It’s a long story. It probably started at school, when I took the history of the state as a final exam and planned to enter the law faculty. However, my parents convinced me to get a language education. I entered the interpreter, and at the same time began to work as an English teacher. language in a regular school.
Julia, hello! LinguaKontakt students know you as a methodologist and translation editor. In the guise of a legal translator, you appear for the first time. Tell us about this side of your activity: how you came to the legal field, why you like it, what kind of education you received.
However, the corporate environment has always fascinated me. I tried to find a part-time job for the summer in the office, pulled all my friends and asked me to take it just without money to gain experience. That’s how I got into the legal industry.
My journey into legal translation began when I found work as an interpreter for couples coming to adopt children from the US to Kazakhstan. Probably, it is not necessary to say that adoption takes place through a court with the participation of guardianship authorities. It was then that my first experience of interpreting at a court session took place and you need court interpretation manchester. As a result, my love for the legal field overcame, and in 2015 I received a second higher education – a law degree. Even now I combine translation, work as a lawyer, and teaching.
How did you come up with the idea to create a course on forensic translation?
We often receive questions about the status of a court interpreter. There is practically no information about court interpreters, as well as educational materials in this area. For example, it is easier for notarized translators in this regard: there is already quite a lot of information about the certification of translations, and besides, you can always consult with notaries. But the courts, unfortunately, do not give advice. However, a court interpreter needs to know the basics of the process, differences in documents, etc. Where can you find out if you don’t talk about it and don’t teach it? But the litigation is more complicated than notarization.
Tell us about the course in general terms: for whom and for what it is.
The course consists of a lightweight theory on the process, which is usually taught to lawyers in high school. If lawyers need to be able to participate in the process and perform certain actions, then translators need to understand what is happening at the moment and what will happen next. There will also be translation practice, we will go through the terms in English and other information needed by the court interpreter.
Is this an in-demand specialization?
This is a rather narrow niche in which the stakes are much higher than in legal writing. translation. In addition, a lot of employers are looking for paralegals – specialists with knowledge of English and basic knowledge in the field of law.
Quite often, international legal entities act as customers. firms that conduct many processes for large companies. During the course, I will talk in detail about such customers and how their work is arranged, what documents are submitted for translation.
Is a court interpreter an interpreter or a translator?
It depends on the case being considered in court, on the parties involved and other nuances. It often happens that both types of translation are needed. Sometimes it happens that only a written translation is needed. All these questions will be discussed in detail in the course.
Is this a basic course or do you need to know the basics of legal translation to take it?
Basic knowledge of marriage translation service can be an advantage. This course will be a little wider than just legal. translation, as judicial translation has its own characteristics.
Are there any special requirements for court interpreters in Russia?
These requirements are set out in the Code of Civil Procedure and the Code of Criminal Procedure, and only the participation of an interpreter in a court session is regulated. We will talk about this in more detail in the course. There is no institute for accreditation of court interpreters in Russia, so it is impossible to obtain such a status. As a rule, for the written translation of court documents, customers are looking for a “reliable” translator who can translate this or that document.
As you know, the legislative systems of countries are different and, accordingly, the procedural aspects differ. Hence the question: does the course consider translation for Russian courts or for foreign courts too?
The course itself is focused on acquaintance with the judicial process in the Russian Federation. We will also briefly look at the main differences between litigation in the US, UK and Russia.
Have you ever acted as an interpreter in court?
Yes, it happened. Not only a translator, but also a representative of the party. And even in the criminal process, and, unfortunately, not in the role of an interpreter.
How will the course be structured?
Classes on the course will consist of theoretical material and practical tasks, and not only for translation.
