Language Access Plan Implementation Task Force

Download the Committee Roster and Committee Member Bios

• Hon. Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Chair, Justice of the California Supreme Court
• Hon. Manuel J. Covarrubias, Vice-Chair, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura
• Ms. Naomi Adelson, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Hon. Steven K. Austin, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
• Mr. Kevin G. Baker, Legislative Director, American Civil Liberties Union of California
• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Ms. Tracy Clark, MA, SC:L, Manager, Court Interpreting Services Superior Court of California, County of Ventura
• Hon. Jonathan B. Conklin, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno
• Hon. Michelle Williams Court, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Ms. Ana Maria Garcia, Managing Attorney, Access to Justice Initiatives, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
• Hon. Janet Gaard, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Yolo
• Ms. Susan Marie Gonzalez, Legal Advocate, Deaf Counseling Advocacy and Referral Agency
• Hon. Dennis W. Hayashi, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Ms. Janet Hudec, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of California, County of Madera
• Ms. Joann H. Lee, Directing Attorney, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Community Outreach Unit, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
• Ms. Ivette Peña, Court Counsel, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Hon. Rosendo Peña, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District
• Hon. Jonathan K. Renner, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District
• Mr. Michael M. Roddy, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
• Hon. Victor Rodriguez, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Dr. Guadalupe Valdés, Professor of Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education
• Mr. José H. Varela, Public Defender, Marin County Public Defender
• Hon. Brian Walsh, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
• Mr. David Yamasaki, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of California, County of Orange
• Hon. Laurie D. Zelon, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Seven

Judicial Council Committee Staff

• Mr. Bob Lowney, Director, Court Operations Services
• Mr. Douglas G. Denton, Supervising Analyst, Language Access Services
• Ms. Elizabeth Tam-Helmuth, Senior Analyst, Language Access Services
• Mr. Matthew Clark, Analyst, Language Access Services

Download Subcommittee Roster

Budget and LAP Monitoring Subcommittee

• Hon. Steven K. Austin, Chair, Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
• Mr. Kevin G. Baker, American Civil Liberties Union of California
• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Hon. Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, California Supreme Court
• Hon. Dennis Hayashi, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Ms. Ivette Peña, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Hon. Jonathan K. Renner, Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District
• Mr. Michael M. Roddy, Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
• Hon. Victor Rodriguez, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Hon. Brian Walsh, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
• Judicial Council Subcommittee Staff: Douglas G. Denton, Elizabeth Tam-Helmuth

Technological Solutions Subcommittee

• Mr. David Yamasaki,Chair, Superior Court of California, County of Orange
• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Ms. Tracy Clark, Superior Court of California, County of Ventura
• Hon. Jonathan B. Conklin, Superior Court of California, County of Fresno
• Hon. Manuel J. Covarrubias, Superior Court of California, County of Ventura
• Ms. Ana Maria Garcia, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
• Ms. Janet Hudec, Superior Court of California, County of Madera
• Ms. Ivette Peña, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Hon. Rosendo Peña, Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District
• Judicial Council Subcommittee Staff: Jenny Phu

Translation, Signage and Tools for Courts Subcommittee

• Hon. Laurie D. Zelon, Co-Chair, Second Appellate District, Division Seven
• Mr. José H. Varela, Co-Chair, Marin County Public Defender
• Ms. Naomi Adelson, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Hon. Michelle Williams Court, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Hon. Janet Gaard, Superior Court of California, County of Yolo
• Ms. Susan Marie Gonzalez, Deaf Counseling Advocacy and Referral Agency
• Ms. Joann H. Lee, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
• Dr. Guadalupe Valdés, Stanford Graduate School of Education
• Judicial Council Subcommittee Staff: Diana Glick

BACKGROUND
On January 22, 2015, the Judicial Council adopted the Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts (Executive Summary), which provides a consistent statewide approach to ensure language access for all limited English proficient (LEP) court users in California in all 58 superior courts. The plan included a recommendation that the Judicial Council recommend to the Chief Justice the composition and establishment of a Language Access Plan Implementation Task Force, which will have a three- to five-year charge and be overseen by the Judicial Council's Executive and Planning Committee. As part of its charge, the Implementation Task Force will develop an implementation plan for presentation to the Judicial Council and identify the costs associated with implementing the plan's recommendations. The task force will coordinate with related advisory groups and Judicial Council staff on plan implementation and have the flexibility to monitor and adjust implementation plans based on feasibility and available resources. The task force will also establish the necessary systems for monitoring compliance with the plan. 

Prior to the task force, a comprehensive, statewide, language access plan was developed by a joint working group.  Click to see the Joint Working Group for California's Language Access Plan's archived meetings, minutes, and agendas. 

CHARGE
The Judicial Council's Language Access Plan Implementation Task Force advises the council on implementation of the recommendations issued by the Joint Working Group for California's Language Access Plan (2013–2015) in the Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts (adopted by the council on January 22, 2015). The task force includes representatives of the key stakeholders in the provision of language access services in the courts, including, but not limited to, judicial officers, court administrators, court interpreters, legal services providers, and community leaders. The task force's charge is to turn the Language Access Plan into a practical roadmap for courts by creating an implementation plan for full implementation in all 58 superior courts. Additional responsibilities of the task force include:

• Create an implementation plan for the Language Access Plan to present to the Judicial Council and to guide the work of the task force and the courts to make the strategic plan a reality;
• Develop estimates of the costs of implementing the recommendations;
• Assess the feasibility of the phasing process outlined in the plan based upon resources available and adjust where necessary based on operational feasibility and resource availability;
• Propose rules of court, forms, and Judicial Council–sponsored legislation for the council and its internal committees to consider;
• Create and distribute work products (including bench guides, tool kits, and others);
• Coordinate with related advisory groups on implementation efforts where appropriate; and
• Develop mechanisms to oversee and monitor the implementation of the plan.