Preparedness: When Presence Is Not Enough

By: Reme Bashi

As court interpreters, we know we must be at the right place at the right time. Being available for a court when they need you is step one in our plan. However, showing up is not nearly enough. Actually, showing up without preparedness can be counterproductive. How can we achieve preparedness and show up to do our best? The first step might be simply becoming aware we need to prepare.

A stitch in time saves nine goes the old adage. There is an equivalent in Spanish. My Mexican grandmother used to say “Mujer prevenida vale por dos” ["She who plans ahead has the power of two”]. My mother, who loves Spanish language sayings, would often say the same phrase, almost like a mantra. Maybe that had an effect on me? By no means am I the perfect planner or master of preparedness, but I’m certainly aware of the need to prepare in life and as a court interpreter. 

We must show up and also be prepared.

Let’s imagine we’re interpreting a complex hearing or  trial. What would we need to be prepared to interpret to the best of our abilities?

These are some questions we can ask ourselves before an assignment:

• What is the topic? What type of hearing is this? What are the charges?
• Do I feel comfortable with the topic? Is this something I have the experience to do? Are my credentials adequate?
• If this is a multi-day assignment and I’ve just joined, what happened before?
• Do I have access to relevant documents and also sufficient time to review them?
• Should I be interpreting without the support of a partner?
• If I do have a partner, have we made agreements on how to get best results with our collaboration?
• Do I have the technical devices or conditions to perform my duties?

Dear colleagues, I’m sure you can mention a few other pre-assignment considerations. Please comment.

One thing we don’t often prepare for is handling requests that don’t align with our best practices and code of ethics. Everyone tries to do their job the best they can. An agency owner tries to make their business profitable. A clerk tries to secure an interpreter for a hearing as quickly and as easily as possible. A judge aims to get through his/her case load in a timely manner. A paralegal tries to hire an interpreter for the date of a deposition. The list goes on. None of these respectable people have the duty to interpret to the best of their abilities. They each strive to do their very own job and perform their professional duties. What about interpreters? What can we do to best perform our duties? What actions do I take or avoid taking to fulfill my promise of providing the highest quality of services to the courts? Is the request I have from my client in alignment with that promise? In the end, the one responsible to uphold an oath is the person who took the oath and nobody else.

When we jump into an assignment unprepared, our clients will not have the best service and our professional reputation might suffer too. Is it worth it to rush to accept and run into a courtroom? Benjamin Franklin’s words come to mind- “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Keep the Conversation Going

If this topic resonated with you, be sure to check out our previous blog posts for more insights on the realities of our profession, and the evolving world of judiciary translation and interpreting:

The 99% Show Rate: How Process and Relationships Solve the No-Show Problem

What processes and relationships can help agencies and interpreters prevent no-shows?   

Confidential vs Privileged: Is There A Difference? — When can an interpreter be required to disclose confidential or privileged information?

What’s Going On in Our Field? | Fall 2026 — As AI, workforce shortages, and remote interpreting reshape our field, what should language access professionals be watching out for next?

“Happy Judge, Happy Life”… — What happens when court interpreters are asked to work outside the boundaries of their role?

You can find these and more in our blog archives!

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Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position, policies, or views of the NAJIT Board of Directors or the organization as a whole. Content published in The NAJIT Observer is intended to encourage professional dialogue, reflection, and community engagement. Reader discretion is advised where topics may involve complex ethical, professional, or emotionally sensitive subject matter.

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