[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 112 (Monday, June 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14219]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 13, 1994]


                                                   VOL. 59, NO. 112

                                              Monday, June 13, 1994

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS

 

Interpreters in Courts of the United States; Announcement of 
Written Segment of Certification Examination for Spanish, Cantonese, 
Mandarin, and Korean; and Written Segment of ``Otherwise Qualified'' 
Examination for Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, Polish, and Russian

AGENCY: Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

ACTION: Notice of Written Segment of Certification Examination for 
Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean; and Written Segment of 
``Otherwise Qualified'' Examination for Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, 
Polish, and Russian.

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SUMMARY: The Administrative Office of the United States Courts will 
conduct the written portion of the examination for individuals who 
desire to be certified (in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean) or 
``otherwise qualified'' (in Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, Polish, and 
Russian) to serve as interpreters in courts of the United States. This 
is in accordance with the Court Interpreter Amendments Act of 1988, 
Title VII of Pub. L. 100-702, (28 U.S.C. 1827). To take the 
examination, an individual must file a written application, or apply by 
telephone.

DATES: The agency will administer the written portion of the 
examination August 27, 1994, at 1 p.m. The deadline for filing an 
application is 4 p.m. on July 15, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Applications, along with an $80 money order, cashiers check, 
or personal check payable to the University of Arizona are to be sent 
to the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Project, Modern 
Languages Building, room 445, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 
85721.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Roseann Gonzalez, University of Arizona, (602) 621-3687 (Mountain 
Time). Fax (602) 624-8130.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts (AOUSC) is responsible for the establishment of a program to 
facilitate the use of certified and otherwise qualified interpreters in 
courts of the United States. He must prescribe, determine, and certify 
the qualifications of person who may serve as certified interpreters in 
bilingual proceedings and proceedings involving the hearing impaired 
(28 U.S.C. 1827(b)). Whenever an interpreter is required for a person 
in any criminal or civil action initiated by the United States, the 
presiding judicial officer must utilize the services of the most 
available certified interpreter, unless no certified interpreter is 
reasonably available, or the services of an otherwise qualified 
interpreter.
    The AOUSC will provide the courts with a roster of certified, 
professionally qualified, and language skilled court interpreters 
selected on the basis of specific qualification criteria and/or the 
successful completion of written ad oral examinations.

II. This Examination

    For Spanish language interpreter candidates, a comprehensive 
written Spanish/English examination testing bilingual proficiency in 
Spanish and English will be administered. For candidates in the 
Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean languages, a written English 
examination testing proficiency in English will be administered. 
Successful candidates will be invited to sit for the second part of the 
certification examinations, an oral examination. The oral examination 
will test, in simulated settings, the applicant's ability to: (1) 
interpret precisely from source language to English, in consecutive and 
simultaneous modes; (2) interpret from English to the target language 
in consecutive and simultaneous modes; and (3) perform sight 
interpretations. The oral portion of the examination does not 
necessarily require previous experience in court interpreting. 
Applicants who successfully complete the written examination will 
receive notice of the time and place of the oral portion of the 
examination.
    For Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, Mien, Polish, and Russian interpreter 
candidates, a written English examination testing proficiency in 
English will be administered. The second part of the qualification 
process as a professional or language skilled court interpreter will 
require the candidate to provide additional qualifications and 
credentials or perform back translation exercises successfully.
    All of the examinations are developed and administered under 
contract by the University of Arizona. The written portion of the 
examination does not require a special knowledge of legal vocabulary.

Testing Sites

    Applicants may schedule the written examination at any of the 
locations identified below. Applicants must identify the testing 
location which they desire to use to use for taking the written 
examinations. The following are the cities where the written test will 
be administered:

Alaska: Anchorage.
Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson.
California: Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego, San 
Francisco.
Colorado: Denver.
Connecticut: Hartford.
District of Columbia.
Florida: Miami, Orlando.
Georgia: Atlanta.
Hawaii: Honolulu.
Idaho: Boise.
Illinois: Chicago.
Iowa: Sioux City.
Louisiana: New Orleans.
Massachusetts: Boston.
Minnesota: Minneapolis.
Missouri: Kansas City.
Nevada: Las Vegas, Reno.
New Jersey: Newark, Trenton.
New Mexico: Albuquerque, Las Cruces.
New York: Brooklyn, Buffalo, Manhattan.
Ohio: Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Oregon: Portland.
Puerto Rico: San Juan.
Tennessee: Memphis.
Texas: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, Laredo, San 
Antonio.
Utah: Salt Lake City.
Washington: Seattle.

    Oral testing sites will be announced when the examinations are 
scheduled.

Filing

    Written applications are preferred, but phone applications will be 
accepted if the fee is received by July 15, 1994. Applicants who do not 
have an application form should type or print the following information 
on an 8\1/2\ x 11 paper:

1. Name.
2. Mailing address, including zip code.
3. Daytime telephone number.
4. Evening telephone number.
5. Testing location requested (City and State).
6. Date of birth.
7. Social Security Number.
8. Special arrangements necessary because of physical disability or 
keeping of the Sabbath.
9. I did/did not take the Spanish written and/or oral examination in 
1993.
10. I.D. number of exam (if known).
11. Enclosed money order, cashiers check, or personal check payable to 
University of Arizona Federal Court Project.

Exam Procedures

    Each applicant will receive an admission ticket to the exam shortly 
before the exam date. It will list the exact location of the exam. Each 
applicant must present the admission ticket and a photo identification: 
driver's license, passport, work/student identification, etc., to be 
admitted to the exam.

III. Qualifications

    Sucessful completion of the written examination is the first step 
in the process of receiving certification or ``otherwise qualified'' 
status. There is no formal educational requisite, either in languages 
or interpreting, for successfully completing the written examinations. 
However, the difficulty of the written examinations are at the college 
degree level of proficiency in both English and the target languages. 
Successful completion of the oral portion of the examination normally 
would require prior training or professional experience in simultaneous 
and consecutive interpreting and sight translation. Qualification as 
``otherwise qualified'' will require additional credentials and 
experience as an interpreter.

IV. Duties

    Certification or ``otherwise qualified'' status will not 
necessarily lead to full-time employment as a staff or contract 
interpreter. Most of the requirements for court interpretation services 
in the Federal courts are met by independent interpreter contractors on 
an as-needed basis. However, where full-time interpreters are needed, 
only certified interpreters are eligible for appointment.
    As the federal courts require full-time salaried interpreters, 
these interpreters will be chosen from the eligibility lists. The 
annual salary range is JSP-10 to JSP-14 ($31,898-$76,733) for full-time 
salaried interpreters. For certified interpreters who provide services 
as independent contractors, the fee is $250 per day.
    Court interpreters perform all or some of the following duties: (1) 
Interpret verbatim in simultaneous and consecutive modes a foreign 
language into English, and vice versa, at arraignments, preliminary 
hearings, pretrial hearings, trials, and other court proceedings; (2) 
transcribe and translate electronic sound recordings; and (3) sight 
translate or translate in written form technical, medical, and legal 
documents and correspondence for introduction as evidence.

    Dated: June 6, 1994.
Robert Lowney,
Acting Chief, District Court Administration Division.
[FR Doc. 94-14219 Filed 6-10-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 2210-55-M