Whenever an interpreter is required to be appointed by a court or probation office, the court or probation office will first attempt to appoint a certified court interpreter who is listed on the statewide register of interpreters if one is reasonably available.  Certified interpreters are available in Spanish, Mandarin-Chinese, Russian and American Sign Language. Certified Spanish interpreters are available to courts and probation offices by phone or Cisco Jabber Videoconferencing on court days through the Nebraska Supreme Court’s On-call Interpreter Program. 

If the court has made diligent efforts to obtain a certified court interpreter as required and found none to be available, the court may appoint a registered non-certified court interpreter who is otherwise competent to interpret in the courts.

In languages other than Spanish or Sign, if the court has made diligent efforts to obtain a certified court interpreter or a registered court interpreter and found none to be available, the court may appoint a court interpreter who is otherwise competent to interpret in the courts.

• American Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish
• Completed Court Interpreter Orientation
• Passed the English Language Proficiency Written Exam, achieving 80% or better
• Passed the Oral Exam for Certification in its entirety, achieving 70% or better on each of the three sections

• Completed Court Interpreter Orientation
• Passed the English Language Proficiency Written Exam, achieving 80% or better
• Taken the Oral Exam and achieved 50% or better on each of the three sections (must achieve 70% or better on each of the three sections to pass)

• Completed Court Interpreter Orientation
• Passed the English Language Proficiency Written Exam, achieving 80% or better
• Either has not taken the Oral Exam or did not achieve 50% or better on each of the three sections
• Spanish and American Sign Language interpreters who are not certified cannot be used for interpreting in Nebraska Courts and Probation Offices.

For assistance in locating "certified" American Sign Language interpreters and the most qualified interpreters for languages for which certified and provisionally certified interpreters are not listed on the registry, contact the following:

• American Sign --  Email: Maureen Larsen or call 402-213-8018
• Other Languages --  Email: Interpreter Coordinators or call:
• Adriana Hinojosa (Omaha), 402-250-0041
• Raul Escobar (Lincoln), 402-440-9989