Hello Law Division members!
ATA61 is coming up (October 21-24, 2020), with early registration discounts ending on September 28 (Monday)! You can register here.
Below are the legal T&I sessions and AST courses on the schedule, starting with the two sessions by our division’s Distinguished Speaker, Fernando Cuñado. Remember that in addition to live streaming, you will also have long-term access to the recordings to watch on demand. Link to the full schedule is here.
(037) How to Translate Contracts Like a Lawyer without Being One, Part I
This session is for intermediate-to advanced-level translators who work from English with five or more years of experience in legal translation. Working from a comparative law perspective by studying similarities and differences with contract law in countries such as France, Spain, or Germany, attendees will learn the main technical and conceptual problems that arise when translating U.S. contracts.
Topics: Legal T&I, Translation
Speaker: Fernando Cuñado
Law Division Distinguished Speaker
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(047) How to Translate Contracts Like a Lawyer without Being One, Part II
This session is for intermediate-to advanced-level translators who work from English with five or more years of experience in legal translation. For the second part of this session, attendees will gain hands-on experience by working on real translations. They will also receive feedback on their work.
Topics: Legal T&I, Translation
Speaker: Fernando Cuñado
Law Division Distinguished Speaker
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(007) Working in a Tug of War
Translators and interpreters at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found themselves in an unusually visible position. Translation and interpreting disputes were raised by the defense and prosecution in almost every session of court, and the translation units were regularly pressured to change their choice of words, phrases, and terms. The speaker will describe the ways translators and interpreters responded to these pressures and the mechanisms that were established to deal with these demands.
Topics: Government T&I, Interpreting, Legal T&I, Slavic Languages, Terminology, Translation
Speaker: Ellen Elias-Bursac
Slavic Languages Division and Literary Division Distinguished Speaker
Presenting Language: English
Level: All Levels
(010) Legal Translation in Plain Language
A common misconception about legal translation is that fidelity to the source compels literality. As a result, many legal translations are rendered in faithful but unnatural (and sometimes even borderline nonsensical) language. However, there is a better way to achieve faithful, accurate legal translations that flow beautifully in the target language. The key is to use plain language without sacrificing essential terms of art. In this session, you’ll learn a tangible method for using plain language to accurately interpret your source text and polish your translations, even when your client insists on legalese.
Topics: Legal T&I, Translation
Speaker: Paula Arturo
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(125) Legal Translation: How Hard Can It Be?
Legal translations bring challenges not found elsewhere in the field. Not only is the language different, but the entire underlying legal framework might differ as well. Consider, for instance, referring to ‘The Second Amendment’ in a translation for German audiences. It can get complicated, not just for the obvious traps found in this example, but also for less obvious terms (e.g., concepts such as ‘relief’ and ‘jurisdiction’). This session will highlight some hurdles for both human and machine translation, present yellow flags to watch for, and provide tools for getting it right. English>German examples will be provided.
Topics: German, Legal T&I, Terminology
Speaker: Jacqueline Jugenheimer, CT
Presenting Language: English
Level: All Levels
(051) Interpreting for Workers’ Compensation Depositions
Workers’ compensation law is different from other types of law in a variety of ways. However, depositions in such cases are similar to those in other civil cases. This session will cover the procedures and protocols followed in depositions in general, and those followed in cases involving injured workers in particular. Attendees will be given an opportunity to practice interpreting a typical attorney’s briefing and admonitions.
Topics: Interpreting, Legal T&I
Speaker: Holly Mikkelson, CT
Presenting Language: English
Level: All Levels
(053) Civil Procedure in the Netherlands and the U.S.
Attendees will learn the fundamental differences between legal English in the U.S. and to decide what terms or phrases to use in a particular context. The session will begin with an overview of the court systems of the U.S., U.K., and the Netherlands. Attendees will then follow a civil lawsuit through each of these systems, focusing on legal terminology and how it’s used in each country. Throughout the discussion of the various legal systems, attendees will be on the lookout for false friends between Dutch and English terms, and between U.S. and U.K. terms.
