Legal Interpreting Guidelines in Northern Mariana Islands

Requirements for Certified Interpreters in the Northern Mariana Islands

Court systems in the Northern Mariana Islands periodically offer exams for certification in Spanish, Navajo, and Haitian Creole.

Candidates must pass the written exam in order to qualify to take an oral examination. The oral examination measures a candidate’s ability to accurately perform simultaneous as well as consecutive interpretation and sight translations as encountered in the federal courts.

Classification of Interpreters in the Northern Mariana Islands

Courts in the Northern Mariana Islands define legal interpreters in the following two ways:

• Certified Interpreter: An interpreter who has successfully passed a written exam as well as a three-part oral exam, completed a two-day orientation seminar, and upholds the Interpreter Code of Conduct.
• Registered Interpreter: An interpreter who has successfully passed a written exam, completed a two-day orientation seminar, and upholds the Interpreter Code of Conduct. Registered interpreters may also be required to submit to an oral examination.

Call Legal Language Services at 1-800-788-0450 to find Northern Mariana Islands interpreters who meet interpreting rules for courtroom trials, hearings, depositions, arbitrations and other legal proceedings.

Common Languages Spoken in the Northern Mariana Islands

Although English, Chamorro, and Carolinian are the primary languages used in the Northern Mariana Islands, other languages spoken include Chinese, Chuukese, Filipino, Japanese, Kosraen, Korean, Marshallese, Palauan, Pohnpeian, Vietnamese, Yapese, and American Sign Language.

Please Note

The content provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The information about legal interpreting guidelines in the Northern Mariana Islands is believed to be accurate at the time of posting; however, Legal Language Services is not responsible for any errors or omissions.