Remote interpretation normally occurs by telephone or video conferencing. The former has been used for quite a while, especially in the federal court system, often in instances where the speaker’s language cannot be identified; it is a good starter, but not good enough to conduct an entire hearing. The latter has become more commonplace, especially following the emergence of COVID-19. To the extent that Louisiana courts may use a video conferencing system, the attorney should consult with the particular court about interpreter needs. Because Louisiana does not have a unified court system, courts’ capabilities in this regard will differ. It is recommended that you contact the particular court’s language access coordinator. If unable to get the necessary information, you may consider contacting the Louisiana Office of Language Access for further guidance.1 The National Center for State Courts also provides general information on remote interpretation.2
For purposes of individual attorney communication with LEP and Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons, several products exist in the marketplace that may be employed for this purpose. Some video conferencing services provide interpreting modules as part of the video conferencing platform, while others interact with those platforms.3
- 1Office of Language Access: Overview, La. Sup. Ct.
- 2Couns. of Language Access Coordinators, Remote Interpreting Guide for Courts, Court Staff, and Justice Partners (2018).
- 3Louisiana interpreting services provide interpreting services using a video conferencing platform. Outside of Louisiana, on a larger commercial scale, you may find, for example, companies such as interaction which works with video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx.