Course Description

This course will provide an overview of the legal system for practicing and potential court interpreters. The course will be presented in ASL and interpreters will not be provided.

What you will learn

  • The roles of court interpreters

  • Positioning of court interpreters

  • Courtroom personnel

  • Prerequisite knowledge and skills for a legal interpreter

  • Working in deaf/hearing interpreter teams

  • Court code of conduct

  • Roles and protocol for court interpreters

  • Adequate preparation for a legal assignment

  • Text analysis of commonly encountered texts

  • Qualifying and testifying as an expert

Who should attend

ASL Legal Interpreters

Skill Level: Foundational     Language: Presented in ASL, interpreter will not be provided     Specialization: Legal

Class Schedule

Begins June 12, 2021! Seats are limited.

Saturdays from 10 AM EST - 2 PM EST ending on June 26, 2021.

Continuing Education

This Professional studies workshop has been approved for 1.2 CEUs at the "Some" knowledge level.

Those who attend the course live will receive a digital certificate of completion by the following Monday.

Those who watch the recording only will be required to write a short summary to verify participation and PCRID is an approved RID CMP sponsor for continuing education activities.

Reasonable Accommodations Policy

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is the policy of DE LA MORA Institute of Interpretation to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified student or participant with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of participating in classes and workshops sponsored and hosted by DE LA MORA Institute of Interpretation. For training done in support of private or state contracts, reasonable accommodation will be determined by the policy of the sponsoring individual or organization. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact us by email at [email protected] or call our office at (407) 677-4155.

Non-Discrimination Policy

DE LA MORA Institute of Interpretation does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of vendors, and provision of services - such as classes, webinars, and workshops. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, subcontractors, and students.

Safe Learning Environment

DE LA MORA Institute of Interpretation's classes and workshops are a safe learning environment. Comments and opinions shared within the class setting will not be published or made available to anyone outside of the original registrants, event coordinators, and those approved by the event sponsor to take the course. If recordings are made of the event, these recordings will only be made available to those approved by the event sponsor to take the course, as a reference material for review for a limited amount of time.

Refund/Cancellation Policy

This activity is funded by the state of Maryland. Notice of event cancellations or changes of date/time will be issued a minimum of one week prior to the event date



Contact us for questions: 

(407) 677-4155
 [email protected]

Carla Mathers

Carla M. Mathers, Esquire, SC: L practiced law in Maryland and the District of Columbia for twenty years. She currently is an independent consultant teaching legal interpreters and interpreting in legal settings. Ms. Mathers’ law degree is from Howard University School of Law. Ms. Mathers’ interpreting degree is from the College of Southern Idaho. She currently serves on the District of Columbia Courts Language Access Advisory Committee, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Legal Interpreting Credential Task Force and the National Association of the Deaf’s Video Remote Interpreting in Court Task Force. Ms. Mathers previously sat on the Advisory Group for Language Access to develop standards for language access in courts for the American Bar Association. Ms. Mathers also sat on the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts’ Advisory Committee on Interpreters Sub-committee on Ethics and Sub-committee on Testing and Training. Ms. Mathers formerly served as the Legal Program Coordinator for MARIE Center/DOIT Center at the University of Northern Colorado. She serves as an adjunct instructor for the Gallaudet University Department of Interpretation teaching legal interpreting, among other courses. She served as Vice President for the Conference of Interpreter Trainers and sat on the Board of Directors for the Deaf Abused Women’s Network in Washington, D.C. Ms. Mathers is the author of Sign Language Interpreters in Court: Understanding Best Practices, a text for interpreters, attorneys and courts to understand the principles underlying ASL court interpreting.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Resources

    • Resources
  • 2

    Class Recordings

    • Class 1

    • Class 2

    • Class 3