Every month we offer new webinars on a variety of topics, free for all to attend as part of the support we offer to linguists and the languages profession. Presented by experts in their fields, they give linguists the opportunity to update and broaden their skills and pursue new areas of interest. These webinars are recorded and then uploaded to the CIOL webinar library.

This webinar is designed to provide legal interpreters with a comprehensive understanding of the legal professionals they frequently work with—solicitors, barristers, and legal clerks—and their specific roles and responsibilities. Attendees will explore the dynamics of interpreting in various legal settings, both remotely and in person, including civil and criminal courts, tribunals, solicitor offices, barristers’ chambers, clients’ homes, and police stations.

Key aspects of maintaining professionalism and adhering to the interpreter’s Code of Conduct will be highlighted, especially in sensitive situations such as being asked to take witness statements independently or interpret for both sides in a legal hearing. The session will empower interpreters with the confidence to say “no” when necessary, ensuring they only perform duties within their professional scope.

Additionally, the webinar will emphasise the importance of interdisciplinary training, promoting clearer communication and a better understanding of mutual roles between interpreters and legal professionals. The regulatory frameworks governing solicitors (Solicitors Regulation Authority) and barristers (The Bar Standards Board) will also be discussed, offering insight into the complaint and regulation processes.

Quality is paramount in the translation industry, without it, a professional linguist’s reputation suffers immensely. With a growing demand for high quality translations in a short turn-around time, and with the ever-prevalent use of AI and other similar technologies in the translation industry, professional linguists must adapt to changing times. This includes, knowing how to produce high quality translations with a professional demeanour and great level of service in order to maintain their reputation and rapport with clients – but how? In this webinar you will learn from former QA Translations Editor for Publicis Groupe, Natasha Forgione, on all things quality assurance. You will discover the importance of quality assuring both source texts and translations, and learn how to handle negative feedback from clients/colleagues through effective and constructive communication.