DARS Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Services
Te x a s C o u r t I n t e r p r e t e r Tr a i n i n g
Presenters
Amber Farrelly
July 8—Lubbock
July 30—Houston
Carla Mathers
October 21-22—San Antonio
Lucy Wood
August 19—Austin
November 5—Dallas
Court Inter preter Training Sessi ons
Amber Farrelly
Deaf Accused–July 8 ∙ 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. This Professional Studies Program is offered
(.6 CEUs) at the “Some Knowledge” Level at the Lubbock Community Services Center for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 2414 34th Street, Lubbock, Texas.
This workshop will focus on criminal law and procedure; the structure of the criminal court
system and the roles of all parties involved; includes the interpreter, legalese and
vocabulary; and a basic construct of the process, charges, and consequences of the
criminal justice system. The workshop will be presented through the defense perspective
and will illustrate how the rights of the accused are important. This workshop will also
include one hour of ethics training.
Assault—July 30 ∙ 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. This Professional Studies Program is offered (.6
CEUs) at the “Some Knowledge” Level at Lone Star College, CyFair, 9191 Barker Cypress
Road, Room CENT 151, Cypress, Texas.
This workshop will be focused on both physical and sexual assault as it is defined in the
Code of Criminal Procedure and as charged in the criminal justice system. The workshop
will include vocabulary, terminology, charges, and consequences of assault.
.
Lucy Wood
More than Words —August 19 ∙ 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. This Professional Studies Program is
offered (.6 CEUs) at the “Some Knowledge” Level at Austin Community College, South
Austin Campus, 1820 W. Stassney Lane, Austin, Texas, Multi Purpose Room.
What is a motion for summary judgment and how is it used in civil litigation practice? How
do lawyers use questioning to elicit particular “hot button” words at deposition for inclusion
in summary judgment pleadings? Participants in this session will take a close look at the
pleadings in a single federal civil case to develop the skill of anticipating what issue areas
and words are likely to become important at deposition. Come “play lawyer” with us. Leave
with a better sense of how attorneys use depositions strategically to maximize their
chances of success at the summary judgment phase.
Working it Out: Alternative Dispute Resolution—November 5 ∙ 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. This
Professional Studies Program is offered (.6 CEUs) at the “Some Knowledge” Level” in
Dallas, location to be determined.
What is alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and how do different models differ? What are
lawyers attempting to accomplish during each phase of ADR proceedings and what
implications might the dynamics between lawyers and their clients have for interpreters?
Carla Mathers
Best Practices in Legal Interpreting: An Overview—October 21-22 ∙ 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
both days The Professional Studies Program is offered for 1.2 CEUs at the “Extensive
Knowledge” Level at San Antonio College, 2700 San Pedro, San Antonio, Texas, room 120
A&B.
The seminar will assist participants in understanding the major tenets of Court Interpreters
Code of Conduct that affects the interpreter’s role and the major role they are expected to
master to work in the legal setting. Interpreters will gain a clear understanding of the
limitations that they must impose on themselves in the face of the realities of high demand
and low supply due to ethical obligations and role restrictions.
This is an advanced level seminar because of the complexity of the information. The
seminar presumes that the participants are certified, highly competent interpreters already
working in legal settings or nearly ready to work in such settings. The seminar will provide
the interpreter with the tools necessary to competently assess the ethical obligations of
providing interpreting services in a legal setting and is designed to reinforce appropriate
behaviors and to inform the interpreter of the proper protocol for working in legal settings.
The seminar is also geared to provide information to Deaf Interpreters who may be novices
in any interpreting setting. Because deaf persons may have had less access to traditional
interpreter training and because deaf interpreters are frequently called upon to interpret in
court, it is vitally important for this seminar to be open to them.
Amber Farrelly
Amber Farrelly operates a private practice as a criminal defense attorney in Travis,
Williamson, and Hayes counties and has worked with the Innocence Project of Texas.
