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Jul 2, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan 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.
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Jun 30, 2026
by Randy N. Kaplan 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.
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Jun 26, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan 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.
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Jun 22, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan 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.
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Jun 20, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan 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.
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Jun 19, 2026
by Alexandra Kaplan 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.
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Recent Posts
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...
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108 more articles on interpreting, language access, and compliance.
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.
What Maine's New ASL Interpreter Law Means
After the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting, Maine's Deaf and hard-of-hearing residents faced a gap that had nothing to do with response time or resources. It had to do with communication access. A new bill moving through the legislature tells a compelling story about how states are grappling with interpreter access and professional standards.
California's Court Interpreter Crisis
California has nearly 6.4 million residents who speak English less than 'very well.' The Judicial Council's new workforce study is candid about the scale of the challenge and specific about what needs to change. Here is what it means for legal interpreting services and access to justice.
How Much Does a Deposition Interpreter Cost?
When a paralegal needs budget approval for an upcoming deposition, they Google 'how much does a deposition interpreter cost' and find mostly vague, outdated information. This guide walks through the real drivers: language, certification level, duration, travel, and urgency.
RFP for Interpretation: Procurement Guide
A county health department issues an RFP for interpretation services. The contract covers clinic appointments, mental health intakes, and community health meetings. On paper, the RFP looks solid. Six months later, the problems start. Here is how to hire an interpreting agency the right way.
Interpreter No-Show Deposition Problems
Most of the time, nobody thinks twice about the interpreter once the deposition is scheduled. Then something slips. A no-show is frustrating on its face, but it is also revealing. It shows who did the vetting, who confirmed the logistics, and who had a backup plan when something went wrong.
AAPTI Membership and Professional Interpreting
Professional interpreting requires more than bilingual ability. AAPTI membership reflects a commitment to the standards, ethics, and quality assurance that separate qualified interpreters from the rest of the industry.
What ATA Membership Tells You About Your Translation Provider
A law firm sends a contract for translation. The translated version comes back with errors in legal terminology that change the meaning of key clauses. The firm discovers the translator had no professional affiliation, no continuing education, and no accountability to any standards body. This is more common than it should be.
AI Interpretation Is Rising Fast
Not long ago, most interpretation happened face to face. A courtroom. A hospital room. A conference booth at the back of an international summit. Now a lot of those conversations happen through screens. Remote interpretation services have expanded quickly over the last few years. At the same time...
What California Court Interpreter Certification Actually Requires
A judge in a Los Angeles courtroom halts proceedings. The interpreter provided by one of the parties cannot demonstrate certification. The judge will not proceed. This is not unusual. California courts take interpreter credentials seriously because the consequences of getting it wrong land on the record.
Why You Need a Certified ASL Interpreter for Legal
Hiring an uncertified ASL interpreter puts your organization at legal risk and your Deaf clients in danger. Here is what certified ASL interpreting services actually protect in legal, medical, and corporate settings.
Why Courts Are Warning Against Using Google Translate for Legal Matters
In 2025, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) released a formal resource titled “Machine Translation: Considerations and Cautions for Courts.” The message was direct: Machine translation is not reliable enough to convey complex legal information, and courts should never use it for courtroo...
When Interpreter Credentials Are Questioned
Hiring an interpreter is not a scheduling task. It is a risky decision. Recent litigation involving One Call has raised allegations about whether individuals presented as certified interpreters were properly licensed or credentialed under applicable state requirements. Allegations are not finding...
HIPAA-Compliant Medical Interpreting
An interpreter finishes a medical appointment and mentions the patient's diagnosis to a colleague in the hallway. That is a HIPAA violation. It does not matter that the interpreter meant no harm. It does not matter that the colleague is also an interpreter. The disclosure was unauthorized, and the liability falls on the healthcare provider who hired them.
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