On Friday, December 2, the Administrative Office of the Courts held a regional meeting in Jackson, Tenn. focused on the Court Interpreter Credentialing Program. Participants learned the procedure for becoming a credentialed court interpreter in Tennessee and the growing need for court interpreters in our western counties. The event also featured the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Initiative and the Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance. The Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance is an alliance of faith-based groups in Tennessee who commit to providing legal resources to their congregations and communities.
Justice Roger A. Page welcomed the over 40 judges, court clerks, attorneys, mediators, and potential court interpreters who attended the training. Participants heard from Cristina Frasier, the Interpreter Services Coordinator at the Davidson County State Trial Courts in Nashville, on how court interpreters improve the justice system for those with limited English proficiency. They also heard how court interpreters expedite the court process and help all the involved parties.
The event was jointly sponsored by the Court Interpreter Credentialing Program and the Access to Justice Commission. The Court Interpreter Credentialing Program received a grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Programs to recruit and train interpreters in West Tennessee at no cost. This meeting was made possible by that funding and served as the kick-off of the West Tennessee Interpreter Project.
For more information on the Court Interpreter Credentialing Program and to find out how to become a credentialed court interpreter in Tennessee, contact Ryan Mouser at 615-741-2687 or Ryan.Mouser@tncourts.gov.
The Tennessee Supreme Court announced its Access to Justice campaign in 2008 and subsequently created the Access to Justice Commission, which is composed of ten members from across the state. The Commission is a response to a growing legal-needs gap in Tennessee for indigent and working-poor families. More information on the Commission can be found here.
More information on the Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance and other programs of the Access to Justice Commission can be found at www.justiceforalltn.com.
The West Tennessee Interpreter Project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs and is supported by Award #16.813 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, USDOJ.
