Court Interpreters and Translators Job Description, Duties & Salary

Work Environment

Court interpreters do most of their work in public settings such as courtrooms, jails, juvenile facilities, or in the offices of prosecutors, public defenders, or private attorneys. As part of the criminal or civil justice system, interpreters work side-by-side with attorneys, court personnel, and judges. The high stakes in criminal and civil litigation can make the work environment stressful. Court interpretation is fast paced and requires constant focus.

Court interpreters are required throughout the United States. The need for interpreters in specific languages is determined by the specific population of non-English speaking persons in any geographic area. Due to the population of Spanish speaking people in the United States, the greatest number of interpreters throughout the country are required for translation between the Spanish and English languages. The highest concentration of Spanish speaking persons in the country are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. The Dallas-Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas, geographic area has an immigrant population of more than one million people, with a substantial number of immigrants from Vietnam. While Houston, Texas, has a large Spanish speaking community, it also has one of the largest Nigerian communities in the United States, and is home to a large Indian and Pakistani population. California, New York, and Texas have the largest Asian populations in the country. Each population concentration increases the number of court interpreters and translators. Research and identification of immigrant populations throughout the country will be most helpful in pinpointing the availability of language specific court interpreter positions.

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