See Credit Details Below
Overview
“Lost in Translation” needs to continue to be a fictional movie title. Unfortunately, it is a reality for many clients in courts across this Country despite the growing number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals who access our courts, seek legal assistance in our offices, and constantly access our systems like law enforcement and social security administration. You ask isn’t it a right to have interpreters, I say yes and still an issue that we continue to have to advocate for. What are the statutory provisions that we can use to create access for our clients? How does our legal system respond to proactively create interpreter availability instead of reactively provide translation only when we advocate for it? Is it due process if a court is unable to provide interpreters due to budget cuts and the client is required to proceed without one? COVID-19 has exposed inequities in our communities that include English-only medical information pamphlets, and as lawyers we must ensure that access to the legal system includes language access.
As part of the ABA’s National Celebrate Pro Bono Week, the training will broadly address the following objectives:
- Language access as language justice – 10 minutes
- Advocating for Limited English Proficient clients – 10 minutes
- Statutory frameworks for language access including court interpreters – 20 minutes
- Working with ASL interpreters and hard-of-hearing clients – 10 minutes
- Cultural sensitivity when providing interpreter access including client literacy, written translations, and slang – 10 minutes
Faculty:
Protima Pandey
Director, Office of Women’s Policy, Division of Equity & Social Justice
Office of the County Executive, Santa Clara