About this course
What you’ll learn
This course will cover all the following topic areas which will prepare you to take the State Court Interpreter Certification Test.
- Ethics of Interpreting
- Legal interpreting terminology in English and Spanish
- Spanish/English linguistics skills
- Analysis of the legal environment and issues regarding Latinos/Hispanics
- Development of integrated interpreter skills
- Understanding the cultural aspects of the Latino/Hispanic community.
Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, interpreters and translations can expect much faster than average employment growth over the next decade due to the increase in the number of foreign language speakers in the United States and the broadening of international ties.
Who should attend?
- Individuals who want an intensive introduction to the profession of court interpreting or legal interpreting
- Interpreters with other interpreting credentials, such as those who have completed the Spanish/English Medical Interpreter Certificate Program or the Professional Interpreter in Education Certificate Program
- Individuals seeking employment in the legal field or in court systems
Continuing Education Information
Successful graduates will earn a Digital Certificate of Program Completion and be awarded 3.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) (Opens in a new window) upon successfully completing the course.
Requirements & policies
Accommodations
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education is committed to providing equal access to continuing education programs for students living with permanent or temporary disabilities. Learn more about the program accommodations (Opens in a new window).
Schedule
During this Spanish/English Legal Interpreter course, you will meet on Saturdays from 9:00am-5:00pm at the UGA Gwinnett campus, October 18, 25, and November 8, 2025.
You will meet at 8:30 on November 15 and 22, 2025. Additional assignments required outside the classroom will be completed online and may include readings, online quizzes, and discussion board posts. There will be no class on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Location
University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus
2530 Sever Rd NW
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
See map: Google Maps
Military
This classroom course has been approved by the Department of Veterans Services to receive GI Bill® funding (Opens in a new window). Spouses of active duty members eligible for MYCAA (Opens in a new window), Air Force TA (Opens in a new window) and Army TA (Opens in a new window) may contact their education service officer to apply for course approval. For more information regarding funding for this course, visit our Financial and Military Assistance (Opens in a new window) page or contact our office at 706-542-3537. Classroom classes only qualify for funding.
Certification
Please note that the Georgia State Court Interpreter Certification process has its own requirements. For more information on test time, fees, and requirements, please visit the Georgia Commission on Interpreters (Opens in a new window) web page.
Prerequisites
- A college level language proficiency in both English and Spanish is strongly recommended for those seeking to take the course.
- No prior legal interpreting experience required
- Before the first session, there will be prep material distributed using a digital, Web-based tool. After that, you may also be asked to complete assignments online before each class session.
Attendance
To receive the Certificate of Program Completion the following is required:
- Attendance at all 5 classes.
- Timely and successful completion of written and oral assignments.
- Receive a final score of 70% or better on the post-test.
Details are subject to change.
People
Instructor
Marilu Montalvo attended the Universidad of Puerto Rico and has a Graduate Certificate in Translation from Georgia State University and is a trained legal and medical interpreter. She contributed to creating the UGA Spanish-English Legal Interpreter Continuing Education program and has been the lead instructor since 2004. She has been working in the fields of translation and interpretation for over 24 years. Ms. Montalvo has worked at WSB Channel 2 as a live simultaneous interpreter for the 6:00 pm news during 2000-2002, as well as an international conferencing interpreter at the Carter Center and the Georgia Congress Center. Her 13 years of business experience with AT&T Communications complemented her experience in understanding complex multilingual, multicultural business, legal, education, and social services issues in interpreting and translation.
Ms. Montalvo is retired from the Rockdale County, Georgia Board of Commissioners, where she worked as a Capital Projects Coordinator. She also worked as the state coordinator for the Hispanic Outreach Program for the University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute. Ms. Montalvo graduated from Strayer University with a degree in Business Administration. She completed Bridging the Gap for Medical Interpreter and is Nationally Certified as an Information and Referral Specialist in Aging and Disability by Inform USA. She is a trained At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialist by the State of Georgia DHS and is an ordained minister.
Contact us + FAQs
FAQ
View the most frequent questions asked by our learners
Cancellation Policies
View our cancellation policies
Financial and Military Assistance
Find out which programs are eligible for assistance
See what our students say
“I would recommend this course to others because it was well structured. It definitely gave me the tools I needed to improve my skills and the instructor did a phenomenal job in keeping the classroom engaged. I appreciate that she stressed the importance of professionalism and provided feedback to each one of us.
Additionally, she kept us motivated and encouraged us to always look for opportunities.“
Course Participant
Spring 2022
“I learned so much from this class and plan to venture out into the interpreting world knowing that I have this class under my wing and feeling more confident about myself because of the skills I acquired in this class.”
Course Participant
Spring 2024
“Mrs. Montalvo was wonderful, she made the learning experience so easy and I enjoyed every class she taught!”
Course Participant
Spring 2025
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