Translation Task Force

  Minutes

Minnesota State Bar Association
Foreign Language Translation Task Force
February 20, 2008

MINUTES

Present:      Dina Khaled (chair), Kimball Foster, Jean Lastine, Peter Mikhail, Ana M. Gomez, Steve Thorson, Jane Kiker, Steve Hirsh (MSBA staff)

1. Introductions - members identified themselves and their interest in the subject.

2. Task Force’s purpose:

    1. Arose out of request for permission to translate and publish a Real Property section lease into Spanish. Request raised a number of issues.
    2. Translation is a critical question issue for access to justice
    3. Make MSBA resources available to programs serving low income non-English speakers?
      1. use forms as translation aid - help clients understand proceedings
      2. help improve public confidence in courts and rule of law
      3. develop policy for hotdocs, practicelaw, mndocs
      4. include non-MSBA members working for nonprofits?
    1. Key question: produce foreign language forms to be used in transactions/court? Or just make docs available for translation by outside agencies/nonprofits to use as translation aids with their clients.
    2. study licensing issues, fair use, bar disclaimers if forms are used by other agencies

3. Tasks

    1. research what other bar associations are doing (request student volunteer from Minnesota Justice Foundation)
      1. WI and IA have RP forms - conveyancing and transactional
      2. check w/ ABA
      3. categories of forms being translated
        1. pro se, consumer, practice aids for lawyers
        2. RP, family, probate
        3. POAs, parental delegation of authority
        4. statutory forms
      4. how do they do quality control?
        1. different meanings for words in different countries - even in same language
        2. need translator who understands legal terms
        3. certification?
      5. what languages would be included?
      6. who would do translation – internal/bar association or external entity?
      7. bar assn's - providing forms v translation aides
      8. look at courts/court forms
      9. Legal Aid Society suit against DHS re: need to translate forms
    1. MN court forms
      1. report on demographics
    1. lawhelp
      1. Spanish mirror site
      2. client info materials
    1. legal aid to identify which MSBA forms would be most useful to them?
      1. Jean Lastine will follow-up with program directors

4. Steve will circulate task force member list

5. Steve will draft research request, circulate on listserve

6. Next meeting: 4/22, 3:30 – 5, MSBA