More About Leonard Morin
Career, scholarship, and the track record behind the candidacy.
The Working Interpreter
Staff Spanish interpreter at Manhattan Criminal Court since 2015. Federally certified court interpreter (2022). Graduate of the Southern California School of Interpretation and the Court Interpreter Training Institute at the University of Arizona. Interpreting professionally since 2005.
Education
- B.A. Spanish and Latin American Studies, Columbia University, magna cum laude.
- Antonio G. Mier Prize for excellence in Spanish (2004).
- Certificate of Outstanding Achievement in the Study of German Language and Literature.
- Propedeuse degree in Dutch law, Open Universiteit (Netherlands).
Languages
Spanish, Dutch, German, English. Lived in Amsterdam (8 years), Ecuador (1 year), Germany (several months). Native of Detroit.
Professional Leadership
- Has presented to interpreters and lawyers about interpreter professional standards and working conditions.
- Former chair of the Local 1070 Court Interpreter's Chapter (2020-2023).
- Former delegate of Local 1070 to DC37 (2017-2020).
- Former chair of the NYCT nominating committee (2015–2023).
- Former secretary of the NYCT (2017).
- Former president of the New York Circle of Translators (2012–2014).
Scholarship and Publications
Co-author of The Evolution of a Profession: On the Reclassification of New York State Court Interpreters (NAJIT, 2019), with Álvaro de Prat and David Wayne — the foundational document for the interpreter reclassification fight.
Approximately twenty articles published across:
- NAJIT Observer
- Proteus
- The Gotham Translator
- Truthout
- Alterinfos.org
- Monthly Review
- bilaterals.org
Topics span court interpreting, language access, professionalization, and Latin American politics and economy.
Why It Matters
Two decades of public, sourced, on-the-record advocacy and scholarship — building the professional standards, training, reclassification framework, and salary demands that benefit every member of this local. Members deserve a leader whose record can be read, cited, and verified.