Legal and Court Interpreting

Standards-Aligned Training for Interpreters Working in Canadian Legal Contexts

Interpreting in legal and court settings requires advanced skills, professional judgment, and a clear understanding of role boundaries.Decisions made in these environments carry legal, ethical, and human consequences.
The Interpreting in Legal and Court Settings course is designed to prepare interpreters to work competently and responsibly across Canadian legal contexts, including courts, administrative tribunals, and law-enforcement settings.
This program integrates theory, applied skills, and reflective practice, supporting interpreters who want to align their work with recognized professional standards.

Practical Foundations for Legal Interpreting

Interpreters working in legal and court settings face complex linguistic, procedural, ethical, and cognitive demands. This program addresses these challenges directly through guided instruction, analysis of real scenarios, and structured practice.

Participants learn not only what to do, but why decisions matter in legal contexts, supporting sound professional judgement and accountability.

How the Course Works

Live, instructor-led online classes focused on application and practice

Self-directed online modules to build foundational knowledge

Skills practice in legal discourse, memory, note-taking, and accuracy

Guided reflection on ethics, professional identity, and decision-making

Learning activities grounded in real Canadian legal contexts

What You’ll Learn

  • Professional Scope, Concepts, and Practice
  • Ethics and Decision-Making
  • Canadian Law and the Canadian Legal System
  • Criminal Law and the Trial Process
  • Youth Law and Youth Criminal Justice
  • Civil Law and Administrative Law (Tribunals)
  • Legal Language and Legal Discourse
  • Core Interpreting Modes, Strategies, and Techniques
  • Memory, Accuracy, and Note-Taking in Legal Interpreting
  • Essential Legal Terminology
  • Mastering Interpreting Skills through Strategic Practice
  • Professional Practice and Professional Identity

Interpreting in Legal and Court Settings Training Program Schedule and Fees

OUR LEGAL AND COURT PROGRAM ACCEPTS STUDENTS THAT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM IN INTERPRETING. 

NEXT SESSION: MARCH 10, 2026 – APRIL 28, 2026

Tuesdays: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. PST (UTC-7)

$1,125* + GST (where applicable).
Enrol today and get started in your new career.

Become a Member and receive a 20% discount – a $225 savings.

 

 

 

Your Learning Experience

Live, instructor-led online classes

Guided practice, discussion, and applied learning

Structured modules covering law, terminology, skills, and ethics

Capstone project integrating learning across the course

This course combines self-paced learning with live interactive sessions

Legal Settings and Contexts

The program addresses interpreting work in a range of Canadian legal environments, including:

  • RCMP and law enforcement
  • The Canadian court and legal system
  • Lawyers and legal firms
  • Administrative tribunals (civil and criminal)
  • The immigration and refugee process
  • Canada Border Services Agency
  • Ministry of Attorney General
  • Correctional Services Canada
  • Municipal police and community policing
  • Child protection and family maintenance services

Core Skills and Knowledge Gained

Participants develop both knowledge and applied competencies, including:

  • Structure and function of the Canadian legal system
  • Criminal, civil, youth, and administrative law processes
  • Legal language, discourse, and terminology research strategies
  • Consecutive, simultaneous, and sight translation in legal settings
  • Interpreting strategies for complex and high-pressure environments
  • Ethical decision-making and professional accountability
  • Role boundaries and professional conduct in court and tribunal settings

Meet your Instructor - Dr. Debra Russell, PhD.

Dr. Russell is a Canadian certified interpreter, educator, and researcher with more than 30 years of professional experience in legal, medical, mental health, and employment interpreting.

Dr. Russell has held leadership roles nationally and internationally, including Past President of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI), and is widely published in the field of legal interpreting.

The Interpreter’s Lab is proud to once again welcome Dr. Russell as part of our program.