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| Legal Translation Service |
|---|
 Interpreting |
| Translation |
| Making
a request |
| Further
information & contacts |
Interpreting
This group was set up in 2004 in recognition of the demand by legal advice centres for interpreters to facilitate the legal advice giving process. Language barriers frequently hinder advisors and lawyers from giving useful advice, and professional interpreters are very expensive and often deemed to be a right for clients only in court hearings or official interviews. In many law centres' advice sessions, clients often end up bringing a family member (such as a young son or daughter) or neighbour to interpret and to fill out any paperwork. This is less than ideal, as the person interpreting may not speak much more English than the client, may not understand the legal concepts involved, may have a vested interest or bias in the outcome of the interview, and may prevent lawyer-client confidentiality. Parents may also be afraid to reveal the full extent of their legal problems if their children are interpreting.
Our group's goal is to promote the preferable solution of volunteer law students who have either fluent or native ability in both English and a foreign language interpreting for such clients. Our students explain complex legal concepts and procedures to the clients in simple terms in the clients' own language at no cost to the client or law center. In addition to the obvious benefits reaped by the clients and law centres from this work, it also provides a valuable opportunity for law students, who are not yet qualified to give legal advice on their own, to play a central role in providing legal services to those in need.
Translation
The
second strand to this project is our translation service to non-profit organisations.
For example, our Russian speakers translated much of the research and correspondence
related to a June 2005 International Bar Association fact-finding mission
to investigate proposed changes to the judiciary in Russia, and our Portuguese
speakers have been inundated with translation requests from the Washington,
D.C.-based Robert F Kennedy Memorial Human Rights Center for work on a project
in Brazil. Another international team assembled to assist the cross-jurisdictional
research conducted by our Environmental Law Pro Bono Group's project for
the Coalition for Access to Justice for the Environment. Again, languages
required vary and we welcome native speakers in any language.
Making a request
If your centre has an appointment for a non-English speaking client,
you may contact us to request an interpreter by emailing a completed interpreter
request form to translation@bpplaw.co.uk indicating
the language required in the subject line.
| Forms | Word downloads | Text file downloads |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreter request | Interpreter
request form  |
Interpreter
request form  |
| Translation request | Translation
request form |
Translation
request form |
Alternatively, please click the text versions of the form to cut and paste into an email addressed to translation@bpplaw.co.uk.
