Meet your Facilitator
Amanda R. Smith is a nationally certified interpreter, educator, and coach dedicated to advancing the field of interpreting and interpreter education. With a master’s in Interpreter Pedagogy and nearly two decades of teaching at Western Oregon University, she has shaped future interpreters and educators with insight, rigor, and compassion. Amanda draws from professional experience, creative practices, and somatic coaching to foster reflective, ethical, and effective interpreting. Through A.R. Smith Studios, she supports interpreter educators, coaches and mentors in refining their craft and cultivating professional presence. Amanda’s work bridges teaching, interpreting, and personal growth, inviting transformation grounded in presence, purpose, and community connection.
Saturday, February 14 | Live, Interactive Online
Walk into court prepared—not guessing.
Voir dire is one of the most information-rich moments in a trial, yet many interpreters leave it underused. This Saturday Skills Intensive offers a practical, ethical framework for using voir dire as an in-the-moment preparation tool—before testimony begins.
Rather than reacting once proceedings are underway, you’ll learn how to identify and analyze information revealed during jury selection, including charges, witness lists, and attorney questioning, to anticipate interpreting demands and ethical considerations.
What this Intensive offers
This is not a lecture. It is an interactive, escape-room–style experience where participants work in teams to “escape” the voir dire process with the information needed to prepare responsibly for the upcoming trial.
Together, we will:
- Identify what matters in voir dire for interpreters
- Anticipate linguistic, interpersonal, and environmental demands
- Connect preparation choices to ethical responsibilities
- Practice applying the RID Code of Professional Conduct in real-time scenarios
Why this matters
Accuracy and completeness do not begin with the first witness.
They begin with preparation.
Ethical preparation allows interpreters to recognize potential impediments early and respond appropriately—rather than discovering them once the trial is underway.
Who this is for
This Intensive is designed for legal interpreters who want to:
- Feel more grounded before proceedings begin
- Prepare intentionally, not reactively
- Strengthen ethical decision-making
- Build repeatable preparation practices
Workshop details
- Format: Live, interactive online session
- Length: 2 hours
- CEUs: 0.2 RID Legal CEUs pending and Ethical CEs from OJD pending
- Structure: Collaborative, scenario-based learning
Your invitation
If you are ready to move beyond guesswork and toward ethical, informed preparation, you are warmly invited to join this Saturday Skills Intensive.
Because preparation is not optional—it is an ethical act.
A. R. Smith Studios 