subject: a career in law [print this page] Legal Secretaries International, Inc. Legal Secretaries International, Inc.
8902 Sunnywood Dr.
Houston, TX 77088
www.legalsecretaries.org
Becoming a Sign Language Interpreter for the Courts
Sign language interpreters facilitate communication between the deaf and/or hard of hearing population and people who can hear. Courthouse interpreters must remain detached and unemotional and must translate accurately and take great care to not modify meaning or tone. Court interpreters may work in a variety of settings, including attorney-client meetings, depositions, trials, sentencing hearings, and more. Court interpreters may interpret verbal conversations or may be asked to interpret written documents into American Sign Language (ASL). This profession usually requires specialized training. Interpreters must pay careful attention and understand what is being communicated, which means being familiar with courtroom procedures and terminology. Mental dexterity and a good memory are vital. High levels of professionalism and confidentiality are required. This profession is one that allows great flexibility in work hours and you may be asked to visit a variety of law offices or courtrooms. It should be noted that American Sign Language has its own grammatical rules, sentence structure, cultural nuances, idioms, etc, and involves much more than a simple literal translation. There is currently no certification or licensing of sign language interpreter; however, both the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf offer certification for sign interpreters and have developed an exam.
National Association of Judiciary Interpreters
603 Stewart St., Suite 610
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: 206.267.2300
http://www.najit.org
Becoming a Court Reporter
Court reporters have the responsibility of recording everything that is said by all of the parties participating in formal trials. Courses on becoming a court reporter are taught at community colleges, four-year universities and at private business schools. These training programs can take two to four years. High school graduation is required, and it is important that court reporters have strong language skills with a good vocabulary. The National Court Reporter's Association has lists of schools that offer courses in court reporting.
National Court Reporters Association
8224 Old Courthouse Road
Vienna, Virginia 22182-3808
Phone: 703.556.6272
http://www.ncraonline.org/about/index.shtml
Becoming a Law-Enforcement Professional
Most law enforcement officers must meet certain minimum requirements to serve as police or state troopers. These may include a minimum age requirement of 21 years; must be a citizen of the United States, must have a valid driver's license, must not have been convicted of a felony, must be a high school graduate and may require an associate of arts or sciences degree or other college credit and/or work experience. Applicants may also have to pass physical examinations (including agility, vision and strength) and written tests.
There are numerous options for those interested in pursuing careers with the federal government. Because of the variety and complexity of job offerings, we recommend you research:
* The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) via www.fbi.gov (click on employment then click on support vacancies)
* The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) via www.jobs.irs.gov (click on other professional careers)
* The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) via www.dea.gov (click on job applicants)
* The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) via www.atf.gov (click on jobs then click on types of jobs at ATF)
There are numerous other professions that could be considered law-related. You could become a:
* Corrections Officer
* Forensic Scientist
* High School Law/Government/Political Science Teacher
* Human Resources/Personnel Director
* JAG Officer (Judge Advocate General) or Military Lawyer
Additional information on many professions can be found through the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://bls.gov/home.htm and specific information for students can be found at http://bls.gov/k12/index.htm
Choosing a career in the law
Becoming a lawyer is a desirable career option for those who want to protect the rights of people as well as assist them with the legal issues they face.
The educational background of someone interested in the law is not a constraint as long as the person received good grades in high school and/or college and has good communications abilities. Other desirable skills include a good vocabulary, a good memory, the ability to listen, the ability to express ideas and thoughts concisely and accurately and the ability to comprehend complex written materials.
Most people who seek a law degree have also completed college. If a person is going straight from college to law school, the LSAT admissions test must be taken. The test is used by law schools in the admissions process. Many law schools determine admissions solely on the basis of a formula that computes a student's grades with his or her LSAT score.
Those who are seriously interested in a law career would benefit from working even as a volunteer for a law firm, legal service organization or other law-related entities to see if they require assistance.
Completing law school routinely takes three years of full-time study .
Once a student completes law school, he must pass a bar exam.
