6 resources that can help your legal translation go smoothly
With the reputation of your firm on the line, having your translation project go off without issue is crucial. From start to finish, you and your translator must work closely together so ensure you get an accurate, well-written final translation. Perhaps the most important part of that collaboration is starting your translator off on the right foot.
With the best resources from you, a professional translator has the tools she needs to deliver her best work. As you dole out your next legal translation, make sure you provide the following resources to help your project go smoothly.
1. Websites
Let’s be honest. There’s a lot of junk on the Internet these days. Professional translators are usually able to weed out fact from fiction, but sometimes it is not easy, and it’s always time-consuming.
When you hand over your legal translation project, steer your translator down the right path by sending a few relevant and helpful websites to get her started. The websites you send should contain the most accurate information. This way, your translator won’t have to sift through noise and confusing resources online.
2. Legal journals
Legal journals are trustworthy resources. The problem is, there is a lot of information in these journals. Because of that, it might make it hard for your translator to know where to start, and what to read.
With the right legal journal for your case, your translator will have a better understanding of what you are looking for. By providing journals to reference during the project, you make it faster and easier to complete the project.
3. Articles
In many legal projects, there are a few specific articles that your translator would benefit from reading to complete a translation project.
Instead of relying on your translator to find these articles on her own, or assuming she has access to the articles (she might not have a subscription to LexisNexis), give them to her up front. This way, your translator can focus more on the task at hand, and spend less time on having to find details that you have readily available.
4. Frequently asked questions
Often, a translator cannot know what types of questions she might run into while working on your project. To help the translation process run smoothly, provide some of the top questions she might need answered about your case. You might also want to include frequently asked questions about your practice and the type of law the translation pertains to.
Information from glossaries and answers to common questions are enormously beneficial resources for a translator. Keep everything accurate in your project by anticipating and answering questions before they’re asked.
5. Company information
The text that your translator works on only tells a small portion of the story. Professional translators are skilled in going above and beyond basic work of translating word-for-word. They incorporate your firm, your practice, the type of law you work in, and more.
Before your translator gets started, give her information about your law firm. This can include your practice areas, a brief history, and a list of services you offer. With this as a resource, your translator will have a deeper understanding of how you will use her work to advance your law firm.
6. Previous translations
Have you had any documents translated in the past? If so, your translator will want to see them.
Past translations can shed light onto what you’re looking for, and the type of cases you work on. With these translations on hand, she can reference them as needed while working on your current project.
Get everyone on the same page with these six resources. By providing the right information up front, your project will run more effectively. In the end, both you and your translator win. You get better results, while enabling your translator to deliver her best work.
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