An interpreting agency for criminal defense attorneys and public defenders in Los Angeles.
AMS supplies court-certified interpreters from arraignment through trial, plus confidential attorney-client interview and detention visit interpreting, in the languages California and Nevada criminal calendars actually demand.
AMS's LA headquarters has supplied interpreters across the basin since 1999.
AMS at a glance
- Track record
- Founded 1999; 3,000+ clients served
- Offices
- Los Angeles (HQ), San Francisco, Las Vegas
- Coverage
- Nationwide across the United States, with local dispatch throughout California and Nevada
- Languages
- 200+, including rare and indigenous languages
- Court credentials
- California Court Interpreter Program; FCICE (federal Spanish)
- Medical credentials
- CCHI and NBCMI credentialed interpreters
- Sign language
- RID-certified ASL; Mexican Sign Language; CDI available
- Translation QA
- Independent second-linguist review on every translation before delivery
- Scheduling
- Online requests anytime; same-day and after-hours service; same-business-day quotes
- Remote platforms
- Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting, Doxy.me
- Compliance
- HIPAA-aware practice; Title VI and Section 1557 support; ADA Titles II and III
- Conflict policy
- Conflict logs maintained; no interpreter on both sides of an active matter
What we cover for criminal defense attorneys and public defenders
- Arraignments, preliminary hearings, and pretrial motions
- Suppression hearings and evidentiary hearings
- Trials, with two-interpreter teams for long proceedings per NAJIT guidance
- Witness interviews and investigation support
- Attorney-client communication and jail or detention visits
- Translation of discovery, transcripts, and foreign-language evidence
Standards we work under
- California Constitution, Article I, section 14 (right to an interpreter in criminal proceedings)
- California Court Interpreter Program certification
- NAJIT position papers on team interpreting and interpreter ethics
Courts and venues we cover in Los Angeles
AMS interpreters regularly appear at state and federal venues across the LA basin, Orange County, and the Inland Empire, including:
- Stanley Mosk Courthouse (LA Superior Court, civil)
- Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
- Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court (juvenile/dependency)
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Roybal Federal Building)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Pasadena seat)
- U.S. Immigration Court (Los Angeles)
- Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (Van Nuys, Long Beach, Marina del Rey district offices)
Offices AMS has served across criminal practice
- Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office
- Orange County District Attorney
- Clark County District Attorney
Representative clients of Access Multilingual Services. Listing of a client does not constitute an endorsement. See more representative clients.
Criminal Defense interpreting in Los Angeles: questions, answered
Does AMS provide criminal defense interpreters in Los Angeles?
Yes. AMS dispatches certified interpreters for criminal defense matters throughout the LA basin, Orange County, and the Inland Empire, with online requests accepted anytime. AMS's LA headquarters has supplied interpreters across the basin since 1999.
Which venues does AMS cover for criminal defense work in Los Angeles?
Assignments regularly cover Stanley Mosk Courthouse (LA Superior Court, civil); Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center; Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court (juvenile/dependency); and other venues across the LA basin, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
What languages come up most in criminal defense matters in Los Angeles?
Spanish leads by volume. Beyond Spanish, frequent requests include Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, and Armenian, and Los Angeles has the largest Armenian, Korean, and Farsi-speaking populations in the United States. AMS covers 200+ languages on request, including rare and indigenous languages.
Is a certified interpreter required in California criminal court?
Yes. The California Constitution, Article I, section 14, gives a criminal defendant who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings, and courts staff those proceedings with certified interpreters, or registered interpreters in languages with no certification exam. For defense-side work outside the courtroom, such as client interviews and detention visits, AMS supplies the same credentialed tier so privileged conversations are interpreted accurately.
How quickly can AMS confirm an interpreter for a criminal defense matter in Los Angeles?
Availability depends on language, venue, and timing. Online requests are accepted anytime, same-day and after-hours coverage is part of the standard offering, and quotes turn around the same business day. Call (800) 919-2029 to confirm availability for your date.
Can AMS handle remote criminal defense assignments in Los Angeles?
Yes. AMS interprets remote depositions, telehealth visits, and video proceedings on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting, and Doxy.me. Same-day video remote interpreting is available when on-site is not practical.
Related AMS pages
Criminal Defense overview
Arraignments through trial, witness interviews, detention visits, and discovery translation for the defense bar.
AMS Los Angeles office
All languages and services available from the Los Angeles office.
Legal Interpreting in Los Angeles
Certified court interpreters for depositions, EUOs, IMEs, arbitrations, mediations, and trials. State and federal court experience since 1999.
Schedule criminal defense interpreters in Los Angeles
Same-day requests welcome across the LA basin, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Tell us the date, language, and proceeding type, and we will confirm the right certified interpreter for your matter.