Continuing Education Requirements

Utah Administrative Office of the Courts Continuing Education Requirements for State Certified Court Interpreters and Federally Certified Interpreters Who Serve in the State Courts

  1. PURPOSE Continuing education is required by the Utah Judicial Council and the Administrative Office of the Courts to ensure that state certified interpreters (and federally certified interpreters who serve in the state courts) maintain and improve their interpreting skills, and expand their vocabulary in forensic, scientific, drug, slang, and legal terminology. Additionally, continuing education is required to ensure that certified interpreters are in compliance with Rule 3-306.01-.05 and the Code of Professional Responsibility for Court Interpreters.
  2. APPLICATION These requirements apply to interpreters who are certified interpreters in the state of Utah, or who are federally certified interpreters who wish to interpret as certified interpreters in the Utah State Courts. Meeting these requirements is a condition for continued certification of court interpreters.
  3. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
    1. Continuing education" refers to approved educational completed by the interpreter after successfully passing the certification examination.
    2. All certified interpreters must complete sixteen (16) hours of approved continuing education during each two-year compliance period.
    3. There are four means by which an interpreter may obtain continuing education credits:
      1. Language-specific interpreting and translating education;
      2. Nonlanguage-specific interpreting and translating education, and education related to law;
      3. Education related to professionalism, cultural competency, and ethics (interpreters must have a MINIMUM of four hours of education in ethics); and/or,
      4. Independent learning such as teaching an interpreter-related course, mentoring a new interpreter, self study, or writing articles relevant to court interpreting for professional journals. An interpreter can receive a maximum of 4 hours credit in independent learning in any given compliance period.

        Self study programs may be used to obtain continuing education credits. In order for a certified interpreter to obtain credits for self-study programs, the interpreter must submit a plan for the self-study program to the Administrative Office of the Courts that includes:

        1. The names, addresses and certification status of two or more interpreters studying together;
        2. Description of the materials to be studied; and
        3. A schedule of the times the interpreters will meet for self study (a minimum of two hours per month for a minimum of two consecutive months); and the address of where the interpreters will meet for self study.

        The plan for the self-study program must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the program. A self-study program will not be accepted for evaluation for continuing education credit after the program has been completed.

        Once a plan is submitted, the AOC will evaluate whether a self-study program qualifies for continuing education credits. The interpreters submitting the plan will be notified in writing whether the self-study program is accepted or rejected, and the explanations or suggestions for change will be provided, if rejected.

        At the completion of the self-study program, participating interpreters must sign an affirmation of the hours studied and submit a summary or evaluation of the self-study program. Staff from the AOC or a designee may observe an interpreter's self-study program at anytime without prior notice.

    4. Each AOC approved class hour shall be counted as one hour of continuing education. Credit will not be given in quarter-hour segments. However, credit will be given in half-hour segments after the completion of one full hour of an approved continuing education course. No credit will be given for attending only a portion of a participatory activity. Arriving late or leaving early will result in the interpreter not receiving any continuing education credit for the course.
      1. An exception shall be granted for half-hour courses that are offered by an AOC approved interpreting conference. A half-hour segment shall be counted as half-hour of continuing education when offered by an AOC approved interpreting conference.
      2. An exception shall be granted for forty-five minute courses that are offered by an AOC approved interpreting conference. A forty-five minute segment shall be counted as forty-five minutes of continuing education when offered by an AOC approved interpreting conference.
    5. Examples of "Participatory Activities" include courses, workshops, lectures, or other activities at which attendance is monitored and verified. Participatory continuing education activities may include courses offered at accredited institutions of higher learning or conferences or workshops sponsored by professional organizations.
    6. To receive continuing education credit for an educational activity, the interpreter must submit information regarding the activity (e.g., description of curriculum, agenda of conference, etc.) to the Administrative Office of the Courts, and must receive approval prior to attendance at the activity.
    7. Any interpreter who wishes to receive continuing education credit must be able to show proof of having taken the course or attended the conference or workshop (e.g., an official transcript from the university or college, or a receipt and/or certificate of completion from the conference or workshop).
  4. COMPLIANCE
    1. Each certified interpreter is required to submit a completed Continuing Education Compliance Form to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), every two years. The 24-month time period begins on January 1st following the date an interpreter becomes certified and is awarded the Utah State Certified Court Interpreter Certificate. The Administrative Office of the Courts will provide each certified interpreter with the approved compliance form to be submitted.
    2. Non-compliance with the continuing education requirement shall result in the interpreter's name being removed from the Utah State Courts' list of certified interpreters. Interpreters whose names have been deleted from the list for non-compliance with the continuing education requirement shall not be given interpreting assignments with the courts. Interpreters will not be added back onto the list until the continuing education requirement is met.
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