Becoming a lawyer is a time-consuming process that often requires credentials, including a bachelor's degree and three years of law school. Whether you eventually want to be a lawyer or not, there are many other career paths within the legal field, and you don't have to spend quite so many years training up for them. More specifically, shorter-term remote career training can prepare you for different careers in the legal system.
Whether you're looking for paralegal career training, want to become a court reporter, or are interested in court interpretation, you're looking at a stable and in-demand career. The justice system always needs people to fill roles that support trials, and the support staff for lawyers is often well-paid and highly skilled. If you have a background in other areas of expertise, there are ways to turn those experiences into various legal processes.
As you explore a variety of stable careers with advancement opportunities, consider the legal training programs that exist at Portland Community College. By taking flexible, focused training in the field of your choice, you can quickly dive into your chosen career, or even train while you work a job already!
Spanish and English Court Interpreter Training
Here in Portland, Oregon, court interpreters hold an essential position. They ensure that everyone involved in the judicial trial system understands what is happening during the trial, allowing them to answer correctly and clearly to the questions asked. Completing the Portland Community College 9-month preparation class helps you develop your skills as an interpreter. You will acquire an in-depth understanding of legal and colloquial descriptions of criminal and civil law and relevant terms. You also practice until you feel comfortable with all kinds of interpretation situations.
Part of how you become confident as an interpreter is through practice, and this is possible using the intensive laboratory program with your course. You'll be able to use a mock-up of a real court case, stepping in virtually to interpret in a learning environment right after having studied material relevant to that case. This class structure is beneficial because it puts your new knowledge into practice immediately, helping to cement it and making it easier to build on the information.
After completing your remote career training program, you will be well-prepared for the State Court Interpreter Certification Exam, where you'll demonstrate your skills and can move into a new role as a state court interpreter. These roles are in high demand. Suppose you are bilingual and ready to learn the specific law-related English and Spanish elements to quickly and interpret in court. In that case, this is an excellent legal career program.
Federal Court Interpreter Training
If you prefer to interpret in federal courts, many of the skill sets are similar. Still, Portland Community College offers a separate pathway that works toward federal Spanish court interpreters' certification examinations. Depending on how you pursue the career, a federal court interpreter can make $418 per day or $226 per half-day, according to USCourts.gov. When you are a certified and professionally qualified interpreter, those rates are achievable, while having language skills but not having taken the exam results in a much lower payment overall.
Certification is an excellent route to pursue. The Portland Community College course for federal court interpretation also includes the online interactive lab where you can practice these skills on your own time using the lessons you most recently learned. Developing your skills to become a certified court interpreter gives you career opportunities all over the country, as well as in courts like Portland's own US District Court.
Every course you take, including classes in things like paralegal career training, gives you new insight into the law and how the legal system works. Even if court interpretation is only the first step in your legal career and you intend to continue with law school or paralegal career training, you'll be building toward your next move in the legal system. Whether your goal is to move up within a particular part of the court system or narrow your focus toward the law elements that matter most to you, taking legal remote career training can help you achieve those goals. Review the options in our catalog at PCC today!
