2026 Conference Schedule

9:00am - Noon

The Mirror of Reality: Overcoming the Dunning-Kruger Effect

Presenters: James Plunkett and Agustin De La Mora

Level Up Your Simultaneous Interpreting: Deliberate Practice for Court Interpreters

Presenters: Carola Lehmacher

Full Body Simultaneous Interpreting Workout for Conference and Court Interpreters

Presenters: Niery Grace Bardakjian, MA, MBA, PhD

Co-presenter: Lili Selden, PhD

Noon - 1:00pm

Lunch on your own
Exhibit Hall open

2:00pm - 5:00pm

Civil Commitment and Mental Health Proceedings

Presenters: Jason Knapp, CT, FCCI

Note-taking For Witness Testimony: Enhancing Your Technique

Presenters: Gabriela Espinoza Siebach, MATI

Assessing Quality and Justifying Decisions

Presenters: Jeffrey Killman
Co-presenters: David Gilbert, Christina Guerrero Harmon, Melissa Wallace, Chantal Portillo, Andrew Tucker

Deaf Immigrants Face Layered Communication

Presenters: Celena Ponce

5:00pm - 7:00pm

Welcome Reception

7:00pm - 10:00pm

Comedy and Magic Show

Free to attend with guests

6:00am - 6:45am

ZUMBA

7:00am - 4:00pm

Registration Desk Open

7:00am - 8:00am

Breakfast with Exhibitors

8:00am - 8:45am

Keynote Speaker and Conference Welcome

9:00am - 10:00am

Navigating Code-Switching in Legal Interpreting: Challenges and Implications

Presenters: Gulnara Shigabutdinova

Balancing Accuracy and Empathy: Court Interpreting in Domestic Violence Proceedings

Presenters: Gabriela Espinoza Siebach, MATI

When One Is Not Enough

Presenters: Nattalia Paterson, PhD
Co-presenter: Chantal Portillo, PhD

Ethics Across Fields: A Comparative Analysis of the Code of Ethics in Healthcare, Legal, and Educational Settings

Presenters: Carola Lehmacher

10:00am - 10:30am

Morning Break with Exhibitors

10:30am - Noon

NCSC and State Court Interpreter Credentialing

Presenters: Brooke Bogue

Doing What AI Can't Do: Skills for the 21st Century and Beyond

Presenters: Janis Palma

Powerful Interpreting: Build Your Skills in 5 Steps

Presenters: Sharon Neumann Solow, M.A., CSC, SC:L

Defending your Translation: Providing Expert Testimony

Presenters: Javier Castillo, Jr.

Noon - 2:00pm

Annual Luncheon and Members Meeting

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Interpreters in the Age of AI: How Interpreting Will Evolve, Roles Will Shift, and New Opportunities Will Emerge

Presenters: Nestor Wagner

AI for the Analog Generation: Beyond the Hype to the Irreplaceable Human Interpreter

Presenters: Jaqueline Neves Nordin

Code of Ethics Facing AI

Presenters: Eliane Sfeir-Markus

The Symbol Solution: Faster, Sharper, and More Precise Note Taking

Presenters: Javier Castillo, Jr.

3:00pm - 3:05pm

Room Transition

3:05pm - 4:05pm

The Code of Ethics as a Shield: Should Your First Instinct Be “No”?”

Presenters: Judy Jenner

Negotiating Team Interpreting: Conversations to Facilitate Mixed Team Interpreting Configurations

Presenters: Chantal Portillo, PhD
Co-presenter: Richard Hall

Professional Opportunities for Interpreters in AI-Supported Environments - “Building and Selling Interpreter Knowledge Bases for LLMs: From Structured Expertise to Marketable Assets”

Presenters: Nestor Wagner

A Nuanced Look at Cognates and False Friends in the Courtroom

Presenters: Izaskun Orkwis

4:05pm - 4:30pm

Afternoon Break with Exhibitors

4:30pm - 5:30pm

Stab. Slice. Slash. Nick. Stick. Prick. The Language of Violent Crime is Both Graphic and Surprisingly Precise.

Presenters: Ellen Wingo

Decoding Slang, Discourse Markers, and Idioms: Strategies for Preserving Nuance and Credibility

Presenters: Asmaa Sabre, PhD

Not Artificial. Not Optional. Beyond AI: The Irreplaceable Role of Deaf and ASL Interpreter Teams in Legal Settings

Presenters: Juliana Apfel

Human Advantage in the Age of AI: Strategies for Independent Interpreters in Government & Institutional Settings

Presenters: Ella O'Brien, MBA, CSCM

7:00pm - 10:00pm

Disco Night: Featuring DJ Diamond
Guest Tickets - $60

Available for purchase on-site or pre-register via website

8:00am - 12:30pm

Registration Desk Open

7:00am - 8:00am

Breakfast
Exhibit Hall Open

8:00am - 8:45am

Town Hall

8:45am - 9:00am

Exhibit Hall Open

9:00am - 10:00am

The Interpreter As A Sleeping Beauty: Topics and Strategies

Presenters: Dulce Bustamante, MA, LMHC, FCCI, WACCI

AI vs. Reality: What Machines Miss in High-Stakes Interpreting

Presenters: Ric Dominguez

Beyond Words: Human Cognitive Skills at the Heart of Interpreting Performance

Presenters: Johanna Parker
Co-presenter: William Giller

Words That Shape Families: Key Family Court Terminology for Portuguese Interpreters

Presenters: Nattalia Paterson, PhD

10:00am - 10:30am

Morning Break
Exhibit Hall Open

10:30am - Noon

Analyze, Prepare, Achieve: Applying Discourse Analysis to Interpret Faithfully and Accurately

Presenters: James Plunkett

First Time in Federal Court? Start Here.

Presenters: Katty Kauffman

Business Basics for New Interpreters

Presenters: Ernest Niño-Murcia

For if the Flies

Presenters: Vinka Valdivia

Noon - 1:00pm

Lunch on your own
Exhibit Hall Open

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Panel Session: Future of Ethics (ATA, NAJIT, AAITE)

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Open meeting of the NAJIT Board of Directors (limited seating)