Words are the single most important tools you have at your disposal as a lawyer. So, what happens when you don’t speak the same language as a client, the evidence, or the courts?
For some law firms, these language barriers are as effective as a red light stopping them from making another move on the international stage.
But for others, they pose no problem — they partner with a legal translation company so that they can easily pursue cases that cross jurisdictions.
By name alone, legal translation companies are best known for providing legal translation services that convert the written word into other languages. But the top companies specialize in tearing down language barriers in any form.
Here are the four different ways these companies can help your firm.
1. Document Translation
Document translation refers to the process whereby a legal translator converts the written word into another language. These professionals should always be native speakers with extensive legal experience in both your source and target languages.
Native fluency ensures their work retains the original document’s meaning and intention in technically flawless language that books no room for interpretation.
Meanwhile, their understanding of multiple legal systems helps them follow all the appropriate judicial standards of your target language.
2. Transcription
When you need help with the spoken word, a legal translation company will change gears and deploy its transcription services.
A legal transcriptionist listens to pre-recorded audio in the source language and produces a written record of it in your target language.
Here are some of the types of audio records transcription services can process:
- Depositions
- Dictated notes
- Hearings
- Interrogations
- Interviews
- Meeting minutes
- Pleadings
- Spoken memorandums
- Sworn statements
In many cases, the best transcription service provider will produce a verbatim copy of what they hear. This means they will record every sound on the file, including pauses, broken sentences, and pronunciation errors.
3. Interpretation
Legal interpretation is reserved for instances when someone speaks another language, and you need to understand them in real-time.
Sometimes, interpretation involves a diplomatic interpreter relaying a politician’s speech to a foreign language news agency. Other times, it involves professional interpreters acting as intermediaries while two (or more) people speak to each other.
The kind of interpretation you choose depends on your needs. However, they generally fall into one of three modes:
- Simultaneous: This promises the fastest interpretation of speech or dialogue with minimal delay between the original speaker and the interpretation.
- Consecutive: For those projects that require the utmost accuracy, a consecutive service will include a sentence delay to ensure the interpretation remains faithful to the original.
- Remote: During the height of social distancing and lockdown restrictions, remote services were increasingly helpful as it provides live video and audio interpretation for digital meetings.
4. Court Reporting
The final pillar of legal translation includes court reporting. Court reporters are considered the guardians of the record because they document the entire judicial process without biases.
These professionals usually use a steno machine or a written shorthand to record every word spoken during a hearing or proceeding. They’ll use these shorthand notes to prepare a verbatim transcript in your chosen language.
The Takeaway:
Don’t let another language stop your firm from accepting international clients or cross-jurisdictional cases. A translation service provider can help you conquer a foreign language in both written and spoken forms.
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