The United States is a diverse, multicultural nation with numerous businesses and people working with people from around the globe. This fact means that lawyers need access to quality translation services for depositions, legal documents, and interviewing witnesses.
Finding a linguist can be difficult. On the surface, soliciting translation and language interpretation services might seem simple. Finding a person who knows the language is half the battle. Attorneys consistently run into trouble finding quality interpreters who understand both regional dialects of foreign languages and subtle cultural nuances. Moreover, clients and businesses with international services and multicultural contacts often deal with people and companies from various ethnic and national backgrounds. This means attorneys need access to quality translators from various languages, sometimes on short notice.
Foreign Languages in the United States
Even if your practice doesn’t deal too much with international business and clients, there’s a good chance you will encounter foreign language speakers within your community. The statistics of foreign language use in the United States might surprise you.
- Over 65 million people in the United States speak a foreign language at home
- The number of people who speak a foreign language has tripled since 1980
- Languages that have upwards of 400,000 speakers who’ve seen sharp increases in the last 3 decades include Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Haitian, Urdu, and Hindi
- Spanish is spoken by more than 40 million people in the United States
- The most commonly spoken languages behind Spanish are Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, and Korean
- About 25% of public school students speak a foreign language at home
- Not all foreign language speakers are immigrants. About half of the foreign language speakers in the USA since 2010 are born in the U.S.
What A Language Service Company Can Offer
Some attorneys might choose to work with a single linguist that they know or one that has been recommended to them. While there are many talented linguists, their services can be limited to the languages they can understand and their schedules. A language company, however, is sourcing linguistic talent from a much larger pool. This means that your needs can be met quickly and on time. It also means that if you have multiple clients with international contacts, you can easily secure language interpretation services for virtually any language including American Sign Language.
Translating Documents for Lawyers
Documents written in other languages for legal and business purposes must be translated accurately. It’s not enough to “get the gist” when it comes to translating legally-binding documents. Having access to qualified and experienced translators is something attorneys need. Working with a language company over a single linguist gives a lawyer access to a pool of experienced translators who work within a number of linguistic families. With a language company, a law firm has access to translators who speak everything from Russian and Arabic to Spanish and Swahili.
Language Interpretation Services for American Sign Language
Did you know that more than half a million people in the United States and Canada rely on American Sign Language as their primary form of interpersonal communication? Beyond spoken languages, there is a real need for interpreters and translation services for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Having support from certified American Sign Language translators gives law firms a competitive edge when parties communicate non-verbally.
Deposition and Trial Support
Quality translation services are needed in and outside of the courtroom. From translating testimonies taken for depositions and cross examinations to translating documents and contracts written in other languages, a pool of linguists from which lawyers can choose is invaluable.
Our language service company provides comprehensive language support for lawyers throughout the United States. In business for over 30 years, our New York City-based offices source talent from diverse backgrounds and communities for effective and accurate translation services. Contact us today to speak with a knowledgeable and friendly member of our team.
