Translation Services

By utilizing an over-the-telephone interpretation service, the administrative law judge can access a pool of experienced court-certified interpreters that speak over 170 different languages.  The administrative law judge uses a speaker telephone to call the language interpretation service.  Within seconds the hearing room is connected to an interpreter who can translate the entire hearing.   The administrative law judge, the respondent, the attorneys, and the witnesses all speak normally to the interpreter using the speaker telephone.  The interpreter translates back and forth between English and the other language.  This service is provided at no cost to the respondent, the attorneys or the witnesses.    

Interpreters for the Hearing Impaired

Hearing impaired customers in need of American Sign Language assistance can contact our office at 312.742.4747 with their hearing date information in order to request an interpreter.  Customers can still bring an interpreter with them to the hearing.

Legal Aid Help Desk

A legal aid help desk is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Central Hearing Facility, 400 West Superior St., Room 121.  The help desk provides free legal advice on a first come first served basis to low income Chicagoans with pending hearings for municipal code violations. 

The help desk is jointly funded by the City and the Chicago Bar Foundation.  It is independently operated and staffed by attorneys from CARPLS (the Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services).  The help desk attorneys do not represent clients in administrative hearings, but they do explain municipal code violations and hearing procedures, provide how-to advice on presenting evidence, and also assist with paperwork.  The help desk attorneys can also provide referrals to other legal aid programs, social-service programs and governmental agencies. http://www.carpls.org/