Registration Extended for Court Interpreter Orientation Workshops

The Hawai‘i State Judiciary announces that the deadline to register for the court interpreter orientation workshops has been extended to Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. The Judiciary is seeking individuals who speak English and another language, as well as certified sign language interpreters to become court interpreters. Completion of the workshop is a mandatory requirement to become a Judiciary court interpreter.

The two-day workshops will be held:

• Hawai‘i Island (Kona): Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6 and 7, at the Kona Driver Education Office in the Kealakekua Business Plaza
• Hawai‘i Island (Hilo): Thursday and Friday, March 15 and 16, at the Hilo Courthouse
• Kaua‘i: Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 13 and 14, at the Kaua‘i Courthouse in Līhu‘e
• Maui: Wednesday and Thursady, Feb. 28 and March 1, at the Maui Driver Education Office in the Main Street Promenade Building
• O‘ahu: Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25, at the Supreme Court Building in downtown Honolulu

Registration forms are available on the Judiciary’s website and from the Office on Equality and Access to the Courts at 808-539-4860.

The workshop registration fee is $50, thanks to support from the State Office of Language Access. (The workshops would have cost $150.)

In addition to successfully completing the workshop, persons seeking to become a court interpreter must pass a written English proficiency exam, court interpreter ethics exam and criminal background check.

Court interpreters are independent contractors and not Judiciary employees. They assist the courts in providing access to justice to court customers with limited English proficiency. Depending on their performance on written and oral exams, court interpreters are paid $25 to $55 per hour with a two-hour minimum.

For more information, contact the Office on Equality and Access to the Courts at (808) 539-4860.