Lawyer linguist to translator
A lawyer linguist already meets 31% of what the translator role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.
74.3/ 100
1 How much of what a translator is expected to do is already part of a lawyer linguist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the translator role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A translator role treats 9 of its required skills as things a lawyer linguist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply grammar and spelling rules
- follow translation quality standards
- grammar
- observe confidentiality
- proofread text
- review translation works
What stands in the way is 15 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A translator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a lawyer linguist background worth leading with.
- already held revise translation works communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held review translation works communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held follow translation quality standards management skills
- already held translate texts communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held court interpreting arts and humanities
- already held improve translated texts communication, collaboration and creativity
All 16 carried skills, including the 9 the translator role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 44 missing skills fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn comprehend the material to be translated required
- still to learn follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities required
- still to learn translate different types of texts required
- still to learn translate tags required
- still to learn master language rules required
- still to learn preserve original text required
- still to learn provide written content required
- still to learn update language skills required
- optional, not held make abstracts optional
- optional, not held work with authors optional
- optional, not held create subtitles optional
- optional, not held make surtitles optional
- optional, not held perform sworn translations optional
- optional, not held adapt text culturally optional
- optional, not held analyse text before translation optional
- optional, not held coach employees optional
- optional, not held translate spoken language optional
- optional, not held type texts from audio sources optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
- optional, not held write scientific publications optional
- still to learn develop a translation strategy required
- still to learn consult information sources required
- still to learn maintain updated professional knowledge required
- still to learn use dictionaries required
- optional, not held keep up with language evolution optional
- optional, not held develop terminology databases optional
- optional, not held identify new words optional
- optional, not held conduct scholarly research optional
- optional, not held decode handwritten texts optional
- optional, not held develop technical glossaries optional
- still to learn information confidentiality required
- still to learn office software required
- still to learn spelling required
- optional, not held unseen translation optional
- optional, not held literature optional
- optional, not held semantics optional
- optional, not held types of literature genres optional
- optional, not held follow work schedule optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
- optional, not held use translation memory software optional
- optional, not held use word processing software optional
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a translator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 comprehend the material to be translated practise this
- 02 develop a translation strategy practise this
- 03 follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 16 skills that carry over
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held follow translation quality standards skill
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held observe confidentiality skill
- already held proofread text skill
- already held review translation works skill
- already held revise translation works skill
- already held speak different languages skill
- already held translate texts skill
- already held court interpreting knowledge
- already held improve translated texts skill
- already held linguistics knowledge
- already held technical terminology knowledge
- already held translate language concepts skill
- already held use computer-aided translation skill
- already held use consulting techniques skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held transcreation optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- optional, not held postediting optional
29 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held keep up with language evolution optional
- optional, not held make abstracts optional
- optional, not held work with authors optional
- optional, not held create subtitles optional
- optional, not held develop terminology databases optional
- optional, not held identify new words optional
- optional, not held make surtitles optional
- optional, not held perform sworn translations optional
- optional, not held postediting optional
- optional, not held transcreation optional
- optional, not held unseen translation optional
- optional, not held adapt text culturally optional
- optional, not held analyse text before translation optional
- optional, not held coach employees optional
- optional, not held conduct scholarly research optional
- optional, not held decode handwritten texts optional
- optional, not held develop technical glossaries optional
- optional, not held follow work schedule optional
- optional, not held literature optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- optional, not held semantics optional
- optional, not held translate spoken language optional
- optional, not held type texts from audio sources optional
- optional, not held types of literature genres optional
- optional, not held use translation memory software optional
- optional, not held use word processing software optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
- optional, not held write scientific publications optional
16 held skills the translator role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role EU law knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on legal decisions skill
- not needed by the target role analyse legal evidence skill
- not needed by the target role compile legal documents skill
- not needed by the target role cooperate in linguistic process steps skill
- not needed by the target role court procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role draft legislation skill
- not needed by the target role ensure consistency of translation works in multiple target languages skill
- not needed by the target role ensure quality of legislation skill
- not needed by the target role interpret law skill
- not needed by the target role legal research knowledge
- not needed by the target role legal terminology knowledge
- not needed by the target role liaise with government officials skill
- not needed by the target role read pre-drafted texts skill
- not needed by the target role study court hearings skill
- not needed by the target role terminology knowledge
10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn information confidentiality required
- still to learn office software required
- still to learn spelling required
- optional, not held postediting optional
- optional, not held transcreation optional
- optional, not held unseen translation optional
- optional, not held literature optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- optional, not held semantics optional
- optional, not held types of literature genres optional
Common questions about this move
Can a lawyer linguist become a translator?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A lawyer linguist already covers 31% of what a translator is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 9 of which the translator role treats as required.
What skills does a lawyer linguist need to become a translator?
15 required skills are missing, plus 29 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is comprehend the material to be translated.
How hard is the move from lawyer linguist to translator?
Its learning distance is 74.3 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.