Highly Effective Court Interpreting Teams in Action 

Video Collection

These videos and activities within the related workbook (PDF) focus on the interpretation of various aspects of a civil trial related to a petition for child custody. Both parents are Deaf and both want primary custody of the child, also Deaf. The couple has been married since 1999 and has been moving towards divorce. It is the mother’s position that she should have primary custody due to her ability to advocate and manage the medical aspects and education of the child, her close bond with the child, her commitment to religious instruction for the child, and because of her ability to teach advanced language skills in English. It is the father’s position that he should have primary custody due to his strong bonds in the community, financial security, availability and flexibility of work schedule, and ability to help the child to form a strong identity as a Deaf individual culturally and linguistically. As well, the father claims that the mother has had a serious drinking problem for several years that impacted the marriage and the child. The mother claims that she has been sober for 12 months and has not had any relapses.

The materials contained within the workbook are developed for educational purposes. The structure and organization of the workbook are designed to promote collegial discussion about interpreting performance for the purpose of increasing practitioner understanding of: 1) the complexities of the interpreting process, 2) techniques and strategies used by experienced legal interpreters in managing the demands of the interpreting process, and 3) the contribution of Certified Deaf Interpreters to effective delivery of interpreting services in legal settings.