Become a Federal Court Interpreter
If you're interested in becoming a court interpreter and translating information into English within the federal court system, this 100% online course is for you!
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 20% increase in demand for interpreters in the coming years due to more foreign language speakers in the U.S.
On average, interpreters make over $51,000 a year, but court interpreters can earn substantially more — around $75,000 annually, according to Indeed.com.
In this course, you will:
Become a Federal Court Interpreter
Questions?
- Delivery Method
- 100% Online
- Contact Information
- Joe Crespo
ed2go Online Courses
1519 Clearlake Road, Bldg. 25
Cocoa, FL 32922
crespoj@easternflorida.edu
321-433-7503
- Learn different interpreting techniques: simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation.
- Come to understand criminal and civil terminology in both Spanish and English.
- Master specialized terminology like drug, firearm, fingerprint, and gang terminology.
- Study juvenile court and children's court terms.
- Learn about courtroom protocol and the ethics of court interpreting.
- Fully prepare for the oral component of any State or Federal Spanish Court Interpreting Certification exam.
Prerequisites
To enroll in this course, you must be fluent in both English and Spanish.
Program Curriculum
The syllabus for the Federal Court Interpreter training includes the following:
Master probation violation hearings, colloquialisms, simultaneous and consecutive techniques, criminal offenses in the state jurisdiction, and interpreting lab practices.
Understand misdemeanors and felonies in state court, waivers and plea forms, DUI/DWIs, domestic violence, drug terminology, drug possession cases, and firearms terminology.
Learn about advanced consecutive techniques, expert witness testimony, differences in the transfer or criminal and civil legal terminology, and drug trafficking.
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 also involved in the examination process for immigration interpreters and analytical linguists. He participates as a speaker at 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.
Course Registration
This self-paced course costs only $2,395 and is available 100% online through our curriculum partner ed2go. You can start at any time!
Court Interpreter FAQs
The main difference between a state court interpreter and a federal court interpreter lies in their respective areas of jurisdiction. State court interpreters work with cases involving state or city laws and residents, while federal court interpreters deal with cases against the United States and those concerning specific federal laws. As a result, passing the federal court interpreter exam is notably more challenging due to its broader scope and complexity.
To become a federal court interpreter, you need to pass the qualification exams conducted by or meet specific eligibility criteria established by the U.S. Court System Administrative Office. The court classifies interpreters into three categories: certified interpreters for Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Navajo speakers; professionally qualified interpreters for other major foreign languages; and language skilled interpreters for less commonly taught or spoken languages.
Additional Continuing Education Courses
If you're looking for continuing education options, you may find the following courses, as well as other legal programs through ed2go, to be of interest: