Court Interpreter

Posting Date

09/03/25

Application Deadline

Open Until Filled

Pay Range

Min - 1st Quartile - Mid - Max
$33.75- $35.82 - $37.88 - $42.00

Candidates who are not credentialed at the Tier 3 or Tier 4 level of the Arizona Court Interpreter Credentialing Program will be compensated at the non-certified salary rate of $25.00 - $30.00 per hour. Within 24 months of the date of hire, new employees are required to become credentialed at Tier 3 or Tier 4. Upon successful completion of credentialing, employees are eligible for an increase within the Court Interpreter-Certified salary range of $36.62 - $42.00.

This position is non-exempt under the FLSA.

What We Offer

We offer generous paid time off, paid sick leave, and 10 paid holidays! We have affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance, and our employees are entitled to coverage by one of several State-sponsored retirement pension plans, our employee assistance program, and wellness incentives. Additionally, our employees have the option of life insurance, disability, a group legal plan, and pet insurance. Under the current guidelines for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, the Maricopa County Superior Court is a qualifying employer. Therefore, any full time Judicial Branch employee, who meets other eligibility criteria may be eligible for loan forgiveness under this program. Click here to learn more!

Job Type

Unclassified - Judicial

Department

About the Position

Court Interpreters provide consecutive, simultaneous and sight translation services between English and Spanish that are accurate and unbiased in matters that are pending before the court for those who do not speak fluent English. Court Interpreters may work with either witnesses or defendants to interpret everything that is said while preserving the same tone and connotation as the original language without adding or deleting anything from the conversation.

About the Superior Court:

The Superior Court of the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County is dedicated to providing a safe, fair, and impartial forum for resolving disputes, enhancing access to our services, and providing innovative, evidenced-based practices that improve the safety of our community and ensure the public’s trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch. The Superior Court in Maricopa County, one of the largest, most innovative, and progressive trial courts in the nation, seeks innovative individuals to join our team who will embrace our vision of excellence and the principles inherent in the Rule of Law...every person, every day, every time.  We fulfill these principles through a culture that values fairness, respect, integrity, innovation, and safety.

Position Qualifications

We recognize your time is valuable, so please apply if you meet the following required qualifications:

Education:

• High School diploma

Experience:

• Two (2) years of professional interpreting experience in a position defined as an official interpreter in the English/Spanish language preferably in a municipal, general jurisdiction or United States District Court; or in a medical environment in a clinic or hospital; or experience as an escort interpreter or conference interpreter for a government official or dignitary.

OR

Combined education and experience qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in Spanish, Latin American studies, Mexican American studies, or related Translation/Interpretation program may substitute for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Specialized training, certifications, and/or other special requirements:

• Effective with the implementation of the Arizona Court Interpreter Credentialing Program, courts are required to have current staff interpreters credentialed at the Tier 3 or Tier 4 level as of June 30, 2019.  Any new court employee providing services hired after June 30, 2017, will be required to hold an Arizona credential at the Tier 3 or Tier 4 level.
• In the event a credentialed candidate is not available at the time of recruitment, the court shall require the new employee to become credentialed at the Tier 3 or Tier 4 level within 24 months of their date of hire.  http://www.azcourts.gov/interpreter/Arizona-Court-Interpreter-Credentialing-Program

Our Preferred Candidate has:

• Post-graduate education in Interpreting e.g. M.A. from Middlebury (formerly Monterey) Institute of International Studies, the University of Maryland.
• B.A. from the University of Arizona in Mexican American Studies or Spanish in which a certificate of completion has been granted in Court Interpreting or any comparable academic program with a concentration in Translation and Interpreting.
• A specialized certificate from a post-graduate program in conjunction with a degree.
• Experience as a professional interpreter in a general or limited-jurisdiction court.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Written and spoken English and Spanish at an in-depth level and familiarity with the various socio-dialects of both languages.
• Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in all three modes of interpretation:  simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation. 

Skill in:

• Verbally communicating with others to convey information accurately and effectively.
• Time management and organizational techniques.
• Completing assignments accurately and with attention to detail.

Ability to:

• Interpret and translate from Spanish to English and vice versa.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Effectively communicate both in written and verbal form.
• Work with confidential and sensitive information.
• Multitask and cope with a high volume of work in a time-critical environment.

Essential Job Tasks

(This is not an all-inclusive list of all job duties that may be required; employees will be required to perform other related duties as assigned.)

• Interprets simultaneously and consecutively from English to Spanish and Spanish to English during court interviews, hearings, and proceedings.
• Makes sight translations during interviews, hearings, and court proceedings of documents such as court petitions, reports, notices, and agreements. 
• Performs case-related and law-related research to prepare for in-court interpreting appearances.
• Maintains caseload, updating department as to movement of case, based on individual assignment.

Working conditions:  

In-person and virtual appearances before a court of law, utilizing electronic equipment to facilitate intervention among participants (judicial officers, attorneys, parties, witnesses, and other individuals, taking into account the pragmatics of a judiciary setting without disrupting the proceedings held).  Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the department and may require travel to various locations throughout Maricopa County.   

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak clearly and hear; see details of objects that are less than a few feet away; sit for long periods of time; stand, walk, use hands to finger handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and occasionally push, pull or lift up to 20 pounds.

Judicial Branch facilities are located throughout Maricopa County.  This position may be reassigned to other court locations.  Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the department.

Additional Information

Judicial Branch Human Resources reserves the right to move forward candidates based on the information provided directly on the application. The hiring authority will select the successful candidate based on departmental needs. 

Typically, successful candidates are hired at a salary rate up to the midpoint of the range, based on applicable experience, internal equity, and budgetary allowances. 

All Judicial Branch offers of employment and continued employment are contingent upon passing a thorough background and/or fingerprint check. Applicants must completely and fully answer any questions regarding felony and misdemeanor convictions including any convictions that have been expunged or set aside. Failure to include criminal history information is grounds for termination of an offer and employment. A conviction may not automatically disqualify an applicant. 

The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County participates in the State Retirement systems ASRS or PSPRS. As such, mandatory membership for all full-time employees includes payroll deducted contributions consistent with each retirement system's requirements. The current contribution rate for ASRS is 12.27% and the current contribution rate for PSPRS is 5.84% and up for the defined contribution plan and 8.82% for the defined benefit plan. For more information about contributions and benefits of these plans visit https://www.azasrs.gov/ or https://www.psprs.com/corrections-officer/

Judicial Branch facilities are located throughout Maricopa County.  This position may be reassigned to other locations.  Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the department.

The Judicial Branch in Maricopa County is an EEO/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer. 

Apply Now!