Waukesha County in need of court interpreters

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha County needs court interpreters.

It’s another day on the job for Reme Bashi, a certified Wisconsin court Spanish interpreter. It's a career that has kept her on her toes for 30 years.

"It's very fast-paced, very exciting, always keeps you challenged," Bashi said. "As an interpreter, you're the voice of judges, commissioners, of the police officers, attorneys of the victims and defendants."

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Today, she is collaborating with Waukesha County and the state to bring awareness to a bigger issue.

Reme Bashi

"We have a shortage of interpreters, especially in Spanish and rare languages," said Alexandra Wirth, Court Interpreter Program Manager for the Office of Court Operations.

Like American Sign Language, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, it’s a need they hope to fill through a new campaign.

"Currently, we have 66 certified interpreters on the Wisconsin roster, however only 23 of them are local in Wisconsin," Wirth said. "[It requires] language skills, knowledge of legal terminology, interpreting skills that not every bilingual individual is capable of interpreting."

It’s all to bring more people in to fill these roles.

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"There are litigants who need to understand the proceedings and that's where an interpreter comes in," said Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow.

It’s a busy job, but Bashi said she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

"It's one of the best things that I've done in my life," Bashi said. "I love my job."

Those interested in learning more can visit the Wisconsin Court System's website.