Administrative Office of Courts
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Free court interpreter seminar set for May 30-31 in Jackson April 23, 2024 The Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts is seeking bilingual speakers willing to train and qualify as credentialed court interpreters. An Ethics and Skill Building Seminar will be held May 30-31 at the Gartin Justice Building, 450 High Street in Jackson. The seminar registration deadline is May 24. For the first time, the seminar is offered at no cost. A legislative appropriation to the Administrative Office of Courts Court Interpreter Credentialing Program allows the program to be offered at no cost to participants for one time only. Future seminars are expected to require a fee. Candidates for the program must already be fluent in English and a second language and must be willing to develop an understanding of legal terms and court proceedings. Participation in the Ethics and Skill Building Seminar is the first step in the Mississippi Court Interpreter Credentialing Program which trains, tests and qualifies individuals who wish to pursue court interpreting. The seminar will introduce the candidates to requirements for foreign language interpreting in court settings. The seminar will cover the role of the court interpreter, ethical requirements, modes of interpretation and credentialing requirements. The 2023 Mississippi Legislature revised laws regarding language interpreters to provide broader language access assistance for people of limited English proficiency. The new law mandates court appointment of a qualified interpreter in all cases, criminal and civil, at no cost to the limited English proficient participant in litigation, with the cost borne by the county or municipality. Revisions to the statutes clarified that limited English proficient individuals are entitled to use an interpreter in any instance arising out of or pertaining to the individual’s involvement in litigation. See Miss. Code Ann. Section 9-21-73 (4). The registration form for the Ethics and Skill Building Seminar is at this link: For more information, contact Deenie Miller, Director of Language Access at deenie.miller@courts.ms.gov. #### |