Topics: Dutch, Legal T&I, Terminology
Speaker: Thomas West, CT
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(057) Medical Reporting for Translators and LSPs: From Pharmacogenomics to Clinical Research Lay Summaries
Research in personalized medicine (health care based on an individual’s traits and context) and precision medicine (health care based on big data) ultimately looks to enhance clinical practice by improving the efficacy and safety of targeted drugs, therapies, and devices. This session will explore pharmacogenomics, the science of individualized drug metabolism as influenced by genetics, and its impact on the conducting and reporting of research and clinical practice. Topics will include changes to regulatory documentation and reporting protocols for researchers, clinicians, and patients (including drug labeling and plain language requirements for lay summaries). Real-life examples will be used.
Topics: Legal T&I, Medical T&I, Science & Technology, Translation
Speaker: Romina Marazzato Sparano, CT
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(061) How Medical Interpreting Standards Can Shed New Light on Ethics for Court Interpreting
A code of ethics is a living thing, an expression of an ideal. But what happens when the ethical questions aren’t black and white? We will compare codes of ethics for court and medical interpreters, focusing on the standards of practice allowing medical interpreters to intervene for clarification. The speakers will share the results of a survey on how interpreters apply—and sometimes bend—their codes of ethics, stepping outside the role of strict interpreting to further communication between the parties. We will examine ethical dilemma scenarios and discuss if there is a place in court interpreter ethics for intervention.
Topics: Interpreting, Legal T&I, Medical T&I
Speakers: Johanna Parker; Ellen Wingo
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(080) Untangling the Labyrinth of Immigration Proceedings for Interpreters
U.S. immigration interpreting is a growing field requiring specialized knowledge of the unique terms, phrases, and legal concepts not found in other legal disciplines, as well as an understanding of how geographic and political factors influence immigration policy changes. The need for interpreters with this specialized knowledge who can effectively incorporate immigration concepts is increasing. This session will discuss the immigration policy framework, explain the unique legal concepts, and provide tools to interpreters to keep them updated on the ever changing legal landscape of immigration law.
Topics: Government T&I, Interpreting, Legal T&I, T&I Industry, Terminology
Speaker: Carol Velandia Pardo
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(081) Deposition Interpreting Workshop II
This session will be a continuation of the one presented at ATA60. But don’t worry if you didn’t attend last year, since the session will start with a brief review of the deposition setting and an explanation of the roles of each player. The speaker will then discuss the ‘meat’ of this unique situation. Attendees will gain knowledge about deposition interpreting and leave the session feeling as though they were at an actual deposition! Please read the handout beforehand, so that we can get into exercises quickly. Please prepare a recording device (usually it’s in a cell phone) so that you can try interpreting
Topics: Interpreting, Japanese, Legal T&I
Speakers: Izumi Suzuki, CT; Manako Ihaya, CT
Presenting Language: Japanese
Level: Intermediate
(092) Interpreter? Interrupter? How to Be an Effective Interpreter for Depositions
As the interpreter of record, you swear or affirm to interpret accurately at the beginning of every deposition. But effective interpreting, which smooths the way during tense and sometimes theatrical depositions, goes beyond accuracy. The speaker will discuss how to interpret effectively for a Mandarin-speaking witness in a U.S. deposition. Attendees will learn how to work with attorneys, court reporters, videographers, parties, and witnesses while maintaining the integrity of the record and preserving mental capacity for the long day(s) ahead.
Topics: Chinese, Interpreting, Legal T&I
Speaker: Tianlu Redmon, CT
Presenting Language: English
Level: Intermediate
(098) The U.S. and Brazilian Court Structure: Concepts and Terminology
The American and Brazilian court systems present special challenges for translators and interpreters. The legal principles governing them and the procedures and rules they follow are different. What is the best way for translators and interpreters to render great quality work? Is this a case for localization? The speaker will examine developments in Brazilian law and how they compare to existing common law practices, as well as the measures taken to fill gaps in Brazilian law. The speaker will examine an overview of the structure of the Brazilian court system and discuss its terminology.
