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Job Details for Court Interpreter

Court Name/Organization Puerto Rico District Court
Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is accepting applications for a court interpreter position. The incumbent provides simultaneous and consecutive interpretation and sight translation services for in-court proceedings by transferring the message from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English. The court interpreter reports directly to the supervisory court interpreter. The court interpreter must have the ability to interpret in both consecutive and simultaneous modes and perform sight translations during courtroom proceedings with a high degree of accuracy and speed, as requested by the court. Additionally, court interpreters are responsible for translating official documents and correspondence to and from the court. The individual in this role will also be expected to carry out other duties for the clerk’s office when not engaged in interpreting or translating services.
Location San Juan, PR
Opening and Closing Dates 03/27/2025 - Open Until Filled
Appointment Type Permanent
Classification Level/Grade JSP 11 - JSP 14
Salary $73,939 - $124,531
Link to Court Careers Information https://www.prd.uscourts.gov/employment/
Announcement Number VA 25-07
Link to Job Announcement

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification

Successful completion of the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) is required.

Minimum Required Experience

To be considered for this position, the applicant must have passed the oral and written Certification Examination and must have been certified as such by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Must be fully bilingual in Spanish and English, with the ability to synthesize linguistic skills and orchestrate them with superior interpreting techniques in simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation modes. Court Interpreters are required to interpret for persons from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures and socioeconomic levels, while remaining impartial in all cases. The ability to translate complex written documents for court use is also required. In addition to meeting the certification requirement, a minimum of two years of specialized experience is highly preferred.

Specialized Experience

Experience that has provided the interpreter with the knowledge, skills and abilities to accurately and idiomatically render a message from the source language into the target language without any additions, omissions or other misleading factors that in any way alter the intended meaning of the original message in a courtroom or legal environment. Extensive knowledge of legal, highly technical, and colloquial vocabulary in English and Spanish is required.

Court Preferred Experience/Qualifications

Prior courtroom experience, state or federal, is greatly preferred, although not required, given the taxing demands of the position. Candidates should possess strong organizational and people skills; good judgment, tact and initiative; the ability to express oneself clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Candidates should have the ability to work harmoniously with others in a team-based organization.

Application Info

Qualified individuals interested in being considered for this position must submit a complete application package to include the following:

  1. Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment - Form AO78. This form is available on our website.
  2. Cover Letter stating the reasons for your interest in the position addressing the following factors:
    1. A brief description of your court interpreting experience, either in the freelance field or in other courts. Identify the beginning and ending dates (month, day and year) for each position.
    2. The date of your certification as an interpreter by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (required).
  3. Resume detailing all relevant experience, education, and skills.
  4. All required documents must be submitted as a single pdf document to vacancies@prd.uscourts.gov.
  5. The vacancy announcement number must be clearly indicated on the front page of your cover letter and on the subject line of your e-mail. Incomplete packages will not be considered.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.