FOR LAWYERS
A good legal translator is a vigilant translator
A good translator will do his or her work well.
However, a good translator may not be enough if the document you need to have translated is a legal opinion, agreement, memorandum or court document originally written in the language of a common law jurisdiction when the target audience is a civil law jurisdiction lawyer.
The vigilance that is needed to translate such documents is based on years of practical experience and, more importantly, a good grasp of the intricacies of both legal systems.
A vigilant legal translator will be able to see what’s under the surface of your text and convey the meaning rather than words alone. He or she will be sensitive to any ambiguities in the source text and will not only use the best terminology for the context at hand, but will also translate your document so that it reads like a text written by a lawyer.
You will definitely pay more for a good legal translation, but the benefits outweigh the costs: you will build up your reputation as a lawyer, you will be able to serve your clients more efficiently and you will be seen as a good communicator.
Continuous professional development
My membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), the UK, means that I am required to comply with CIOL’s Code of Conduct.
A major part of my CIOL membership is Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
For a complete list of the short courses and university programmes I have attended and completed over years as part of my CPD commitment, please see.