Press Release

Navigating the legal system can be stressful for anyone. For non-English-speakers, though, going to court can be particularly intimidating and confusing.

But North Carolina lawyers now have a new tool to assist Spanish-speaking clients, thanks in large part to Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice attorney Hada de Varona Haulsee.

Haulsee co-authored and translated Critical Terms in Criminal Proceedings in Spanish and English. The new guide is published by the North Carolina Bar Association and describes 110 important, common legal terms in Spanish.

What makes the guide unique, Haulsee said, is that it includes plainly-written explanations – in both English and Spanish – of these terms, so that an attorney can explain exactly what is happening to his or her client.

“It’s not just a glossary,” Haulsee said. “The purpose of the book is to help lawyers who know some Spanish communicate with their clients.” And unlike other, more general guides, Critical Terms in Criminal Proceedings in Spanish and English is written specifically about North Carolina law.

She said an attorney with a basic knowledge of Spanish, such as someone who studied the language in high school, would be able to use the guide. Haulsee, a Cuban native and fluent Spanish speaker, co-wrote the term descriptions and translated the text into Spanish. Raleigh attorney Katy Chavez, Durham attorney Meredith Nicholson and Orange County District Court Judge Alonzo Coleman also worked on the project.

The travel-sized book, which is a project of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Hispanic/Latino Lawyer Committee, came about because attorneys said they needed help communicating with Spanish-speaking clients. North Carolina’s Hispanic population grew by 394 percent in the 1990s, according to the 2000 Census, more than any other state in the nation. Attorneys must be able to effectively communicate with these clients to ensure they receive fair, equal treatment under the law.

While the book’s primary goal is to break down communication barriers between attorneys and their clients, Haulsee also hopes that it will standardize the Spanish translations of many important legal terms. Most Spanish-speaking countries have a much different legal system than the United States, she explained, so there may not be a direct Spanish equivalent of many legal terms.

Critical Terms in Criminal Proceedings in Spanish and English also includes community resources for the Hispanic community as well as a list of Web sites for attorneys representing Latino clients.

Haulsee, a Womble Carlyle member, has been with The Firm since 1981 and practices in the Product Liability Litigation group.

The North Carolina Bar Association is selling copies at cost for $12 each.

Click here to download an order form to purchase a copy via mail.