GUIA BILINGUE LEGAL PARA TODOS/ BILINGUAL LEGAL GUIDE FOR ALL

About the Book

Superior education can only be obtained by acquiring information. Laws are fundamental parts of our lives. Knowing them should be a requisite of basic knowledge and indispensable for each individual who lives in the United States. The primary objective of this book is to make a bilingual legal book available to all who enjoy learning and need information about the legal world: judges, lawyers, legal secretaries, law students, paralegals, students in the political sciences, employees of the court, and any individual who is interested in understanding the rights and laws of a citizen of the United States. As you know, the vocabulary used in law books, whether it is written in Spanish or English, is very technical and therefore difficult to understand. Learning law terminology can be compared to learning a foreign language. As a knowledgeable professional, I encountered these problems when I was reading various law books, and it is one of the reasons that I was motivated to write this book. When I worked at the Norwalk Superior Court in Norwalk, California, under the supervision of Mr. Edward Hinz, I was privileged to become acquainted with the various judges, district attorneys, paralegals, clerks, legal secretaries, and officers. Although I realized that most were well acquainted with English legal terminology, I also observed that many people who came to court to represent themselves in “propria persona” didn’t know or understand the correct legal terminology to be able to present their simple cases nor could they understand how to fill out the technical forms required. I am confident that this book will be a useful resource and that it can be easily used by all who want to become familiar with legal terms in English and Spanish. This book covers nine areas of law: alternative dispute resolutions, bankruptcy, business law, criminal law, family law, juvenile procedures, probate, real estate law/landlord and tenant, and wills and trusts. The terms are presented in English and Spanish. It is organized in such a manner that every term can be easily translated and understood. Each division contains the terms that are necessary for each area of law. Obviously, individuals who are already bilingual will have an advantage. Nevertheless, those who are not bilingual but who are interested in learning legal terms in Spanish or English, for one reason or another, will benefit from this book as well.

About the Author

Acerca De La Autora Al convertirme en ciudadana de los Estados Unidos en 1995, me propusé escribir un libro en el que combinaría mi conocimiento bilingue de Español e Inglés. Este libro de terminología legal es una culminación de mi determinación y la prueba de como los antecedentes linguísticos hacen tal escritura posible. Recibí mi Bachillerato en Artes en Inglés y Francés en la Universidad Central de Quito, la capital del Ecuador. Vine a California en 1983 con la esperanza de estudiar mi masterado en Educación y de convertirme en una profesora a nivel secundario y fui aceptada inmediatamente en un colegio secundario Católico que se llamaba, “Regina Caeli” en Compton, California donde enseñé todos los níveles de lenguaje español incluyendo literatura avanzada, tanto como Inglés como segundo idioma, Francés, y Contabilidad y cursos a nivel universitario tales como Literatura en español. En 1987 recibí un Maestrado con honores en Educación, especializándome en Curriculum e Instrucción, en la Universidad de St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. El mismo año me casé y consecuentemente tuve cuatro hijos: Rey, Regina, David y Alexander Morales Izurieta. Adicionalmente, fui llamada a traducir libros técnicos y manuales y a enseñar Inglés en una industria local. Durante mis estudios como asistente de abogado en la Corte Superior de Norwalk, California obtuve valiosa experiencia en procedimientos legales y el sistema al trabajar con profesionales de la corte bajo la valiosa supervisión del Señor Edward Hinz III, en ese tiempo Asistente Supervisor de la Corte de Norwalk. Desde 1983 he tenido un importante papel integral en el sistema de las escuelas católicas de la Arquidiócesis de Los Angeles como profesora de Colegios secundarios. Trabajé en Regina Caeli High School, Queen of Angels Academy, Cathedral High School, Junipero Serra High School, y Saint Matthias High School in Downey, California. He enseñado todos los níveles de español incluyendo Español avanzado y Literatura. Introducción a Leyes, Negocios, y Religión. Mi consejo para todas las alumnas que he enseñado es que todas deben estudiar leyes especialmente de familia y criminal. Si todas las escuelas tuvieran en su plan de estudios,-cursos de leyes, en el mundo, no habrían tantos problemas porque la juventud estaría informada. El escribir este libro fue un sueño que me tomo muchos años pero al final lo pude terminar gracias al amor y ayuda de Dios y de personas increíbles como las que he mencionado en este libro. ABOUT THE AUTHOR When I became a citizen of the United States in 1995, I determined to write a book in which I would combine my bilingual expertise in Spanish and English. This present work, Bilingual Legal Guide Aid for All, is both the fulfillment of my determination and an indication of how one’s linguistic antecedents make such writing possible. I took my bachelor of arts degree in English and French at the Central University in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. I came to California in 1983 with the hope of obtaining a master’s degree in education. I was lucky because I was soon accepted as a high school teacher at local Catholic high school named Regina Caeli High School in Compton, California, where I taught all levels of the Spanish language, including AP Spanish literature, as well as English as a second language, French, and accounting. In 1987, I received a master’s degree in education, specializing in curriculum and instruction, at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. The same year I married and subsequently had four children, Rey, Regina, David, and Alexander Morales Izurieta. Additionally, I was called upon to translate technical books and manuals at an industrial concern. During my studies for the paralegal certificate, I interned at the Norwalk Superior Court, Norwalk, California. I gained valuable hands-on experience in legal procedures and the court system by working alongside court professionals under the valuable supervision of Mr. Edward Hinz III, who at that time was the assistant supervisor of the Norwalk Court. Since 1983 I had played an integral role in the Archdiocesan Catholic High School System of Los Angeles as a high school teacher, among the schools I taught are Regina Caeli High School /Queen of Angels Academy, Cathedral High School, Junipero Serra High School, and Saint Matthias High School. I believe that every young people should have some knowledge of family law, criminal law, etc. Many problems will be avoided if family law and criminal law classes were part of the curriculum in every high school. Finally, I would like to advice everyone to never stop following their dreams. I dreamed of writing this book; it took me so many years, but I did it with the help of God and amazing people as the ones I mentioned in this book.