Language Access Services Section (LASS)
The Court Consulting Services Division is pleased to welcome you to the Language Access Services Section (LASS). LASS provides state courts with resources to overcome language barriers in the courts and to ensure that providing individuals with limited English proficiency with access to the courts is a core function of the courts. The information and resources found here were designed to benefit the state courts, prospective interpreters, and anyone interested in how state courts meet the needs of, and continuously seek to improve, services to individuals with limited English proficiency. Contact LASS Staff: LanguageAccess@ncsc.org.
Registration for the
2024 CLAC Conference is open!
www.ncsc.org/clac2024
Cincinnati, Ohio | May 19-22
Webinar Series: VRI School for Court Interpreters
June 28: How to get set up and prepared to provide VRI (Platform Agnostic)
July 6: Overview of the Zoom Simultaneous Feature - Tips and Strategies
July 26: Overview of the WebEx Simultaneous Feature - Tips and Strategies
View past conferences and event details>>
Resources
Resources for State Language Access Program Managers | Resources for Court Interpreters |
State-specific information, language access tools and resources, guides and standards, and members-only resources for state language access program managers. | Self-assessment and self-study tools, legal glossaries and dictionaries, written and oral exam resources, and related information for current and prospective court interpreters. |
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) Resource Center
Check out the VRI Resource Center as we continue to develop our collection of database, resource, and supporting documentation for interpreters and courts.
Featured Items and Publications
National Call to Action
NCSC's A National Call to Action Access to Justice for Limited English Proficient Litigants: Creating Solutions to Language Barriers in State Courts serves as a helpful road map to jurisdictions as they work toward improving services to LEP litigants. Read more...
Language Access: Called to Action
NCSC's Called to Action: 5 Years of Improving Language Access in the States Courts provides a summary of the significant efforts towards improving language access services undertaken by jurisdictions nationwide in the five years since the 2012 National Summit on Language Access in the Courts. Read more...
Limited English Proficiency and the State Courts: Final Report
In furtherance of the state courts' commitment to developing and improving language access services, the National Center for State Courts provided direct technical assistance, guidance, and new tools for state and local courts with the support of a State Justice Institute (SJI) Strategic Initiatives Grant awarded in 2013.
Language Access Basic Training
The LABT is a downloadable interactive training module for bilingual court employees who interact with people outside of the courtroom, developed by the New Mexico Center for Language Access along with the NCSC, the Council of Language Access Coordinators (CLAC) and the Language Access Advisory Committee (LAAC). It is funded by the State Justice Institute.