For Attorneys and Stakeholders in Hearings with Interpreters

Virtual hearings at the Second Judicial District Court use Zoom’s simultaneous interpretation feature whenever possible. If an interpreter is needed for ANYONE, please make sure to follow these tips:

Do not join the meeting by telephone line. Join only over internet.
Select “Join with computer audio” if joining from a computer.
On the smartphone or tablet app, select “Wifi or Cellular Data” for the audio connection. Do NOT select “Dial In” or “Call Me.”
Built-in device microphones and webcam microphones do not generally provide the quality needed for a good simultaneous interpretation experience. In the desktop client, click on “Test Mic” in Audio Settings during any Zoom meeting to hear what you sound like to other participants. Alternatively, consider recording yourself in Zoom using the “Record” icon. A quality microphone will provide a crisper sound and help counteract any echo in your space.
Consider also taking advantage of Zoom’s background noise suppression feature (external link, opens in new tab)

If you and a non-English-speaking client will be joining from the same room, please join from SEPARATE DEVICES, if possible, so that you can select different language channels. Additionally, please be sure to both wear headphones/earbuds, if possible, and to both remain muted except when actively speaking in order to avoid feedback and echo between the devices.

Important for Chromebook and Linux Users

You must use Zoom’s web client directly in your browser to access the language channels.

After clicking on the meeting link or entering the Meeting ID and Passcode, close the window that asks whether you want to open Zoom Meetings. Then click the small blue link at the bottom of the launch screen that says “Join from Your Browser.”

If that option is not available, join from a different device, if possible.

Additional Resources

Illustrated, step-by-step instructions Zoom’s simultaneous interpretation feature, as well as an instructional video (external link, opens in new tab) , are available on the Second Judicial District Court's Zoom Resources menu.

More information on Zoom's simultaneous interpretation feature can be found here: Using Language Interpretation in your meeting or webinar (external link, opens in new tab)