State & National Language Access Standards Update

ABA Language Access Standards Project &
the Development of Resources to Better
Serve LEP Clients
“Laying the Path: Creating National
Standards for Language Access in State
Courts”
Project Consultants:
Gillian Dutton & Kristi Cruz
Advisory Group Member:
Alma Zuniga
ABA Project Goals
Create Standards that are practical and
effective at creating access to courts for
individuals with limited English proficiency.
 Set out requirements
 Share best practices
 Share resources

Scope of Project
Legal principles
 Courts – primary focus on state courts

◦ Principles applicable to federal courts, tribal
courts, military courts, territorial courts and
administrative tribunals
Attorneys – legal aid, private attorneys,
public defenders, prosecutors
 Comprehensive discussion of “language
access services”
 Identification of existing resources

Standards Framework
10 Standards & Commentary –
1—Fundamental Principle of Access to Courts for LEP
Individuals
2 – Meaningful Access
3 – Identification of LEP Persons
4 – Interpreter Services in Legal Proceedings
5—Language Access Services in Court Services
6 – Language Access Services in Court-Mandated and
Offered Services
7 – Provision of Translated Materials
8 – Interpreter / Translator Qualification
9 – Training
10 –Statewide Administration and Coordination of Language
Access Services
ABA Standards for Language Access
in Courts
For more information, see:
 http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_
aid_indigent_defendants/initiatives/languag
e_access.html

National Advisory Committee
National Center
for State Courts
Community Orgs
ASL Interpreter
Perspective
Attorneys (Civil,
Criminal, Prosecution,
Defense, Private
Practice)
Interpreters &
Translators
Ex Officio:
Department of Justice
& Legal Services
Corporation
Judges
Law Schools
State Court
Administrators
ABA Committees
and Commissions
Court Interpreter
Program Managers
Standards Review & Adoption
Process
Advisory
Group
Input
Stakeholder
Input
ABA House
of
Delegates
A Brief Look at the Process for
Drafting in 3 Topics of the Standards

Language access services for courtmandated and court-offered services

Translation of documents

Language access services for pro se clients
Standard 6—Court-mandated and
Court-offered Services
Criminal—alternative adjudication,
sentencing, and diversion programs
 Civil—counseling, treatment, classes,
evaluations, alternative dispute resolution
 Court appointed professionals—
appointed, paid for, or supervised by the
courts
 Using a variety of language access services

Concerns from Courts
Costs
 How to coordinate
 Services not always under court control
 Difficulties in monitoring
 What to do when not available
 How to prioritize
 Other?

Response to Concerns
Budget and civil rights issues
 Court’s leadership and coordination role
 Contracts for services
 Data on language need available at courts
 Avoid discrimination in provision of
services
 Collaboration at all levels
 Need for national resources

Standard 7—Translation of
Documents
Written information to ensure
“meaningful access”
 Determine documents, languages and
alternatives

◦ “vital” documents, information about services,
court forms, individualized documents

Adopt translation protocol
◦ Review prior, format, technology, glossaries,
translators (primary and reviewer)
Concerns from Courts
Cost
 Some LEP populations with low literacy
 Problems with variations in forms
between jurisdictions
 Shifts in language needs over time and
place
 Difficulty in updating translated materials
 Other?

Response to Concerns
Cost of translation may be lower than
repeated oral interpretation of written
materials
 Alternative options such as video
 Promotion of increased efficiency and
uniformity through coordination
 Use of demographic data
 Coordination and systemization of
translation

Language Access Services for Pro se
Clients (Discussed in Standard 5)
Interpreters
 Bilingual staff
 Interpreted and translated materials
 Ethical considerations
 How to build language access into selfhelp systems

Concerns from Interpreters and
Courts

Interpreters
◦
◦
◦
◦

Role of interpreter unclear
Ethical violations
Provision of legal advice
Impact on in-court interpreting
Courts
◦
◦
◦
◦
Pro se LEP litigants increasing
Cultural barriers to court access
Administrative efficiency
Other?
Response to Concerns
Adequate training on ethics
 Use of tiered system to prioritize most
qualified interpreters for use in court
 Recruitment and development of
translator and interpreter resources
 Development of technology including
translated documents and videos
 Pilot projects to test best practices

Development of Resources to
Better Serve LEP Clients
Need for resource development
 Current efforts

◦ Washington State Coalition for Language
Access (WASCLA)
◦ National funding opportunities – DOJ, LSC, OVW
◦ NJP – LSC funded project to develop
language access trainings & directory
Trainings

NJP project to develop LEP trainings
◦ Identify language access issues that impact
client cases
◦ Potential topics for trainings
 How to work with interpreters
 Language access and substantive area of law
 Other?
WASCLA Statewide Interpreter &
Translator Directory
Centralized
 Multidisciplinary

◦ Courts, Legal Services, Medical, Education,
Social Services

Functionality
◦ Searchable by language, location, type of
appointment, credentials, area of specialization
WASCLA Directory

Additional directory uses and users?

What functionality would you need
to see to utilize the Directory?
Resources

General LEP Information
◦ DOJ – lep.gov
◦ DOJ Federal Coordination and Compliance
Section www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/
◦ Washington State Coalition for Language
Access www.wascla.org
◦ Empire Justice Center – www.ejc.org
◦ NLAAN -National Language Access Advocates
Network
Resources

Finding Demographic Data –
◦ Migration Policy Institute, U.S. Census & ACS
Data, U.S. Department of Education, DOJ,
state and local government agencies, local
community-based and religious organizations

Determining Federal Funding –
◦ DOJ, Title VI Legal Manual
Resources – Finding Interpreters and
Translators

How to find an interpreter –
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Administrative Office of the Courts
WITS
NOTIS
American Translator’s Association
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
Upcoming Resource WASCLA Directory
Tips for working with interpreters
 Bench Card – Courtroom Interpreting

Contact information
Kristi Cruz
[email protected]
206-464-1519 ext. 238
Gillian Dutton
[email protected]
206-398-4010
Alma Zuniga
[email protected]
(509) 574-4234 ext.15