What is the role of a legal translator?
The US is becoming a very interesting area for legal translation. The need for qualified legal translators is growing as more US companies do business with foreign companies, and people move to the US from other countires.
As a melting pot of cultures, the USA is also a global business hub and so it’s no wonder legal translation services are so sought after. All sorts of documents need to be translated from one language to another by legal translators. Some examples include federal court and state court documents; contracts, birth certificates, passports, marriage certificates, and more. These might be for official, legal, administrative, financial or technical purposes.
Here are some stats on the growing legal translation industry in the USA:
Two thirds of US legal translators have a bachelor’s degree in law, languages or paralegal studies.
Nationally, the legal translation industry is growing by an average of 5.8% per year.
Fewer than 20 percent of legal translators are ATA authorized.
Demand for translators of less common languages like Arabic, Mandarin and Portuguese has grown by 35% in the past 5 years.
Over 85% of corporate clients want translators that have experience in a particular field, such as in patent law, medicine and international business law.
What are the education requirements to become a legal translator in the USA?
You must have a very strong background in languages and the legal field in order to be a legal translator in the US. There is no set career path – but most successful legal translators are well educated.
A bachelor’s degree in a field such as translation, languages or paralegal studies is recommended. Many legal translators also obtain certifications from the American Translators Association (ATA). Unlike some countries where a registry of certified legal translators exists, there’s no such registry in the U.S. and therefore certification is not always required but it can be very helpful in getting work.
What training is required to become a certified legal translator?
In the U.S., the ATA professional certification exam is highly regarded and tests a translator’s ability to translate from English into another language.
How do I become certified?
Certification is highly prized by employers, law firms, and companies working in the legal translation field. The certification process is a rigorous evaluation of skills, accuracy, and precision, to ensure applicants are highly professional and ready to become certified translators.
The first step in becoming a legal translator is to pass a written exam. But the American Translators Association (ATA) certification exam is also not just a language test. It is a difficult evaluation of how well a translator can do converting legal information into the target language, while maintaining the original linguistic accuracy and also transferring the legal ideas contained in the source document into the target language. It is based on real world translation situations and tests the ability to understand both the cultural nuances, the legal terminology, and the linguistic syntax of the legal systems in question.
Proving translation experience is also important in validating translation skills. Translation companies and lawyers working in the legal profession want to know that a translator has the deep understanding necessary to tackle large, complex jobs. The translated documents and references as well as a history of successfully translated legal texts all prove a translator’s experience.
The biggest thing a legal translator can do to improve is keep learning. Especially as the law is continuously evolving, and new regulations come into force. A successful legal translator needs to attend various workshops and conferences, and take additional certifications to keep on top of their career as a legal translator.
Challenges of being a legal translator
Legal translation is one of the toughest and most intellectually taxing translation careers. The problem is not just word for word translation, it is dependent on the knowledge of various foreign language, legal systems, and local legal terminology. The job of a legal translator is not just to translate from one language to the other, it is to translate, the legal meaning from one language and legal system to another.
Legal translators have one of the biggest challenges: understanding the legal system that both countries have. Being a good legal translator and having a sound knowledge of legal terminology is not enough. A legal translator should also be well versed in the structure and applications of local and foreign laws in different jurisdictions. This is a difficult job and takes a lot of study and research.
Absolute accuracy in legal translation is another essential aspect. As with all translations, legal documents should have no room for interpretation or creative license. Every word is vital, it needs to be interpreted exactly. A contract, immigration document or court transcript cannot be translated so as to change the original meaning or intent of the document. A mistranslated word in a contract could alter the obligations of the contracting parties, a poorly translated question on a document for immigration purposes could deny someone’s entry into the U.S. or any other country, and an inaccurately translated court transcript could alter decisions rendered by judiciary.
What qualifications do I need to be a translator?
Beyond having perfect language proficiency under your belt along with an academic qualification such as a Bachelor’s Degree in Translation Studies (or similar), a professional translator’s fundamental skills include:
- In-depth knowledge of the technical and legal language used in legal and judicial environments.
- Ability to understand the nuances of the languages and convey them accurately and clearly in translations.
- Knowledge of local legislative processes and legal systems in the relevant countries.
- Experience in the legal field and as a legal translator, preferably gained in an agency or company where the legal translation work is continuous and varied.
