Three Courtrooms. Three Different Stakes.

You accept the assignment. "It's a court case." You show up — and only then do you realize how much you didn't know going in. Is a person's liberty on the line, or is this a contract dispute? Is the jury being asked to decide beyond a reasonable doubt, or by a preponderance of the evidence, or by clear and convincing evidence? Is this a sealed juvenile matter where the rules of access, privacy, and even who can be in the room are fundamentally different? If you've ever walked into a courtroom without a clear picture of what kind of case you were interpreting — what was at stake, what standard the finder of fact was applying, and why any of it should change how the case was staffed — this workshop is for you. Staffing Legal Cases Part 1 lays the foundation every legal interpreter needs before a single staffing decision gets made: the structure of the courts themselves. You'll work through the three courtrooms ASL interpreters are most commonly called into — Criminal, Civil, and Juvenile (Family) — and the burden of proof that governs each. Because staffing isn't just about how many interpreters are in the room. It starts with understanding what kind of case is in the room. What sets this workshop apart: Most legal interpreting training jumps straight to vocabulary, ethics, or courtroom protocol. This one starts one step earlier — with the architecture of the system itself — because you cannot accurately staff, prepare for, or advocate for an assignment until you know what the case actually is and what the stakes actually are. Every concept is built to carry directly into Part 2, where the three roles of a legal interpreter are introduced. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:  Distinguish Criminal, Civil, and Juvenile (Family) court matters — what each court decides and why each one is structured differently Define the burden of proof used in each court and explain why the standard matters for the people in the room Recognize how court type and burden of proof influence staffing, preparation, and the level of linguistic precision required Speak confidently about court structure with attorneys, agency coordinators, and colleagues — in their language, not just ours Who this is for: Working ASL interpreters stepping into court work, interpreters pursuing state legal credentials or specialized legal certification, and agency coordinators staffing legal assignments. Ready to build the foundation the rest of your legal practice stands on? Enroll now for instant access to the full workshop, downloadable reference materials, and your CEU certificate upon completion. Only have an hour? That's plenty of time.