Language Access to Louisiana Courts: A Failure to Provide Fundamental Access to Justice

Abstract

This article examines how the State of Louisiana has legislatively and judicially conceptualized interpreters, what effect such conceptualization has on the rights of non-English speaking litigants, and Louisiana jurisprudence and whether the current approach should be re-conceptualized to provide interpreters as a function of justice in providing access to the courts in all legal proceedings in Louisiana. Within this framework, this article will further consider whether the current approach should be re-framed to legislatively provide training and minimum qualification standards for interpreters; and also seek clear guidelines for Louisiana courts assessing the legal need, utilization, evaluation and performance of interpreters in court.

Keywords: Louisiana, interpretation, access to justice, courts