Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Farrelly, A. (2021). "The attorney-client relationship." In D. Guthmann, G. I. Lomas, D. Goff Paris, & G. A. Martin (Eds.), DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (pp. 212-228). Gallaudet University Press.
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/D/Deaf-People-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
Amber D. Farrelly, J.D. is a practicing criminal defense attorney licensed in the State of Texas and the U.S. Western District Federal Court. Amber specializes in Deaf clientele and is a BEI court-certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Beginning in 2009, she has worked with the Innocence Project, the Innocence Project of Texas and the Texas Civil Rights Project. In 2010, Amber teamed with the Conviction Integrity Unit in Dallas County where she testified as an expert witness in the Stephen Brodie case—the first and only Deaf person exonerated in the United States. She continues to consult and testify as an expert on numerous cases involving Deaf individuals and promotes Deaf rights through interpreter presentations and workshops.
In Chapter 10, “The Attorney - Client Relationship,” Ms. Farrelly discusses not just the role of the attorney and client, but the importance of the attorney-client relationship in terms of diligent representation and trust between the two. Ms. Farrelly gives the contextual background and history of the right to counsel as a criminal defendant in the U.S. justice system and how that right has evolved today. Ms. Farrelly discusses the complex duty of the attorney in representing clients and ensuring the right of due process and access to counsel through interpreters for Deaf persons today.
The chapter expands on the nuances of representing deaf clients and the various roles that interpreters play in the criminal justice system. The chapter explains the difference between confidentiality and privilege and what that means to both the client and the interpreters involved. Finally, Ms. Farrelly’s chapter discusses the special case of the incompetent client. In this section, both mental and linguistic competency are discussed and the implications of these situations under the law.
Farrelly, A. (2021). "The attorney-client relationship." In D. Guthmann, G. I. Lomas, D. Goff Paris, & G. A. Martin (Eds.), DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (pp. 212-228). Gallaudet University Press.
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/D/Deaf-People-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
Amber D. Farrelly, J.D. is a practicing criminal defense attorney licensed in the State of Texas and the U.S. Western District Federal Court. Amber specializes in Deaf clientele and is a BEI court-certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Beginning in 2009, she has worked with the Innocence Project, the Innocence Project of Texas and the Texas Civil Rights Project. In 2010, Amber teamed with the Conviction Integrity Unit in Dallas County where she testified as an expert witness in the Stephen Brodie case—the first and only Deaf person exonerated in the United States. She continues to consult and testify as an expert on numerous cases involving Deaf individuals and promotes Deaf rights through interpreter presentations and workshops.
In Chapter 10, “The Attorney - Client Relationship,” Ms. Farrelly discusses not just the role of the attorney and client, but the importance of the attorney-client relationship in terms of diligent representation and trust between the two. Ms. Farrelly gives the contextual background and history of the right to counsel as a criminal defendant in the U.S. justice system and how that right has evolved today. Ms. Farrelly discusses the complex duty of the attorney in representing clients and ensuring the right of due process and access to counsel through interpreters for Deaf persons today.
The chapter expands on the nuances of representing deaf clients and the various roles that interpreters play in the criminal justice system. The chapter explains the difference between confidentiality and privilege and what that means to both the client and the interpreters involved. Finally, Ms. Farrelly’s chapter discusses the special case of the incompetent client. In this section, both mental and linguistic competency are discussed and the implications of these situations under the law.









![7. Response: Doing the Right Thing Revisited
Hoza, Jack, & Shaffer, Laurie B. (2022). Response: Doing the Right Thing Revisited. In Laurie Swabey & Rachel E. Herring (Eds.), SIGNED LANGUAGE INTERPRETING PEDAGOGY: INSIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS FROM THE CONFERENCE OF INTERPRETER TRAINERS (pp. 125-145). Gallaudet University Press.
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/S/Signed-Language-Interpreting-Pedagogy
****This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.****
This chapter was co-written by Laurie Shaffer and myself, Jack Hoza. (The authors’ name signs are presented on the video.)
I gave a presentation at the CIT conference back in 1990 and the paper was published in the conference proceedings that year. The Bilingual-Bicultural Model was gaining traction in 1990, which included the recognition of oppression, the concept of ally, and the need to differentiate between both the relevant languages and cultures in one’s interpreting work. The interpreting field was starting to explore the implications of this new view of the interpreting process and so, for the CIT conference that year, I wanted to discuss the impact and implications of this view on teaching ethics in interpreting.
