Scheduling Out-of-Court Interpreters

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The Court's Interpreter Services Section does not schedule interpreter or written translation services for CJA attorneys.

It is important to note that payment to Interpreters for CJA out-of-court services will be for actual time spent in travel to and from the location of the interpreting, any reasonable waiting time at the place of the interpreting, and interpreting services. These fees are to be fully itemized in hours and tenths of hours. In no event will the amount paid exceed the then current Administrative Office of the United States Courts (the "AO") full day rates unless the total hours claimed exceed eight hours. In such an event, the applicable overtime hourly rate will apply for every hour or fraction thereof, over eight hours.

Travel time and mileage will be compensated subject to reasonableness (ex. travel time and mileage from out-of-district to MDC to interpret are unreasonable and will not be approved).

Maximum hourly rates and overtime rates have been established and are below.

Interpreting

(Effective August 19, 2019)

Hourly rates for interpreters performing CJA work are derived from the half- and full-day rates paid to contract interpreters by the court for in-court work (“Court Work”), as set by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (“AO”). These rates vary depending on the professional qualifications of the interpreter. Billing for CJA matters depends in part on whether both Court Work and CJA work are performed on the same day, as shown below.

Interpreters may bill for reasonable round-trip travel time necessary to perform work that advances the representation of the case.

  Hourly Rate When Paid
Certified Interpreters (AO-Certified, Professionally Qualified, and California State Certified)
On days when no Court Work is contracted $78.58 For the first 5.3 hours billed to CJA matters
$58.40 For any additional time over the first 5.3 hours billed to CJA matters
On days when a half day of Court Work is contracted $78.58 For the first 1.3 hours billed to CJA matters OUTSIDE THE FOUR HOURS OF THE DAY CONTRACTED FOR COURT WORK (for example, if called in for Court Work beginning at 8:00am, an interpreter may begin billing for CJA work at 12:00pm)
$58.40 For any additional time over the first 1.3 hours billed to CJA matters AND OUTSIDE THE HALF-DAY CONTRACTED FOR COURT WORK (for example, if called in for Court Work beginning at 8:00am, an interpreter may begin billing for CJA work at 12:00pm; an interpreter working straight through with no break would bill at $78.58 from 12:00pm to 1:18pm and at $58.40 for time after 1:18pm)
On days when a full day of Court Work is contracted $58.40 For any time billed to CJA matters OUTSIDE THE EIGHT HOURS OF THE DAY CONTRACTED FOR COURT WORK (for example, if called in for Court Work beginning at 8:00am, an interpreter may begin billing for CJA work at 4:00pm)
California State Registered Interpreters
On days when no Court Work is contracted* $59.46 For the first 5.4 hours billed to CJA matters
$47.78 For any additional time over the first 5.4 hours billed to CJA matters
Language Skilled Interpreters
On days when no Court Work is contracted* $57.34 For the first 4.9 hours billed to CJA matters
$37.16 For any additional time over the first 4.9 hours billed to CJA matters

*It is rare that interpreters who do not qualify as “Certified Interpreters” perform CJA work on a day for which they have been contracted to do any Court Work. If this ever happens, please contact the CJA Office for guidance on how to calculate the hourly rate for CJA work performed that day.

Translations from Tapes and CDs

AO Certified, Professionally Qualified, ATA Certified Translator may be paid up to $44.60 per hour
Language Skilled Translator may be paid up to $37.16 per hour
Non-certified/Non-Language Skilled Translator may be paid up to $21.24 per hour

 

Document Translations

Document translations will be reimbursed at $0.165 per translated word. Review of already-translated documents for accuracy will be reimbursed at $0.066 per word.