Staff Court Interpreter

State of North Carolina•Wake County, NC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The North Carolina Judicial Branch is seeking a detail-oriented professional to provide court interpretation between English and Spanish for court-related events. Under the direction of the Office of Language Access Manager, the successful candidate must be able to interpret in the three modes of court interpretation (sight, consecutive, and simultaneous), in court proceedings in the General Court of Justice and other court-related events. Court interpreting may occur in person or via telecommunications device. The person in this position must also sight translate written documents as required in court; collect information, such as specialized vocabulary, on cases to prepare for the communicative event; and perform other related work as required.

Requirements

Fully fluent in the Spanish language.
Possess some familiarity with geographically based slang and colloquialisms.
Able to interpret in the three modes of court interpreting in person and remotely.
High school graduation (or equivalent) and one year of experience in the court interpreting arena.
Demonstrate a language and skill proficiency consistent with the level of the position based on a pass rating on the court interpreter oral certification examination administered by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts or an equivalent test by a member of the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification or possess the Court Interpreter Certification from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
Must have previously achieved the minimum testing requirements as noted above.
Eligible applicants must have passed the written and performance oral exams of the National Center for State Courts administered by the NCAOC or by a member state of the Council of Language Access Coordinators; or possess the Court Interpreter Certification from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
Knowledge of standard grammar and vocabulary in English and Spanish, including grammatical conventions and vocabulary used during the formal and casual modes of oral communication in both languages, as well as slang, regionalisms, and dialects.
Knowledge of specialized vocabulary in English and Spanish related to legal and court proceedings, including, but not limited to, criminal legal terminology, physical and mental symptoms of illness, tests and laboratory analyses, and ballistics and firearms, and remote interpreting practices, including familiarity with the Webex platform.
High level of fluency in both written and spoken English and Spanish languages.
Understand and adhere to the ethical codes and professionalism canons for court interpreters.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree and two (2) years of experience in court interpreting.
Associate's degree and four (4) years of equivalent experience.
An equivalent combination of training and experience.

Responsibilities

Interpret in the three modes of court interpretation (sight, consecutive, and simultaneous) in court proceedings and other court-related events.
Interpret in person or via telecommunications device.
Sight translate written documents as required in court.
Collect information, such as specialized vocabulary, on cases to prepare for the communicative event.
Perform other related work as required.
Process linguistic information quickly.
Preserve accuracy, conserve intent, tone, style, and register of all speakers during court proceedings.
Perform effective terminological research to find accurate solutions to unknown or unfamiliar words.
Self-monitor and self-correct.
Practice and follow ethical standards at all times.
Encourage the efficient use of court interpreters' time by the courts.
Be comfortable with technology and remote interpreting by video and telephone.
Ignore auditory distractions and focus on source speaker.
Participate in study and training activities in a group or individually to develop and maintain skills.
Conduct business in a professional manner.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
Work with and handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
Multitask and cope with a high volume of work in a time critical environment.
Work under pressure in highly dynamic work environments with changing demands and priorities.
Be computer-literate and comfortable with technology.
Provide interpretation to facilitate, with accuracy, the communication during court proceedings for limited English proficient individuals by telephone, video, or in-person.
Read, understand, and orally translate technical written materials, such as legal documents, probation or social service reports, or medical reports.
Use a computer proficiently to perform remote interpreting by video.
Communicate effectively.
Manage time efficiently and organize work productively.