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Office of Interpreter Services   Circuit Court of Cook County Office of the Chief Judge 2650 South California Avenue, 4th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60608 (773) 869-3210 (773) 869-3242 Fax (773) 869-3213 TDD Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday   The Office of Interpreter Services provides qualified foreign language and sign language interpreters to non-English speaking persons or persons with speech or hearing impairments who are involved in Circuit Court proceedings. The use of foreign language and sign interpreters helps to protect the rights of those individuals in need of interpreter services and to ensure their equal access to justice.   Foreign language interpreters are provided for all Criminal Division cases, for Domestic Relations cases and in some civil matters as directed by the judge. Sign language interpreters are provided in any case where it is required for effective communication, regardless of case type. All interpreters are sworn to truly interpret all questions and answers given in the court proceeding as directed by the judge. In 2006, interpreters from the Office of Interpreter Services made 120,412 appearances in various court proceedings in the Circuit Court of Cook County.   The most frequently requested interpreters are for Spanish, Polish and sign language. The majority of other requests are for Russian, Korean and Arabic.   The Circuit Court of Cook County recently undertook the certification of its interpreters through membership in the National Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification. The consortium provides standardized tests for certifying court foreign language interpreters which allows the court to maintain a consistent, high quality level of service for its non-English speaking constituents.   Disclaimer   ©2000-2006 Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County