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Aug 20, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan The Interpreter Rule You Are Responsible For: A Bar Ethics Opinion Puts the Duty on the Lawyer
A 2026 state bar ethics opinion says the duty to bridge a language gap belongs to the lawyer, not the client. It also sets conditions on using family members and on machine translation.
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Aug 18, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan When Spanish Is the Wrong Interpreter: Indigenous Language Rights and Best Practice in U.S. Courts
A client from Guatemala or southern Mexico may speak working Spanish and still not be a Spanish speaker. Courts have been booking the wrong interpreter for decades, and the convictions that followed show what it costs.
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Aug 7, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan Arbitration Interpreters: What Counsel Should Settle Before the First Hearing Day
Arbitration has no court-supplied interpreter and a far narrower path to challenge the award. That combination puts the interpreter decision on counsel. Here's what to settle, in Q&A form, before day one.
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Aug 5, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan Academic Document Translation: What You Need, In What Order
Certified translation and credential evaluation are two separate services. Submitting one in place of the other is the most common reason an academic file gets rejected.
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Jul 31, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan Translated Medical Records in Litigation: What Personal Injury and Med-Mal Counsel Should Verify
A translated medical record carries a diagnosis, a dosage, and a timeline into evidence. If the translation drifts, the expert is defending testimony the chart never said. Here is what to verify, in Q&A form.
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Jul 29, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan Apostille or Notarization? What Attorneys Should Know Before a Translated Document Crosses a Border
Notarization and an apostille are not the same step, and neither one certifies that a translation is accurate. Here is what each does, in Q&A form, before the document leaves the country.
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Recent Posts
The Certificate of Accuracy: What Attorneys Should Check Before a Translated Document Reaches Discovery
A certificate of accuracy is a signed statement the translator will defend under oath, not a stamp. Here is what should be on it, in Q&A form, before the packet ships.
A $27 Million Lawsuit Over One Mistranslated Lyric: What The Lion King Case Should Teach Attorneys About Translation on the Record
A federal complaint filed in California over a mistranslated Lion King chant seeks $27 million in damages. The case is entertainment news. The lesson is about who is trusted to speak for your client.
Only 1,400 Federally Certified Court Interpreters Nationwide: What August's Exam Means for Your Federal Case
Fewer than 1,400 federally certified court interpreters are active nationwide. The August 2026 FCICE oral exam caps registration at 400, and the historical pass rate is 7 to 10 percent.
Immigration Court Interpreters: What Law Firms Should Verify Before the Hearing
Immigration courts are moving faster with more cases per judge. What firms representing non-English-speaking clients should verify before booking an interpreter, before the hearing, and before the record.
The Most Trustworthy Thing an Interpreter Can Say Is: I Am Not the Right Interpreter for This
A qualified court interpreter will withdraw from an assignment they cannot render accurately. That willingness is the sign of a professional, and it protects your case.
Confidential Translation: What In-House Counsel Should Verify Before Sending the Documents
In-house counsel choose translation vendors on speed. The real constraint is chain of custody. What to verify before sending M&A, IP, or sealed documents.
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121 more articles on interpreting, language access, and compliance.
Certified Patent Translation: What IP Counsel Should Verify Before Sending a Foreign Filing
Mistranslated patent claims can sink a filing. What IP counsel should verify before sending Japanese, Chinese, German, or Korean PCT filings for translation.
Multilingual Conferences Don't Fail on Stage. They Fail in the Booth.
A multilingual conference is a procurement decision before it is a stage decision. The booth team, the language count, the equipment, and the lead time determine whether the audience hears a polished program or notices something is off.
Every Word Matters: Two Cases That Changed How I Think About Interpreters
Two cases from a Los Angeles public defender's practice, a Watson murder turning on a Spanish word for a beer brand and a DUI turning on wobbling versus weaving, that show why credentialed interpretation alone is not enough in criminal proceedings.
Court-Certified Isn't Generic: How Language and Venue Decide Who Can Take the Record
California has built the most rigorous court interpreter certification system in the country, and the credential genuinely means something. What it does not mean is that certified interpreters are interchangeable. One credential does not fit every proceeding, every courthouse, or every witness.
