Court interpreter training coming to Milwaukee

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The Director of State Courts Office will be holding a training session for court interpreters in Milwaukee.

The session will be take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 23 and March 24 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The cost, which covers lunch and training materials, is $195.

The deadline to apply for the session is Monday. For more information and to register, visit the court system website at http://www.wicourts.gov/services/interpreter/orientation.htm.

The session covers the fundamentals of court interpreting and is meant to give participants an idea of the courts’ needs and expectations. While the courts most often request Spanish interpreters, they also seeks interpreters for other languages such as Arabic, Hmong and Somali. Some scholarships are available for languages other than Spanish.

The training session is the first step someone must take toward becoming a certified court interpreter. The next steps include completing oral and written exams and undergoing a criminal background check and a character and fitness review.

Upon certification, interpreters will be placed on a roster used by the courts, law enforcement, attorneys and law-related agencies.