AUGUST 2026 | 75 THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL The interpreter exams are both challenging, but the certified exam is particularly so, even for individuals who are extremely proficient in both languages. An interpreter is required to listen, comprehend, translate, and produce the interpretation with speed and accuracy, including legal terms, common slang terms, and others. Poor or inaccurate interpretation can have devastating consequences, as in a New Mexico case where the defendant was convicted of rape and murder largely due to a denial that was misinterpreted as a confession.3 Access to qualified court interpreters, particularly in rural Oklahoma, is a persistent challenge. As of May 1, there are only 30 certified interpreters on the Oklahoma registry of interpreters maintained by the Board of Examiners of Certified Court Interpreters, and only nine of those 30 individuals who are certified actually reside in Oklahoma. Financial barriers are another part of the problem. Costs for registered interpreters to take the certification exam preclude many who seek to serve and advance in their careers by becoming certified interpreters. Similarly, many individuals lack the financial resources to train for the exams. Potential interpreters lack the opportunity to successfully take the registered exam. Therefore, the OBF has created a new $500,000 grant program to address the shortage of qualified interpreters in Oklahoma and to support the professional development of court interpreters across the state. The program is intended to 1) improve access to justice for LEP individuals, 2) reduce financial barriers for registered interpreters taking the exam to become certified interpreters, 3) provide a way for eligible certified interpreters to sharpen the skills necessary to successfully pass the exam, and 4) reduce financial barriers for individuals who desire to take the exam to become registered interpreters. LEP individuals must have meaningful access to the courts. This requires highly trained certified courtroom interpreters who have proven abilities. Competent legal interpretation is a fundamental safeguard of justice, due process, and fairness in the courtroom, and the OBF program will promote these goals through its new grant program. Ms. DeMoss is the executive director of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. ENDNOTES 1. Preamble to the Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters, Rule 1, Title 20, Chap. 23, App. 1. 20. 20 Okla. Stat. 1710 (2025) 3. Mendez v. State of Arkansas, CR10-1241,2011 WL 6275689 (Ark., Dec. 15, 2011) Statements or opinions expressed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTk3MQ==