NEWS RELEASE
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Lorri Montgomery
Director of Communications
National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525
lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us
NCSC Receives Federal Contract for Court Interpreter Services
Williamsburg, VA (June 22, 2006) – The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) recently was awarded a contract to continue administer certification exams to federal court interpreter applicants. The contract, awarded by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Court (AOUSC), is for a one-year period with nine one-year option periods. Under the contract, the NCSC will administer written and oral English/Spanish certification examinations, and develop new examinations and modify existing exams at the request of the AOUSC.
“We are extremely proud that the National Center for State Courts has the opportunity to continue its commitment to maintaining and improving the flagship FCICE program and to continue our efforts to develop and improve the methods and standards for court interpreter testing,” said William Hewitt, NCSC principal research consultant who oversees the Consortium.
The NCSC has provided support services for the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination since 2000. The NCSC also administers the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification, which was created in 1995 to develop court interpreter proficiency tests for state courts. More than 30 states are members of the Consortium. The Consortium was established to ensure no one is denied justice, which can happen when untested and untrained interpreters construe words in the courtroom inaccurately. One way to provide equal justice is through the use of standardized tests to measure the performance of language interpreters before they work in a courtroom.
The National Center for State Courts, founded in 1971 by Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice and provides leadership, research, technology, education, and training to the state courts. The National Center also is taking the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, the National Center is working to improve citizens’ participation in the jury system, reform the judicial selection process, and develop a model policy on public access to court records. The National Center is headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., with offices in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colo.
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National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147