Rule 7.080.Interpreters’ Requests for Information
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 7.080
Plain-English Summary
An interpreter works in real time and cannot stop to look up a term of art. This rule gives the interpreter a way to prepare. If a neutral court interpreter asks for it, the parties in a civil or criminal case must provide a list of the specialized terminology expected to be used in the proceeding the interpreter will cover.
The obligation is triggered by the interpreter, not by the court and not by the other side. Once the request comes, the list has to be provided before the proceeding commences, which means a request that arrives the morning of a hearing still calls for an answer before the hearing starts.
The rule keeps the list from becoming a tactical document. The interpreter must keep it confidential, and the rule states that it is not discoverable. A party can therefore hand over the medical vocabulary, the engineering terms, or the trade jargon its case will involve without handing the other side a preview of its presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to give the interpreter a list of terms?
Only if a neutral court interpreter asks for one. When that request comes, the rule requires the parties to provide a list of the specialized terminology expected to be used in the proceeding, and it applies in both civil and criminal cases.
When does the list have to be delivered?
Before the proceeding commences. There is no day count in the rule, so the deadline moves with the request. Earlier is better, because the whole point is giving the interpreter time to prepare the vocabulary.
Can the other side get a copy of my terminology list?
Not through discovery. The rule says the list must be kept confidential by the interpreter and is not discoverable, which is what makes it safe to be thorough.
What belongs on the list?
Specialized terminology expected to be used in the proceeding. Think of the words a general audience would not know: clinical terms, technical or industry vocabulary, product and process names, and the proper nouns that will recur. The goal is accuracy in the moment, not a glossary of the whole case.
Does this apply in criminal cases too?
Yes. The rule names parties in civil and criminal cases, so the duty runs the same way on both dockets when a neutral court interpreter makes the request.