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Describe the kinds of tasks you performed during the internship.

Legal translation/interpretation covers a wide range of tasks and kinds of translation. As for tasks, I would typically be assigned to translate instructions for clients, correspondence between lawyers and clients, and many phone calls. Between those weekly assignments, I also got to translate an official complaint document, several news articles, a pamphlet for the tax clinic, birth certificates and penal records. I even once took a field trip to accompany some lawyers while they were trying to find a client. This internship was a constant stream of interesting requests and weekly tasks that challenged me and significantly improved my translation/interpretation abilities in new, unexpected ways. 

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?

Phone calls were the most common interpretation appointment, but they proved to be the hardest. It can already be difficult to understand different dialects and accents from around the Spanish-speaking world, but undergoing that challenge through a low-quality phone in real time makes it all the more challenging. I had to develop the patience and confidence to ask for clarification, the linguistic and cultural understanding to know when there was a gap in communication, and the ability to professionally conduct myself in demanding environments. A challenge specific to translation was when I had to translate a 5-page complaint for custody. Individual bits of legal terminology can be translated easily enough, but when an official document has a specific format and has been officially translated before, you have to abide by the standards set by other translators. To abide by those standards, I had to scour the internet for parallel texts specific to family law in Washington, D.C.. Despite this being one of the most difficult translations I've ever done, I learned a lot and felt more comfortable with the various tools that professional translators use. 

What was most rewarding about the experience?

Helping someone in a complicated or difficult situation always feels rewarding. Most of all, though, the interpreter gives a voice to someone who would otherwise struggle to express or defend themselves. As someone who is looking into becoming a lawyer, this experience was an amazing start for a law-oriented career. You get to interact with lawyers in a learning environment, spend time researching types of law or specific charges, and you get to vastly improve your Spanish vocabulary, speaking skills, and translation ability. This was by far my favorite internship yet!

Did the experience foster your interest in translation/interpreting professionally?

The experience helped build upon my already-existing interest in the law and translation, so I would say yes. It gives valuable insight into a complicated field that most undergraduates will not be able to experience without significant effort and pre-existing work experiences. I think that I will pursue translation/interpretation professionally, especially now that I have some experience under my belt in a legal environment. 

What surprised you about the experience?

The breadth of cases that one may cover as a translator/interpreter was the most surprising part. Dealing with such a variety of different scenarios was a very interestingly valuable experience for someone looking into the legal field. But, even if the legal field isn't of interest to you, there are still so many different things you can be tasked with. You may expect mostly immigration law, but you encounter so much more- international human rights/asylum law, family law, tax law, and others can all be assigned to you as long as there is a Spanish-speaking person in need. The variety was surprising yet refreshing.