Law-Related Professional Interpreting Assignments

LAW-RELATED PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETING ASSIGNMENTS—Board Operating Procedures

Rule Requirement. Under rule 14.200(c), all registered court interpreters must complete 20 law-related professional interpreting assignments, or a lesser number of assignments totaling no fewer than 40 hours, every two-year compliance period.

1. Interpreters unable to complete this requirement because of a limited need for interpreting services in their language may be eligible, with board approval, for an extension of time of exemption.
2. Exemptions or extensions of time for the law-related professional interpreting requirement must be requested in writing by the interpreter. Exceptions are approved by the board on a case-by-case basis.
3. Officially designated state-level court interpreters who are employed by the courts in court interpreting positions may, in lieu of reporting discrete law-related professional assignments, provide proof of court employment and an affidavit affirming compliance with this requirement.
4. An assignment is law-related interpreting performed on a specific date and corresponding to a specific case. 
   • For example, each day of a multi-day trial counts as a separate assignment. Other examples of law-related assignments include but are not limited to depositions, deposition preparation sessions, hearings, in-custody interviews, proffer (exchange of information) sessions, witness conferences, probation department encounters, and mediation and arbitration sessions.
5. For renewal and maintenance of registration, an approved reporting form must be submitted along with the application for registration renewal and other renewal materials, within 90 days of designation expiration.
6. Interpreters should maintain proof of completion of the reported assignments and provide such proof to the Court Interpreter Certification and Regulation Program upon request.
7. There are no exemptions to the law-related professional interpreting assignments requirement for out-of-state residents, but law-related professional interpreting assignments completed out of-state are acceptable.
8. Requests for exemptions or extensions of time for the law-related professional interpreting requirement must be submitted in writing 90 days prior to designation expiration.

CICB-BOP-011| Rev. 2/21/2017