Best Practices & Ethical Issues in Representing Speakers of Other Languages

This program will address important ethical issues in the representation of clients with limited English proficiency (LEP). In our increasingly global world, lawyers are frequently finding themselves in the position of needing to communicate with clients whose primary language is not one that the lawyer shares. In such cases, lawyers will need to enlist the assistance of an interpreter to ensure effective communication and ultimately effective representation. But how does a lawyer go about determining which clients need an interpreter? How does the lawyer select the interpreter? How can a lawyer make the best use of an interpreter to promote seamless communication between the lawyer and the LEP client? This program, taught by Jami Johnson, an Assistant Federal Public Defender, and Marcia Resler, a federally certified Arizona Tier 4 credentialed interpreter, will address these topics and others with the goal of assisting lawyers in becoming better advisors and advocates for their LEP clients.

1. Identify clients who would benefit from the use of an interpreter
2. Review best practices for finding and working with interpreters
3. Improve representation of and communication with limited English proficient (LEP) clients
4. Identify the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility that are implicated by working with LEP clients and interpreters
5. Avoid committing ethical breaches in your representation