Topics: Legal T&I, Portuguese, Terminology
Speaker: Bruna Marchi
Presenting Language: Portuguese
Level: All Levels
(111) Befriending the New Espacenet Tools for Patent Translation
Patent translation experts claim that the best sources of documentation and terminology for patent translation are the patents themselves. Assuming this is true, the question remains: How does one find information when the sources of documentation and terminology contain several million patents? In this session, attendees will be introduced to the tools for searching the completely revamped European Patent Office database, EspaceNet. Most importantly, the session will focus on how to use the available tools for specific translation tasks, considering that none of the Espacenet tools were specifically designed with the translation process in mind.
Topics: Language Technology, Legal T&I, Terminology, Translation
Speaker: Francoise Herrmann
Presenting Language: English
Level: All Levels
(116) Contract Language Categories: Russian versus English
Contracts are powerful texts, imposing obligations, penalties, and limits, clarifying intent, and even causing changes in status. But how does a contract—’merely’ words on a page—achieve its purpose? What phrases and structures indicate obligations? Permission? Intention? This session will examine Ken Adams’s categories of contract language for English, then turn to Russian contracts to see how the same effects are achieved. Attendees will come away with several practical strategies for translating contract language between Russian and English.
Topics: Legal T&I, Slavic Languages
Speaker: Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya, CT
Presenting Language: English
Level: Intermediate
(026) Rosters: How Do You Get on Them? How Do You Find Them?
Finding the right interpreter is difficult, as is proving you’re the right interpreter. This session will show both sides to one job: finding the interpreter and being the interpreter. With understanding comes greater opportunities in landing interpreting jobs. Understanding what you’re looking for helps in finding the perfect interpreter. In this session, you’ll learn how to recruit and search for jobs, the reasons you’re not getting hired, why you’re not finding an interpreter to cover an assignment, plus the solutions to these roadblocks.
Topics: Independent Contractors, Interpreting, Language Services Companies, Legal T&I
Speaker: Beth Angel
Presenting Language: English
Level: All Levels
(031) Long Consecutive Interpreting: Memory and Notes, Part I
The speaker will demonstrate how to understand and exploit memory. Through the use of narrative, visual, structural, and logical prompts within a speech, attendees will learn how to recall up to five minutes of information with minimal or no notes. The speaker will also outline the main elements of a note-taking system for long consecutive interpreting, showing how structures in notes support analysis, recall, and presentation skills. The speaker then will examine some major components of this system (e.g., diagonal notes, links, symbols, and ‘position as information’), as well as how to learn and practice using them.
Topics: Educators & Trainers, Interpreting, Legal T&I, Medical T&I
Speaker: Andrew Gillies
Educators Division and Interpreters Division Distinguished Speaker
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(041) Long Consecutive Interpreting: Memory and Notes, Part II
Part II
Topics: Educators & Trainers, Interpreting, Legal T&I, Medical T&I
Speaker: Andrew Gillies
Educators Division and Interpreters Division Distinguished Speaker
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
AST Courses (October 21, 2020)
(AST-01) Legal Translation Boot Camp
In legal translation, the stakes are too high to risk over- or under-translating a single concept. However, that doesn’t mean legal translators are expected to translate word-for-word like machines. Instead, we are expected to balance fidelity to source and transparency using our subject matter expertise and multilingual skills to render natural sounding translations that objectively get the message across. In this workshop, we’ll practice an effective method to achieve just that, even when working with different legal systems. We’ll learn several techniques used by legal practitioners to interpret legal texts and practice how to implement them in our own work.
Paula Arturo
Language-Neutral
Level: Advanced
Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
Wednesday, October 21, 11:00am – 2:15pm (EDT)
Course fee: $99
Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 2
Presenting Language: English
Level: Advanced
(AST-12) Interpreting for Depositions
As some court systems have reduced the rates for judiciary interpreters, many court interpreters actively look for assignments outside the court system. There are plenty of opportunities available, and depositions, which are typically held at law offices, often require interpreters. There is little training focusing on the role of interpreters in depositions, and this workshop will provide a highly detailed overview of the structure of depositions, the parties involved, objectives, and terminology. The speaker will also offer tips on finding clients who may need deposition interpreters.
Judy Jenner
Language-Neutral
Level: Intermediate
Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
Wednesday, October 21, 2:45pm – 6:00pm (EDT)
Course fee: $99
Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 2
Presenting Language: English
Level: Intermediate
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