VIRTUAL LEGAL TRAININGS
JUNE 6, 2026
Presenter: Anna McDuffie
**Registration deadline is June 5, 2026 at 11:59PM CDT**
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You must register for each training separately
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Both trainings are free to Louisiana residents
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Each training is $40 for out of state residents
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Interpreters will be provided
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Special accommodations requests must be emailed to secretary@lrid.org and received by May 10, 2026
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Refunds must be requested by May 15, 2026
Presenter: Anna McDuffie, B.S., CI/CT, SC:L, NIC
Anna is an Atlanta native and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in American Sign Language/English Interpreting in 1996. After graduation, Anna relocated to Boston, where she was a staff interpreter at the Learning Center for Deaf Children and part time at Boston University. Anna returned to Atlanta in 1999 and has been working as a freelance interpreter for 25 years. She holds the Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L), and the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and the Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliterating (CI/CT). Anna co-presents intensive medical interpreting workshops across the US. One of her passions is the standardization of medical and legal interpreting. Anna and her colleague Heather Brown, Ph.D., published an article in the Journal of the American Association of Physician Assistants, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The article, Health Care Providers and the Americans with Disabilities Act was published in January 2011. Anna currently lives in Marietta, Georgia, with her husband, Eric. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her stepdaughter, Cece, her fur kids, Kiwi and Pippa, traveling, and playing tennis.
Staffing Legal Cases
June 6, 2026 9AM-12PM CDT
0.30 PS and Legal CEUs
Description:
We will examine multiple elements of the courtroom, the case and the participants. When Deaf people are called to court (whether as a witness, a juror, or the offender) there are necessary steps to follow to staff every legal assignment. Adhering to best practices will enable the interpreter to approach each legal assignment with the appropriate resources, behaviors, and the ability to identify potential conflicts. This workshop will unpack the legal assignment and the various steps along the way in order to genuinely be prepared for the legal arena. Interpreters should consider what to do upon arrival, practical suggestions, as well as best practices for addressing court personnel - from the bailiff to the judge, swearing in, and the “art” of staffing legal assignments. Whether you are interested in legal interpreting or are the assignment coordinator and are unsure who and how many interpreters are needed in court, this workshop is for you.
Educational Objectives:
*Identify and list 1-2 interpreter resources and 1-2 potential conflicts when approaching a legal assignment
*Distinguish between proceedings interpreters, interpreter for counsel and investigative interpreter
*Demonstrate an interpreter's introduction to the bailiff/judge (one example)
The Arraignment Process
June 6, 2026 1PM-4PM CDT
0.30 PS and Legal CEUs
Description:
The arraignment is the most common legal proceeding you will encounter as a legal interpreter. Arraignment quite often means interpreting the Guilty Plea Litany - a highly complex linguistic hurdle for Deaf litigants. Interpreters planning to do legal work must have a strong understanding of the Guilty Plea Litany and have many strategies to customize their interpretation to best suit each client. In this workshop we will learn procedural steps of an arraignment with emphasis on the Guilty Plea Litany. Participants will begin text analysis of the Guilty Plea Litany and work in groups to practice interpreting each element. Some key topics addressed in this workshop are assignment preparation and what to do upon arrival, best practice and tips for interpreting arraignments, the “art” of interpreting the Guilty Plea Litany with respect to the charges, and lastly being mindful of the client’s language needs and understanding of the legal process.
Educational Objectives:
*Analyze and review 1-2 key elements of the guilty plea litany
*Develop and implement a 1-3 step plan to customize their interpretation of the guilty plea litany to match the Deaf consumer's language needs
*Working in groups of 2-3 individuals, share 1-2 listed concerns with managing the guilty plea litany (vocabulary and legal concepts) to the larger group
LRID is an RID-approved CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This program is offered for 0.3 PS/Legal at the some content knowledge level.
Target audience: ASL/English
interpreters; interpreter coordinators; students; both Deaf and
non-Deaf
The Association does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, hearing status, marital status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, in any of its activities or operations.
Activities include, but not limited to matters of membership, representing the Association, conference/professional development attendance, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.
This includes any form of verbal or non-verbal communication that may take place before, during or after a meeting or professional development activity, or through any electronic means.