California WCAB Rulings Confirm: Interpreters at C&R Signings Can Recover Market Rate
Two 2026 WCAB panel decisions have quietly settled a question that has frustrated interpreting agencies, defense counsel, and carriers for years. When a qualified interpreter renders a Compromise and Release agreement to a non-English-speaking injured worker, the agency is not limited to the statutory fee schedule.
What Law Firms Are Changing in Interpreter Vetting Since the One Call Litigation
Since the One Call lawsuit, law firms have changed how they verify interpreter credentials. Six concrete procurement shifts elite firms now run before any work begins.
Mid-2026 Legal Interpreting News: What Attorneys Should Know
Five legal interpreting stories shaping how law firms approach interpreter coverage in second half of 2026: federal credentialing, California's shortage, AI in deposition rooms, the One Call lawsuit, and Illinois administrative hearings.
Cultural Interpretation in Legal, Medical, and Corporate Settings: Why Word-for-Word Isn't Enough
A forensic evaluator pauses mid-question. The patient is answering, but the affect does not match the words being rendered. Three hours into a neuropsychological exam, the clinician realizes the interpreter has been translating word for word without conveying the cultural context the patient assumed would be carried into the room...
Federal vs State Court Interpreter Certification: What Attorneys Need to Verify Before Federal Proceedings
A San Diego immigration attorney books a Spanish interpreter for a federal asylum hearing. The interpreter is certified through California's Judicial Council and has handled state superior court cases for years. At the start of the hearing, the immigration judge asks for the interpreter's federal certification number. There isn't one...
Beyond the Field: Why Professional Teams Need Certified Press and Broadcast Interpreters
A bullpen catcher who happens to be bilingual steps up to the press table after a complete-game shutout. The starting pitcher answers in Spanish. The catcher interprets. He swaps a conditional for a definitive. The clip loops on social media that night...
Hiring Professional Interpreters in California: Why Local Expertise Changes the Outcome
A neuropsychological evaluation runs into its sixth hour in San Diego. The patient is a Salvadoran national. The interpreter is certified, well-trained, fluent in neutral Mexican Spanish. The vocabulary the patient uses to describe his symptoms keeps getting rendered too literally...
Washington State Expands Court Interpreter Access: What Attorneys Need to Know
For years, one of the quieter due process failures in courtrooms across the country has been the language barrier. Non-English-speaking individuals sitting through proceedings they cannot understand, paying out of pocket for interpreter services they shouldn't have to fund...
When AI Walks Into the Courtroom: Ohio's Proposed Rules Draw a Clear Line
The Ohio Supreme Court is weighing a proposal that would allow generative artificial intelligence to assist with certain language services in Ohio courts. It sounds like a step forward for access. The fine print, though, tells a more complicated story...
Language Access Is Becoming the Law: Here's What Legal Professionals Need to Know
Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission made a decision that didn't receive a lot of publicity but carries real implications for how institutions communicate with the public. The FCC published its Multilingual Alerts Order, requiring wireless carriers to deliver emergency alerts in 13 languages...
Simultaneous vs Consecutive at Depositions
The interpretation mode is not a scheduling detail. It shapes the transcript, the objection record, and how usable the testimony will be at trial. When “Good Enough” Interpretation Actually Fails P...
Why Remote Interpreting Records Matter and How to Make Them Court-Ready
When interpretation is challenged in a high-stakes case, good records are the difference between a defensible process and a dismissed one. The Problem No One Thinks About Until It’s Too Late Remote...
2026 IRS Mileage Rate and Interpreter Budgets
Beginning January 1, 2026, the IRS standard business mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile, up 2.5 cents from 2025. For most industries, this is a routine footnote. For organizations that regularly engage in person interpretation services, it is worth a few minutes of attention.
How to Prepare for a Deposition with an Interpreter
A well-run interpreted deposition produces a clean, defensible record. A poorly prepared one produces transcript problems, witness credibility issues, and procedural headaches that follow the case for months. This step-by-step guide covers what attorneys and their staff need to do before, during, and after an interpreted deposition.
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