Want to be a court interpreter in Stanislaus County? This program will pay for your fees

To meet the demand for certified court interpreters across the state, the Judicial Council approved the California Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program. It aims to increase court interpreter numbers by reimbursing participants for training and exam fees.

Successful participants may receive job offers from participating courts, including Stanislaus County Superior Court, depending on available positions and funding.

Stanislaus County Superior Court is recruiting for Spanish and Punjabi interpreters.

“I think people would find it very helpful to have the monetary assistance for whatever training they need, and the cost of the exams being paid. I think it certainly makes it more within reach for many people in our community,” Judge Carrie Stephens said.

The program was approved May 17. Candidate applications are due by Aug. 1 at 5 p.m.

The pilot program covers participants’ training costs and fees for up to three exams.

Participants have a two-year window to pass all required exams. If unsuccessful, they may apply for the next cohort. Upon passing all exams and enrolling as a court interpreter with the Judicial Council, participants commit to working for the courts a minimum of three years.

To qualify for the pilot program, participants must be at least 18 years old and pass a background check. Priority will be given to people who nearly passed the certification exams, bilingual court clerks/staff, provisionally qualified interpreters, ASL interpreters and interpreters for registered languages based on court needs.

Becoming a certified spoken language court interpreter in California requires passing the written examination with a score of 80% or higher and scoring 70% or higher in each section of the bilingual interpreting exam in one of the state’s certified spoken languages. After passing these exams, you are required to register with the Judicial Council.

The written examination fee is $141.80. The bilingual interpreting exam costs $367.71.

Stanislaus County Court employs one certified Spanish interpreter and contracts with five to six more daily. It would benefit from employing three to four Spanish interpreters, alongside contracting with interpreters for languages that are less commonly spoken, said Stephens.

Interpreters for Punjabi speakers are the next most-needed in the county.

“I think that we have all kinds of people in this community that are bilingual that can easily obtain the skills that are necessary,” Stephens said.

A shortage of interpreters

Stephens said the shortage of interpreters slows court proceedings, as they have to wait for court interpreters based on availability.

Many interpreters cover multiple departments and cases, arranged daily, causing further delays.

Most of the interpreters hired by the court do not reside in Stanislaus County.

Hugh Swift, the court executive officer, noted the challenge of finding local interpreters for less common languages in Stanislaus County. Typically, they need to contact interpreters from the Bay Area or Southern California.

The Judicial Council maintains a registry of contract interpreters the court can utilize.

Covering travel expenses for interpreters from outside the area can be costly for the court. And sometimes, out-of-area interpreters are unwilling to travel, preferring instead to work remotely. But one drawback of remote interpreting is that attorneys cannot directly communicate with their clients during court proceedings.

“Remote interpreting is more difficult for everyone involved,” Swift said.

Lowering the barriers to becoming certified

Stephens said many people are unaware of the court interpreting profession because it is not widely offered in college programs, despite its competitive pay in the government sector.

She hopes to raise awareness through outreach efforts.

The average annual salary for court interpreters in California is $81,203, equating to $39.04 per hour.

While a college degree is not required to become certified, the costs associated with training and exams can pose a financial barrier. The role demands more than bilingualism, requiring skills in simultaneous interpreting and familiarity with legal terminology.

This program will help make this profession more accessible to the community, Stephens said.

“How great is it to have a nice, well-paying job for members of our county that can come to work in the city and in their county, without having to drive considerable distances for what I think is a pretty good job?” Stephens said.