I proposed different activities to help teach ethical decision-making. The topics included, for example, oppression, diversity, becoming more aware and sensitive to context, and using critical thinking and one’s best judgment in an expanded view of ethical decision-making. The 1979 version of the Code of Ethics was in effect in 1990 and was largely rule-based in nature, and my goal was to recommend ways in which to aid students in applying this new approach to ethical decision-making.
Many areas have certainly changed since that time. First, the interpreting field has greater awareness of different approaches to the interpreting process. These include the following: (a) the cognitive processes involved in interpreting, (b) discourse analysis, (c) the interpreter as part of the interaction and dynamics of the interpreting environment, and (d) Demand Control Schema. Each of these represents a different view of the interpreting process, so the approach an interpreter uses can affect the interpreter’s thinking, decision-making, and possibly their ethical decisions. For example, if an interpreter follows one approach, the interpreter may well overlook a feature that is covered by another approach. Thus, interpreters are best served by being aware of the range of approaches to the interpreting process and broadening their understanding of the various approaches.
Second, interpreters’ ethical guidelines have changed as well. The Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) covers a wider range of professional and ethical concerns and is based on value statements rather than blanket rules. The CPC encourages interpreters to apply critical thinking skills and to use their best professional judgment.
Third, the Deaf community itself has changed. There used to be more Deaf Clubs and schools for deaf students across the country, but many of those have been scaled back or have folded altogether. Also, most deaf students currently graduate from mainstream programs. Furthermore, with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) many years ago, there are many more deaf professionals, so in addition to grassroots deaf people, interpreters now work with deaf professionals in greater numbers, adding to the range of deaf people that interpreters encounter. Also, the Deaf community is more aware of issues of identity and diversity. For example, there is a greater awareness of people of color (POC), “big-D” Deaf and “little d” deaf, and so on.
Fourth, interpreters used to work more on a freelance basis, and now they usually contract with an interpreter referral agency, and the referral agency typically has contracts with hospitals and other entities. Interpreters, then, are obligated to follow the policies of such entities. So, the question is, if an interpreter has a professional or ethical dilemma, does the interpreter follow the policy of the job site or the interpreter’s ethical guidelines? In addition, there is the perspective of the Deaf community and, furthermore, it depends on which deaf person one encounters, as there can be quite a range of expectations within the Deaf community. These factors represent the new context in which interpreters find themselves.
[Summary continues in the comments] 7. Response: Doing the Right Thing Revisited](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ef393uePCFk/mqdefault.jpg)
![19. Sign Language Interpreter Education in Sweden
Find out more at https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/internationalperspectives
Sign Language Interpreter Education in Sweden | Chapter summary in International Sign (IS)
Chapter authors: Malin Tesfazion, Elisabet Tiselius, and Johanna Mesch
From “International Perspectives on Sign Language Translator and Interpreter Education”
Edited by Jemina Napier, Stacey Webb, and Robert Adam
Published by Gallaudet University Press
**This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter authors.**
Visual description: Johanna is standing in the studio (blue background). She is a white woman with blond hair. She is wearing a dark blue blouse and is signing in International Sign.
Transcript:
In this chapter, we give an overview of sign language and sign language interpreting in Sweden. The deaf population consists of approximately 10,000 deaf persons and about 2,000 deafblind individuals. Sweden has 10.5 million inhabitants in total. Swedish Sign Language (svenskt teckenspråk [STS]) is the first language of the deaf population and interpreting services for deaf people have been developed since the late 1960s. Deaf people have the right to sign language interpreters for community services such as health care, family occasions (e.g., weddings and funerals), leisure, and some specific work-related instances.
Deaf children either attend a school for deaf students or are integrated into a mainstream classroom. Sign language interpreters work in both these contexts, although the numbers are low in mainstream educational settings. Sign language interpreting is more developed at the university level, since there are no universities with sign language as the language of teaching. In higher education, students have the right to interpreters for everything related to the university and social activities.
Sign language interpreter education in Sweden is organized both at the university level and at the postsecondary non-university level. The programs are three to four years long, and most students learn sign language during the program. Deaf people have access to both types of sign language interpreter education, however, due to STS being their first language, the education differs slightly. One shorter interpreting program offers speech-to-text interpreter education. At the university level there is also a theoretical MA program in translation studies, which can be focused on sign language interpreting. To date, there are two completed PhDs in the field of sign language interpreting in Sweden. There is also an active research community in sign language and interpreting.
At the time of the writing, we have seen an increased demand for speech-to-text interpreting and new technical developments in terms of speech recognition. We expect that future sign language interpreters will have to master slightly different skills than those needed today due to technological developments. 19. Sign Language Interpreter Education in Sweden](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f-rtLpaynGQ/mqdefault.jpg)