Court Language Access Services (CLAS) Certification and Training Program
The Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) is the only Oregon state agency that is legally authorized to certify court interpreters in Oregon and offers certification exams for Amharic, Arabic, Cantonese, Filipino (Tagalog), Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese interpreters. In 1993, the OJD received legislative authority and funds to establish a certification program for court interpreters in Oregon. The State of Oregon was one of four founding members of the national Consortium for Language Access in the Courts (formerly the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification).
Oregon Certified Court Interpreter Credential
The Oregon Certified Court Interpreter Credential will be awarded to a spoken-language interpreter who fulfills the following credential steps:
- Passes a criminal history check
- Achieves a passing score on the Written Examination
- Attends the Orientation and the Ethics Orientation Conducted by CLAS
- Achieves a passing score on the Court Interpreting Oral Examination
- Achieves a passing score on the Ethics Examination
- Completes and submits documentation of 20 hours of court interpreting services or court observation during the 12 months prior to application in courts of record in Oregon or Consortium member states, federal courts of record, or where the interpreter is sworn in and the record can be presented into evidence
- Completes the application process
- Takes the Interpreter's Oath administered by an Oregon state court judge
Normally, prospective interpreters prepare themselves for the Court Interpreting Oral Examination over a period of many months or even years. For more details, check the Certification Information Packet, or the certification process flow chart.