Abstract

Standard demographic information was collected on certified and non-certified sign language interpreters relative to the provision of interpreting services in legal settings. The study examined which practices interpreters incorporate into their work in legal settings, with particular attention to working in teams consisting of deaf and hearing interpreters, use of consecutive interpreting, preparation for interpreting in legal settings, and maintaining appropriate roles in the courtroom. Findings suggest that the main reason interpreters do not specialize in legal interpreting is a lack of understanding of the nature of the work and appropriate training. A systemic training sequence that addresses many of the deficits in both knowledge and skill currently found in the field is necessary.

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Citation: Roberson, Len; Russell, Deb; and Shaw, Risa (2011) “American Sign Language/English Interpreting in Legal Settings: Current Practices in North America,” Journal of Interpretation: Vol. 21 : Iss. 1 , Article 6.

Debra Russell

Debra Russell is an ASL-English interpreter and interpreter educator from Canada. Her interpreting practice spans thirty years, and continues to be community based in a range of medical, legal, mental health and employment settings. She currently holds the David Peikoff Chair of Deaf Studies at the University of Alberta, where she teaches pre-service teachers as well as teaching as for Lakeland College’s Program of Sign Language Interpreting. Her teaching has also taken her to locations in the United States, Europe, Ukraine, Australia, Colombia, and Southeast Asia. In addition to her teaching practice, she maintains an active research program, with current projects that focus on Deaf Interpreters, legal interpreting and mediated education settings for Deaf children. She is the current President of WASLI. She is also a dedicated student of yoga, who loves to travel.

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