Language Access Toolkit - Clerk's Office / Points of Contact
If you work in the Clerk's Office or another point of contact with non-English speaking litigants, you receive many kinds of inquiries on a daily basis. This section contains resources in other languages about court proceedings, as well as information about how to request an interpreter and what other language access services may be available.
Court Closure Signs
Multilingual Court Closure Signs
Source: California Courts website
This file contains multilingual signs for all court holidays during the current calendar year that can be printed and displayed in your court. The languages of the signs are: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean.
"I Speak" Cards
"I Speak Card" (Letter Size)
"I Speak Card" (Legal Size)
Notice of Language Access Services
Multilingual Notice of Language Access Services
This multilingual notice contains information in the following languages: Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
This document can be modified to add a room number, phone number and email address for your local court.
Bilingual Notices of Language Access Services
The following bilingual documents contain information on language access services in English and one of nine other languages.
These documents can be modified to add a room number, phone number and email address for your local court.
- Notice: Bilingual English and Arabic
- Notice: Bilingual English and Chinese (Traditional)
- Notice: Bilingual English and Farsi
- Notice: Bilingual English and Korean
- Notice: Bilingual English and Punjabi
- Notice: Bilingual English and Russian
- Notice: Bilingual English and Spanish
- Notice: Bilingual English and Tagalog
- Notice: Bilingual English and Vietnamese
Points of Contact and Appropriate Levels of Language Access Proficiency
The points of contact document outlines the appropriate language standards and language access necessary, as well as resources, to help court staff meet the needs of LEP court users at critical points of contact.
Protocol and Action Guide for Serving LEP Court Users
Protocol for Serving Limited English Proficient Court Users
Whether you are a court employee who is working with the public in jury services, the self-help center or the clerk’s office, you have probably encountered members of the public who need help and do not speak English. These encounters can be frustrating due to language barriers, and you may be left wondering whether you were able to help at all. This protocol provides recommended steps for court employees to follow that will help them meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) court users.
Action Guide for Serving Limited English Proficient Court Users
The Action Guide is a shortened version of the protocol and is designed to be a quick reference guide to assist court employees. It can be placed at various workstations throughout the courthouse (e.g., security, clerk counters, family law facilitator office or self-help centers). The Action Guide can be adapted by each court to provide court-specific information on the court’s available bilingual employees, telephonic interpreting services and translated resources.
Protocols for the Use of Bilingual Volunteers
The document provides guidelines for courts that currently offer or are interested in developing volunteer opportunities for bilingual members of the community. These guidelines are organized into four categories of volunteer development and supervision: Recruitment, Qualification, Training and the Supervision and Management of bilingual volunteers.
Translated Welcome Videos
Welcome from the Court Staff
Source: cc-courts.org
Description: Available in a variety of languages.
Mixteco Community, Welcome to the Courts Video (Ventura County Superior Court)
Description: This video introduces members of the Mixteco community to the organization of a California state courthouse, the people involved, and how a case progresses through the system. The narration is in Mixteco Bajo.
Translated Self-Help Information
- What is Child Custody Mediation?
- Can a Domestic Violence Restraining Order Help Me?
- A Criminal Protective Order Was Issued Against Me
- A Domestic Violence Restraining Order Was Issued Against Me
- How Does a Criminal Protective Order Help Me?
- When Witnesses and Victims Go to Court
- Multi-lingual Continuance Notice for Litigant (Sacramento)
- When Witnesses and Victims Go to Court (California Attorney General's Office)
Forms
Translated Forms
Request for Interpreter (Civil) (form INT-300)
Source: California Courts website
The Judicial Council approved (effective July 1, 2016) a Request for Interpreter (Civil) (form INT-300) as a model form. The council also approved rule 2.895 of the California Rules of Court to establish requirements for courts to publish their procedures and track requests for interpreters, and for attorneys of represented parties to inform the court if a limited English proficient (LEP) court user who has requested an interpreter will not be in court.
Translations: Request for Interpreter (Civil) INT-300 Form
Language Access in Court-Ordered Services
Under California Rules of Court, rule 1.300, limited English proficient court litigants may notify the court when they have been ordered to participate in a program or service that they cannot access because of a language barrier. This Fact Sheet explains the process for notifying the court and contains additional links and resources for LEP litigants.