about arraignments, pre-trial hearings, preliminary hearings, criminal terminology, trials, sentencing, and progress reports.
  • INTERPRETING CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS II
    Master an understanding of probation violation hearings, colloquialisms, simultaneous techniques, consecutive techniques, criminal offenses in the state jurisdiction, and interpreting laboratory practices.
  • ADVANCED INTERPRETING TECHNIQUES IN CRIMINAL AND CIVIL MATTERS
    Understand misdemeanors and felonies in state court, waivers and plea forms, DUI/DWIs, domestic violence, drug terminology, drug possession cases, and firearms terminology.
  • INTERPRETING LABORATORY PRACTICES
    Learn about advanced consecutive techniques, expert witness testimony, differences in the transfer or criminal and civil legal terminology, and drug trafficking.

Prerequisites

You must speak English and Spanish fluently to enroll in this course.

Instructor

Nestor Wagner is a certified Court and Medical Interpreter who has been teaching interpreting courses since 1990. He has the highest pass rate of certified court interpreters in the nation. He has published several books in the interpreting community. Mr. Wagner is involved in the examination process for Immigration Interpreters and Analytical Linguists. He participates as speakers in national and international conferences on Criminal, Civil and Immigration Court terminology, advanced interpreting skills, and localization in the transfer of legal and non-legal terminology. Mr. Wagner holds a master’s degree from the University of Washington.

FAQs

  1. What do court interpreters do? 
    Court interpreters interpret and translate spoken or written passages from source language into target language (primarily English) for the judiciary. The typical duties of a court interpreter include interpreting proceedings such as first appearances, arraignments, preliminary hearings, pretrial motions and trials.
  2. What is the difference between state court interpreters and federal court interpreters? 
    State courts oversee cases involving the laws and citizens of their state or city, while federal courts decide, cases against the United States and cases involving specific federal laws. For this reason, it is significantly harder to pass the federal court interpreter exam.
  3. How do I become a federal court interpreter? 
    To become a federal court interpreter, you must pass the qualification exams administered by or meet other eligibility requirements set by the U.S. Court System Administrative Office. The Court designates three categories of interpreter: “certified interpreter” for Spanish, Haitian Creole and Navajo speakers; “professionally qualified interpreter” for all other major foreign language speakers; and “language skilled interpreter” for less-commonly taught or spoken language speakers.
  4. Can I register for programs if I am an international student?
    Yes, because ed2go programs are online you never have to actually travel to the school.  Most schools offer telephone or online registration.
  5. How long does it take to complete a program?
    All of our programs are self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start them when you want and finish them at your own pace.  When you register, you’ll receive nine (9) months to complete the program.
  6. What if I don’t have enough time to complete my program within the time frame provided?
    The time allotted to complete your program has been calculated based on the number of hours for each program, so don’t worry too much about not completing in time. If, after a concerted effort, you are still unable to complete, your Student Advisor will help you work out a suitable completion date. Please note that a fee may be charged for an extension.
  7. Do I have to buy additional materials?
    No.
  8. Can I get financial assistance?
    ed2go courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid.  In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.  Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements.
  9. What happens when I complete the program? 
    Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.
  10. Am I guaranteed a job?
    ed2go programs will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases.  We don’t provide direct job placement services, but our facilitators and career counselors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job.  Facilitators will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the program.  Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.
  11. Who will be my instructor?
    Each student is paired with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction.  The facilitator will be available (via e-mail) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance.  All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.
  12. What software or hardware do I need in order to take online programs and what are the system requirements?
    In order to take our online programs, you must have access to a computer and the Internet.  You can access the program contents from any Web-enabled computer.  You don’t have to use the same computer to log-in to the program every time.  We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is the best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.
  13. Can I use a Mac?
    Yes.
  14. How can I get more information about this program?
    If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button above).  If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the “Contact Us” form to the right.  You may also call us at 1-877-221-5151.  We will answer your questions promptly.
  15. When can I start the program?
    Our programs are all open enrollment.  You can register and start the program as soon as you are ready.Please note: Once the program curriculum is accessed online or through submission of a material shipment confirmation, refunds cannot be issued.
  16. Does this program prepare for a certification?
    Yes, you will be prepared to sit for any State or Federal Certified Spanish Court Interpreter exam.

Registration and Enrollment

This course is 100% online. Start anytime.