Interpreter Services
Support Services Department

Applicants for Per Diem Service The Office of Court Interpreter Services (OCIS) screens applicants according to their professional experience and education, and based on the office’s needs for interpreters in a particular language and geographical area. Potentially qualified applicants who meet the minimum requirements will be invited to an oral and written assessment, and an interview. Basic training and mentoring are available for selected applicants.   OCIS offers certification only to interpreters who have been admitted into its pool, and who have completed a set of minimum pre-certification requirements. For some languages, the certification process includes a written and oral exam. Interpreters in languages for which there is no oral exam available will apply for certification by meeting a set of standard criteria.   Applicants for Per Diem Service: Minimum Requirements   Bachelors degree or equivalent college degree (copy of credit transcripts or diploma required) completed preferably, but not necessarily, in the areas of Translation, Interpretation, Liberal Arts or Law. Advanced (native-speaker) level of oral and written proficiency in both English and the other language. Candidates must possess an academic knowledge of both languages to pass the written and oral screening exams, which that include grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension and translation exercises. Some exceptions may apply for some lesser-used languages. References upon request. Prior interpreting and translating experience and/or training is not required, but is highly desirable. Some exceptions may apply for some lesser-used languages. For further information on screening and recruitment, and on working with the Office of Court Interpreter Services, please refer to Section 5:00 of the Standards & Procedures for Interpreter Services: www.mass.gov/courts click on “Site Index” click on “I” (interpreters) click on “Standards & Procedures” Application Process   Interested applicants who meet the minimum requirements outlined above must submit a completed “Application Questionnaire” which can be obtained one of two ways: Download it directly from this site by clicking the link below, or To receive it by mail, please call 617-878-0453 and, following a pre-recorded message, provide OCIS with your contact information. Applicants can also call the OCIS general number, 617-878-0343, for further assistance. Please, address the completed questionnaire to: Office of Court Interpreter Services Administrative Office of the Trial Court 2 Center Plaza, 9th floor Boston, MA 02108 ATT: Training Manager   Please understand that OCIS will not test and interview candidates unless we are experiencing a need for that language at the moment. We will keep applications of desirable candidates on file for future reference.   Back to Interpreter Main Page