The United States is home to over 44 million Spanish speakers – the largest Spanish-speaking population outside of Mexico. There are more Spanish speaking residents in the United States then there are in Spain. Eleven million or so are bilingual, but a large number speak English varying degrees of fluency. Many of them feel more at home receiving services in Spanish than they do in English. This is true of legal services whether they are creating a will, negotiating the immigration system, or in the criminal justice system. Law offices with interpreters and translation services will see a better than average number of Spanish-speaking clients.
Raising the Bar
You don’t have to invest years into learning Spanish for the law office. Legal Spanish courses offer legal office personnel a solid grounding in the language and legal concepts with which they are already familiar. Language classes are available in person or online, where students will interact with the native speaking Spanish teacher. Classes combine traditional textbook work, lectures, and language labs, but have the additional value of audio labs that teach you to understand Spanish as spoken face to face. After taking this class, you will be able to boast a grasp of vocabulary and terminology that will set your office apart.
It’s a Multilingual World
You no longer have to be part of an international law firm to need to have foreign-language skills on your side. No matter where you go from Florida to Alaska, you will find Spanish speakers needing a range of legal services. In fact, by 2050, the United States may have more Spanish speakers than any other country in the world. Fulfilling that need in a way that makes them comfortable, and allows them to understand the process they are in goes a long way towards making them comfortable and giving them confidence in your services.