Amber received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma and her Juris
Doctorate degree from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, with
the highest distinction for her pro bono work. She began her legal career clerking for both
defense teams in the Austin Yogurt Shop Murders shortly after their appellate court
reversals in 2007 and until both cases were dismissed in 2009. She is a member of the
American Bar Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Austin Criminal
Defense Lawyers Association, Austin Interpreters for the Deaf, and the Registry of
Interpreters for the Deaf. Additionally, Amber is currently enrolled in the interpreting
training program at Austin Community College.
Carla Mathers
Carla M. Mathers, Esquire, CSC, SC: L, practices law in state and federal courts in
Maryland and the District of Columbia. She got her undergraduate degree from the
University of Maryland and her interpreting degree from the College of Southern Idaho. She
graduated summa cum laude from the Howard University School of Law. She currently sits
on the Advisory Group for Language Access to develop standards for court interpretation
for the American Bar Association. Formerly, Carla was a member of the Maryland
Administrative Office of the Courts' Advisory Committee on Interpreters, Subcommittee on
Ethics and Sub-committee on Testing and training. She currently serves as Vice President
for the Conference of Interpreter Trainers. In addition to practicing law, Carla teaches legal
interpreting for the MARIE Center of the University of Northern Colorado, consults with
interpreters, attorneys and courts regarding ASL court interpreting throughout the country,
and is a member of the NCIEC Legal Interpreting Work Group. In 2006, she published
Sign Language Interpreters in Court: Understanding Best Practices, a text for interpreters,
attorneys, and the courts to understand the principles underlying ASL court interpreting.
Her other writings may be found at www.carlamathers.net.
Lucy Wood
Lucy Wood currently teaches at the University of Texas School of Law in the Nonprofit,
Government, and Legislative Externship Programs. She graduated from the Yale Law
School in 1999 and clerked for Senior United States District Court Judge William Wayne
Justice. A recipient of the prestigious Skadden Fellowship, Lucy was selected as one of
twenty-five top law school graduates nation-wide to represent low income persons with a
disability in civil rights actions in Texas. She worked at Advocacy, Inc. for nearly ten years,
first as a staff attorney and later managing the Austin office, serving persons with a
disability in civil settings in diverse cases involving housing, juveniles, Medicaid, family law,
civil rights, and employment issues, among others. Lucy is also a certified sign language
interpreter and is currently an interpreter with Communication Services for the Deaf of
Texas in Austin.
Te x a s C o u r t I n t e r p r e t e r Tr a i n i n g R e g i s t r a t i o n
Name:
Address:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Certification (if required):
Registration confirmation will be sent to the above email address. Please use an email
address that you check frequently.
Check the training you will attend:
___ Deaf Accused - July 8 - Lubbock
Texas Residents - $75
Out of State Residents - $125
___ Assault - July 30 - Houston
Texas Residents - $75
Out of State Residents - $125
___ Working it Out - August 19 - Austin
Texas Residents - $75
Out of State residents - $125
___ More Than Words - November 5 - Dallas
Texas Residents - $75
Out of State Residents - $125
___ Best Practices in Legal Interpreting - certification required (see program description)
- San Antonio. If there are deaf participants this session will be provided in ASL.
Texas Residents - $175
Out of State Residents $275
Make payment by check or money order, payable to DHHS. Mail registration form,
copy of certification (if required), and payment to: DARS/DHHS, PO Box 12904,
Austin, Texas 78711.
Accommodation request must be received within 2 weeks of the training event.
Email request to dhhstraining@dars.state.tx.us or call 512-407-3267 (V). 512-3182367 (VP).
Thanks to our Sponsor
Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf
TSID is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for
Continuing Education Activities
BEI and RID CEUs approved for this training.
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
1.800.628.5115 ext. 3250 (V) Use the relay option of your choice to contact us, if
needed.
www.dars.state.tx.us/dhhs