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Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles

  • Łucja Biel , Juliette Scott and John O’Shea
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Handbook of the Language Industry
This chapter is in the book Handbook of the Language Industry

Abstract

Legal translators play a crucial role in protecting human and corporate rights, safeguarding legal security and promoting economies worldwide. This chapter discusses existing and emerging profiles, roles, responsibilities and professional practices in the diverse field of legal translation by focusing on the human factor - legal translators. Given the profound differences in the professional realities, we have adopted a division of professional practice into two major profiles: institutional translators, who are employed by institutions, and outstitutional translators, who work outside of institutions. We first provide an overview of key challenges of legal translation, including the complexities of legal language and high levels of risk faced by legal texts. The chapter next discusses job titles in institutional and outstitutional contexts, such as legal translator, authorized translator or lawyer-linguist, and moves on to examine core qualifications, competences and continuing professional development defined in ISO standard 20771 and supplemented by existing research. The final sections discuss professionalization and emerging trends, such as pressures to increase productivity, to use certain technologies and to accept post-editing. We draw attention to the risks of legal translation and the issue of liability. In summing up, we discuss the disrupted state of the market and the need for regulation of grass-roots provision of legal translation - including non-professional translation.

Abstract

Legal translators play a crucial role in protecting human and corporate rights, safeguarding legal security and promoting economies worldwide. This chapter discusses existing and emerging profiles, roles, responsibilities and professional practices in the diverse field of legal translation by focusing on the human factor - legal translators. Given the profound differences in the professional realities, we have adopted a division of professional practice into two major profiles: institutional translators, who are employed by institutions, and outstitutional translators, who work outside of institutions. We first provide an overview of key challenges of legal translation, including the complexities of legal language and high levels of risk faced by legal texts. The chapter next discusses job titles in institutional and outstitutional contexts, such as legal translator, authorized translator or lawyer-linguist, and moves on to examine core qualifications, competences and continuing professional development defined in ISO standard 20771 and supplemented by existing research. The final sections discuss professionalization and emerging trends, such as pressures to increase productivity, to use certain technologies and to accept post-editing. We draw attention to the risks of legal translation and the issue of liability. In summing up, we discuss the disrupted state of the market and the need for regulation of grass-roots provision of legal translation - including non-professional translation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110716047-015

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
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