Scholarships for NM Court Employees

LANGUAGE ACCESS SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION

Tuition for FY23 has been waived.

 

TRAINING & SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES OF THE NM JUDICIARY

The New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts periodically makes scholarships available in for bilingual employees of the NM Judiciary to participate in the Language Access Specialist certification training.

As a result of this training, a court employee will have a strong ethical and professional foundation that will enable them to use their bilingual abilities to enhance language access within their court. Certified Language Access Specialists may also be eligible for a $1.00 an hour salary increase.

Who is eligible for these scholarships?

Current employees in good standing of the New Mexico Judiciary who are bilingual and approved for admission to the Language Access Certification Program offered by NMCLA according to NMCLA's standard screening criteria.

What is the scholarship application process?

  1. Complete NMCLA application process.

  2. Complete NMCLA interview and be approved for admission.

  3. Upon approval for admission, ask your supervisor to email a recommendation letter that explains why your court needs that you get trained as a LAS to Bernice A Ramos: aocbar@nmcourts.gov.

  4. Scholarship applicants will receive notification of scholarship award or denial.

What are the obligations of the scholarship recipient?

  1. If you are awarded a scholarship you must be willing and allowed to accept assignments, which require you to use your bilingual abilities, even if these assignments are outside of your regularly assigned work duties.

  2. You must participate in a minimum of two continuing education training sessions offered by AOC during each 12 month period following your certification.

How will the scholarship awards be determined?

The Scholarship Committee is comprised of Arthur Pepin, AOC Director or his designee; Karen Janes, Director of the Magistrate Court Division or her designee; Weldon Neff, Chair of the NM Court Interpreter Advisory Committee and CEO of the Eleventh Judicial District Court; and Pamela Sanchez, Statewide Program Manager of Court Interpreter & Jury Services.

Criteria for making scholarship awards will include, but not be limited to:

  1. Written statements of recommendation from the immediate supervisor and court executive officer or chief clerk, which also describe how the employee's certification will benefit the court's language access efforts. If you have or are developing your court's language access plan please include specifics regarding why this employee was selected, what related duties you envision the employee fulfilling as a result of the training, how this certified language access specialist will complement your language access plan.

  2. Language access needs in the court or service area where the applicant is employed.

  3. Number of currently certified Language Access Specialists at the court (will be considered in tandem with the demographics of the community - #3 and the court's language access plan #1).

  4. Recommendation of NMCLA regarding applicant's language skills.