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Introduction to U.S. Law for Court Interpreters

LAW X 430

This course introduces students to the legal concepts embodied in terminology. Students learn the fundamentals of criminal and civil courts in both the federal and California systems.

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What you can learn.

Discover methods of gaining access to public and private record sources, and techniques for gathering information about people, businesses, institutions, and government
Explore vibrant topics such as paper trails and computer-assisted projects; secrets of the most successful stories; managing time and resources; organizing complex information into compelling reports
Pursue and work on your own investigative project

About this course:

This course introduces students to the legal concepts embodied in terminology to be learned and practiced in subsequent courses. Students learn the fundamentals of criminal and civil courts in both the federal and California systems. Instruction explores the stages of criminal and civil proceedings and basic legal concepts relevant to each stage, such as the constitutional rights of defendants in criminal cases. The course covers the key constitutional provisions, statutes, court decisions, and rules that interpreters often encounter. Students are introduced to shorthand terms commonly substituted for formal legal terminology by lawyers in both systems.