Eighth Judicial Circuit – Court Interpreter Program

The Eighth Judicial Circuit, Office of the Court Administrator, is currently seeking bilingual persons who are fluent in English and a foreign language, and who are interested in acting as court interpreters on an "as needed" basis. Court interpreters must be willing to travel to all six counties of the Eighth Judicial Circuit: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union .

Court interpreters are hired as independent contractors. Interested persons must first pass the State Courts written examination, as well as the oral proficiency examination if offered in your working language, and apply for certification through the Office of the State Courts Administrator. All others will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Rate of pay is $60.00 per hour for Spanish interpreting with a one hour minimum in county of residence for interpreters who hold certification. Rates of pay for ASL or languages not common to the 8th Circuit are at market rate. Information on the orientation workshops , written examinations and oral examinations  can be found on the Florida State Courts website. Please see the 2009-2010 Training and Testing Schedule.

Please note: As of July 1st, 2008, there are additional requirements for those wishing to hold State of Florida Certification .

Persons interested in working as a contract court interpreter on an as-needed basis should submit a cover letter and resume detailing languages spoken, applicable education and/or experience to:

Miguel Paz - Court Interpreter Program Manager
Criminal Justice Center

220 South Main Street
Gainesville , FL 32601


Phone: (352) 264-7063
Fax: (352) 264-7088
Email: pazm@circuit8.org

For further information regarding the profession:

National Center for State Courts-Qualifications for Court Interpreting

National Center for State Courts-Court Interpretation

National Center for State Courts-List of References

National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators

American Translators Association-Interpreter Division

Federal Court Interpreter Certification Exam

Links to Interpreter Training Programs:

Florida International University

College of Charleston

Monterey Institute of International Studies

University of Arizona

ACEBO Training Materials