Spanish for Lawyers Information

September 7, 2007
8:15 a.m to 4:45 p.m.

Sponsored by Seattle University School of Law Office of Continuing Legal Education
Anticipated CLE Credits: 7.0 General, of which 0.5 credits may be applied to Ethics

There are more than 30 million Spanish-speakers in the United States today. Most have immigrated from Central and South America; their perceptions of the justice, economic and social systems of the United States are often vastly different from those of native-born Americans. These perceptions, as well as any communication differences, can strongly impact representation by a U.S. attorney in any type of criminal or civil proceeding, particularly given the strictures concerning Communication of Rule 1.4 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and of the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct.
This program will identify and briefly review the implications of representing clients who come from a Hispanic background across a wide variety of forums. In addition to identifying and explaining possibly different expectations, it will use mock settings and dialogues to illustrate how full and effective communication between attorney and client can be improved. Some basic introduction to Spanish will be provided. The program is specifically designed to address the language needs of attorneys, paralegals, and staff.

Speaker

Samantha S. Ward, J.D. Ward & Associates, P.C.

Ms. Ward received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1999, and her B.A. in Spanish and Political Science from Central Methodist University in 1996. She has taught and presented for the Association of Legal Education Professionals, The Missouri Bar, Central Methodist University, Moberly Area College, Mineral Area College, Columbia Career Center, and William Woods University. She has also interpreted and translated for several Missouri courts and for the Bootheel Migrant Farmworkers' Project. She recently served as the Assistant Director and CLE Programs Attorney at the Missouri Bar. Ms. Ward practiced law for a number of years in Federal Bankruptcy Court in Missouri and Kansas. Her international experience includes study with Duke University in Spain, and a language exchange in Mexico City, Mexico. She is a member of the Missouri and Texas Bars.

Program Schedule and Topics

7:45 - 8:15 a.m.	Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:15 - 8:45 a.m.	Introduction; Overview; Concerns; Objectives Learn about the growing Spanish-speaking population. Discover the areas of migration in North America and Washington State. Learn the common issues of concern in the Hispanic community. Learn ways to continue your Spanish education.
8:45 - 9:15 a.m.	Communication: Implications of RPC Rule 1.4 This session will focus on communicating with Spanish-speakers, and how it impacts the client-lawyer relationship. Learn how to comply with Rule 1.4 to become a more effective practitioner.
9:15 - 10:15 a.m.	Basic Pronunciation, Basic Vocabulary, Basic Grammar and Legal Phrases (Civil and Criminal) This session will focus on the building blocks of the Spanish language, and introduce participants to civil and criminal law vocabulary. Learn a proven system to master the Spanish language, and have fun doing it!
10:15 - 10:30 a.m.	Refreshment Break
10:30 a.m. - Noon	Civil Law Vocabulary and Crafting Sentences Learn basic Spanish civil law vocabulary, court personnel names, and civil law procedural words. Learn to use these words in sentences. Basic sentence structure is introduced.
Noon - 1 p.m.	Lunch (provided)
1 - 2 p.m.	Criminal Law Vocabulary and Creating Dialogues Learn basic Spanish criminal law vocabulary (including a Miranda warning), and use it to create phrases, sentences, and legal vignettes.
2 - 3 p.m.	Using Spanish in Real Life Situations In this session, students will learn how to apply their Spanish legal vocabulary to common legal situations like bankruptcy, divorce, dwi/dui cases, etc.
3 - 3:15 p.m.	Refreshment Break
3:15 - 4:15 p.m.	Counseling Your Client and Explaining the Legal System This session will focus on Spanish-speaking clients and their distrust of the court system, how to build trust with your client, cultural differences within the hispanic community, and “Spanglish” vs. Spanish.
4:15 - 4:45 p.m.	Wrap-up: Q&A

Our speaker will be answering questions and providing valuable tips to help you get the most out of the program. Review ways to continue your legal Spanish education.

For additional information about this, or any Seattle University School of Law CLE seminar, please contact Roxanne Mennes in the Office of Continuing Legal Education at mennesr@seattleu.edu or by phone at 206.398.4092.