Language Access Toolkit - Entrance & Security

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Handout: "You and Your Court Interpreter: Staying Safe During COVID-19," offers suggestions to ensure the safety of interpreters and LEP court users. Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, SpanishVietnamese

Language Access Toolkit - Entrance and SecurityThere are many ways to welcome non-English speaking members of the public to your court, starting at the front door. This section contains sample signs in various languages and other tools for the entrance to your court.

Court Closure Signs

Multi-lingual Court Closure Signs - 2024
This file contains multilingual signs for Courthouse closure signs for this year’s Christmas Day holiday and all court holidays through the 2024 calendar year which can be printed and displayed in your court. The languages of the signs are: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean.

Notice of Language Access Services

Multilingual Notice of Language Access Services
This multilingual notice contains information in the following languages: Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
This document can be modified to add a room number, phone number and email address for your local court.

Bilingual Notices of Language Access Services
The following bilingual documents contain information on language access services in English and one of nine other languages.
These documents can be modified to add a room number, phone number and email address for your local court.

 

Protocol and Action Guide for Serving LEP Court Users

Protocol for Serving Limited English Proficient Court Users
Whether you are a court employee who is working with the public in jury services, the self-help center or the clerk’s office, you have probably encountered members of the public who need help and do not speak English.  These encounters can be frustrating due to language barriers, and you may be left wondering whether you were able to help at all.  This protocol provides recommended steps for court employees to follow that will help them meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) court users.

Action Guide for Serving Limited English Proficient Court Users
The Action Guide is a shortened version of the protocol and is designed to be a quick reference guide to assist court employees. It can be placed  at various workstations throughout the courthouse (e.g., security, clerk counters, family law facilitator office or self-help centers). The Action Guide can be adapted by each court to provide court-specific information on the court’s available bilingual employees, telephonic interpreting services and translated resources.

Protocols for the Use of Bilingual Volunteers
The document provides guidelines for courts that currently offer or are interested in developing volunteer opportunities for bilingual members of the community.  These guidelines are organized into four categories of volunteer development and supervision: Recruitment, Qualification, Training and the Supervision and Management of bilingual volunteers.