A reflection on the NAJIT 2026 Conference, highlighting community, connection, and the evolving role of judiciary interpreters and translators.

A Brief History of The Couch Series Since its debut in 2017, The Couch has been the place to provide our members with the space to discuss dilemmas, help one another, and network within our field. Past discussions have tackled ethical challenges, professional growth, and best practices, offering valuable... The post The Couch: Are “Translator Headphones” Giving You the Ick Too? appeared first on NAJIT.

Imposter syndrome can affect even the most experienced interpreters and translators. This week, The Couch explores practical steps to boost confidence, develop resilience, and navigate self-doubt in judiciary interpreting. Share your thoughts and learn from your peers!

Early on in my interpreting career, I learned an important lesson: the Judge is the king or queen of the courtroom. What they say goes. This means that as interpreters, we should address the judge when we need anything. And we do need things, on... The post A Judge’s Discretion appeared first on NAJIT.

This past March, I had the privilege of hosting a community coffee hour for one of my biggest heroes. Our guest of honor was Holly Mikkelson, who, among other notable accomplishments, created the ACEBO self-study interpreting materials. She never ceased to amaze me during our... The post The Art of Being Good Enough appeared first on NAJIT.

We hardly pay attention to the way in which we say things, but we certainly know intuitively that we should raise our volume when we want to emphasize something, or lower it when our intention is a bit more secretive or intimate. We know to... The post The Power of the Inflected Voice appeared first on NAJIT.

The following article by Athena was published a while back. The NAJIT Observer team would like to offer it for your reading pleasure once more. Enjoy! Have you ever taken a dash of one language with a sprinkle of another, mixed them together and simmered to... The post The Lovely Land of Language Interference appeared first on NAJIT.

I was so comfortable, but man was I bored. I had the privilege of being a Spanish teacher for two and a half decades, which brought with it tremendous success, along with some cool perks. I had taught in the International Baccalaureate program for twenty... The post From the Classroom to the Courtroom: A Unique Transition from Teaching to Interpreting appeared first on NAJIT.

I know that many interpreters prefer the freelance world, and there are many successful freelancers working here in Arizona. This is my story and why I now have the second longest tenure as a staff court interpreter here in the state court in Phoenix.