Imagine this – you earn your way through law school, ace the bar exam, build your career practicing law, and finally reach the top of the judicial system.
Congratulations, you are a judge.
Your job is to preside over your courtroom and make sure that the law is followed and carried out in every case that crosses your desk. Maybe you work for the Circuit Court, maybe the District Court, or maybe even one of the other six courts that operate in the state of Michigan. You preside over cases that do not require interpreters, and over cases that require interpretation from a plethora of different languages. Your commitment to the law is unparalleled and unstoppable.’
Or at least it was before COVID-19 disrupted the steady flow of court proceedings.
With new challenges, does your commitment to seeing the law upheld falter? Of course not!
Your experience does not crumble under the weight of a virus. You adapt to new circumstances, learn to operate Zoom meetings, and grow skilled at the art of not touching your face even while wearing a mask. Even though the courtroom looks different, the work of the law must go on.
With the backlog of cases, many changes are put into place. One change is how interpretation for limited English speakers is handled. Instead of seeing your interpreters face to face, you see them through a screen, you hear their voice through a phone, or in some situations, you may even see them face to face from behind a mask. This, however, does not change the interpreters’ will to support the same things that you do: order, truth, and justice.
If you are looking for more information on how the courts in Michigan are handling COVID-19, check out the information below:
- – Social distancing is required inside the courtroom and in all other court facilities.
- – The courtroom will be limited to ten or fewer people, including staff.
- – The court is now allowing people to file fee waiver requests and other paperwork by email.
- – When possible, court proceedings are being held via Zoom, and guests are generally allowed to join in and watch the proceedings.
- – Each court is handling the situation a little differently, so if you have questions about a specific situation, the best thing to do is reach out to your court.
- – For more information, or to see the source material for this post, go to michiganlegalhelp.org or courts.michigan.gov.
While many things have changed, we here at 7C Lingo are still committed to meeting your needs, whether they are in the courtroom, the operation room, or wherever your drive leads you. Thanks for joining us for the COVID effect, where we discuss what has changed, what has stayed the same, and how we can work together to make global-local.
