Say you have a client who runs a business that employs a significant number of foreign-language speakers. Or perhaps, your client needs legal service who primarily speak another language? There are times when attorneys need linguists to transcribe and translate depositions, contracts, and a host of other legal documents. Once a person finds out that he or she needs language interpretation services, it might seem difficult to determine where to turn. How does an attorney find a qualified linguist? What happens when you have a new client who needs professional translation services for languages the linguists you have worked with don’t speak?
Here we will help demystify the language interpretation services industry, describe the types of services available, and explain how working with a worldwide linguist from a language service company might be the best option for your law practice.
The Case for Working with a Language Service Company
Finding a qualified, worldwide linguist can be cumbersome and time-consuming. More so if you don’t have the language interpretation services industry know-how to gauge their competency. Without working in the language industry, one could run into problems ensuring that the linguists he or she works with are accurate and competent. Working with a language service company, however, means that your translators and interpreters are qualified and experienced. A good translator knows more than just the language, he or she must know subtle nuances in the lexicon as well as cultural norms that influence communication. They must also know the target language to which they are translating documents, depositions, and testimonies into very well, too.
Some language companies, like ours, verify their linguists. This means that any worldwide linguist working with us must pass rigorous background checks and competency tasks to demonstrate that they understand their source and target languages, accurately and fluently.
Beyond having access to certified linguists, working with a language service company gives attorneys a broad pool of talent who can speak hundreds of languages and dialects. Many of our linguists are native speakers of the languages they translate; this gives our clients access to translation professionals who have an intimate understanding of the cultural and social constructs that contribute to the evolution of language. A language is a living, constantly-evolving form of communication that is shaped by the unique cultural norms of a region. Professional translation services involve more than interchanging the direct translations of words; a linguist must consider the unique idioms and societal customs that shape language. Additionally, on top of having an intimate understanding of languages, a good linguist needs practical experience within the industries he or she works—be that banking, government, law, or international business.
Services Offered by Language Service Companies
A language service company with certified linguists can be invaluable to legal firms. Not only can a worldwide linguist from a language service company provide professional translation services and interpretation support for depositions, witness testimonies, and contracts in person, there are services available for translation and interpretation on the phone and in video remote format. Phone-based and video remote interpretation (VRI) can connect attorneys and their clients to a pool of talented linguists who can speak hundreds of languages. These services are helpful for collaborative sessions like drafting business contracts, negotiations, and client sessions. Phone-based and VRI interpretation services also help keep costs down for attorneys and their clients.
Our language service company provides trial support, too. Our talented team of linguists can attend court to translate testimonies and cross-examinations as well as transcribe proceedings in necessary languages.
On top of spoken languages, our language service company offers interpretative support for people who communicate with sign language. Our company offers certified American Sign Language interpreters for the millions of people who rely on non-verbal communication.
Multilingualism is becoming increasingly important in today’s global society. The United States is home to millions of foreign language speakers. In business for over 30 years, our language service company can help you serve your clients with diverse language needs. From ASL to Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and more, we provide linguistic support in and outside of the courtroom.
Contact us today to learn more about all of our translation and language interpretation services.