To become a legal translator, you will need to develop skills that go far beyond being bilingual. Legal translation is not a matter of simply changing words from one language to another. It is a highly technical, precise, and intellectual profession that requires a unique combination of linguistic, legal, and cultural knowledge.
Not all legal translators are lawyers; however, the best legal translators develop skills that exceed translation and interpretation. A good translator is not necessarily a great legal translator and a great translator is not necessarily qualified to translate legally binding documents.
What should you study to become a legal translator?
It is a highly rewarding profession that requires a unique combination of skills, including intellectual ability, attention to detail, and a respect for the power of language. A legal translator is not just a language professional; he or she is a communicator who ensures that legal terminology and concepts are not lost in translation.
A good starting point is a degree in a relevant field such as:
- Translation studies or legal studies
- Languages with a focus on legal translation
- Law with a language specialization
- A certificate in legal translation
While a degree is important, so is experience. Many aspiring legal translators get started by:
- Interning at a law firm with legal professionals, or a translation company that specializes in legal translations
- Working in an international legal department
- Taking professional development courses in legal translation
- Working as a court interpreter
These are not credentials to be taken lightly; they are a testament to a translator’s dedication and expertise. A great legal translator is a linguist with a strong foundation in law, translation skills, and knowledge of how the law is applied in different jurisdictions based on a culture’s values and society.
So exactly what you need to do to become a legal translator will depend on your academic and work background, skills, and future plans.
Where do legal translators work?
Legal translators can be found in a variety of workplaces:
- Freelance translation companies
- Law firms
- Government
- Federal or state court (United States)
- Translation agencies
- International corporations in the legal industry
- Immigration services
- Non-profit organizations that focus on international law
Many legal translators work as independent contractors, which provides the flexibility to choose which assignments and clients to accept and reject. A translator can limit their portfolio to a specific area of law, such as patent law or medicine, and charge a premium rate.
How much does a legal translator earn?
A legal translator’s salary varies based on:
- Work situation (agency vs. freelance)
- Geographic location
- Level of certification
Legal translators have a promising career. But this depends on many factors. To begin with, the situation is very different between freelance translators and those working for agencies. So in the former case, there’s a little more freedom and everything is in their favor as far as earnings, but translators working with an agency get more work and, of course, experience with more varied legal contexts, and don’t need to continuously look for new clients.
Even for highly skilled and experienced translators with a legal background, fees are not fixed. An agency translator may earn less than a freelancer, but it’s easier for a freelancer to choose the work they want.
Rates also vary from one geographic area to another. International trends also have a certain influence; however, translators in specific countries are in more demand and international relations with that specific country will also influence earnings at certain times.
Less experienced translators can expect to make between $1500 to $3000 per month in general. For expert translators in their field, the average salary range is $50,000 to $85,000 per year. A translator who specializes in rare source and target languages or a complex field such as patent law can earn $100,000 or more per year.
Leggi anche: How Much Does Legal Translation Cost?
What is the difference between a legal translation and a certified translation?
People often get confused between legal translations and certified translations – two terms that sound similar but have different meanings in the USA.
A certified translation is an official document translation with a statement of translation accuracy. In the US, this means a translator signs a declaration that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge. Professional organizations like the American Translators Association (ATA) help establish translator credentials but there is no national certification.
Legal translation requires more than standard translation knowledge and skills. It requires a deep understanding of linguistics and legal expertise. It demands understanding legal terminology, comprehension of both source and target languages, legal systems, and the ability to convey legal complexities through syntax and word choice. Legal translations are used in international contracts, criminal procedures, and high stakes legal documents.
You can think of certified and legal translations as two overlapping circles. Not every legal translation is certified and not every certified translation is legal. A birth certificate translation for immigration might be certified while a complex international contract might require a legal translation without certification.
Government agencies like USCIS require certified translations for personal documents like birth certificates, marriage licenses, and immigration papers. The certification process involves the translator signing a statement, sometimes notarized, that the translation is accurate.
Certification typically costs $20 to $75 per page and legal translations cost more because of their complex legal nature. But the most important factor is translation quality. A certified stamp guarantees good translation – expertise and linguistic precision matter.
Best Practices for Document Translation
Choose translators with expertise in your type of document. Verify their credentials and professional standards, request samples, and always confirm the submission requirements with the receiving agency. Different agencies have different translation acceptance standards.
Espresso Translations offers genuine linguistic and subject matter expertise when translating legal documents. Our translators know the context of your documents and always deliver the best results in all our professional legal translation work.
