Judy Cortés grew up in Uruguay and arrived in California as a high school student. She attended UCLA and studied for a year in Spain, later graduating with a B.A. and a Masters in Spanish.
Her Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures was completed while employed as an Assistant Professor of Spanish at the University of Hawaii. Back in California she taught translation courses at the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies (Middlebury), and spent two years at the Defense Language Institute as a Spanish course developer.
Judy passed the ATA exam, but decided to work in bilingual education. For fifteen years she taught in public schools and became active interpreting and translating in her school district. She obtained the state interpreting certificate and worked in the courts. She has presented frequently at conferences focusing on educational interpreting. This lead to her long term involvement with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as a rater of candidates seeking their federal court interpreting certification.
When CSUMB opened its door to incoming students, she became the Field Placement Coordinator, overseeing the placement and supervision of credential candidates. She taught pedagogy and methodology courses and spent one semester as a Fulbright Scholar in Chile where she taught Court Interpreting.
Judy continues to interpret in legal and medical settings and is the author of Introduction to Educational Interpreting and Translation.
