Shortage of court interpreters worsening in U.S., USA Today

USA Today, November 19, 2008

An existing shortage of certified court interpreters is worsening as law enforcement agencies step up actions against illegal immigrants, says USA Today. Speaking with USA Today on the difficulty of finding qualified interpreters, Hunton & Williams immigration lawyer Suzan Kern, who is also a certified court interpreter, said, "It pushes courts to use freelance interpreters who may lack training. There is an assumption that if you're bilingual, you can interpret and translate but it is most definitely not the case." Certified interpreters “are trained in the use of the specific court terms and protocols."

Suzan Kern is resident in the firm's Washington office. Her practice focuses exclusively on immigration and nationality law. She was a professional Spanish-English interpreter in New Mexico and Texas for nearly 10 years before becoming a lawyer.