Episode 1 of the Spanish for Lawyers Podcast is now live – and we’re breaking down the essentials of filing a court pleading and navigating courthouse personnel!

TYLA Directors Jack Hurd and Lisa Luz Parker guide listeners through the fact pattern a self‑represented litigant who must file his Respuesta (Answer) and a Moción de Prórroga (Motion to Extend Time) while feeling unsure about the process, the terminology, and who works in the courthouse.

This short‑and‑sweet episode introduces key vocabulary – from el juez to plazos procesales – and offers clear, confidence‑building explanations designed for attorneys strengthening their legal Spanish and educators seeking practical, classroom‑ready content.

Be sure to review the episode notes below, where you’ll find a curated list of all terminology discussed today plus classroom prompts that make it easy to bring this material directly into teaching!

You can find this episode and all future episodes here: https://tyla.org/resource/spanish-for-lawyers-podcast/

#tyla #texasyounglawyers #legalpodcast #spanishforlawyers #legalspanish #bilinguallawyers

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Episode 1 – Court Pleadings & Court Personnel

Terms Used:

• Defendant – El/La Acusado(a) or Demandado(a)
• Answer – Respuesta
• Motion – Moción or Petición
• Extension of time – Prórroga
• Deadline - Plazos procesales
• Hearing - Audiencia en el tribunal
• Trial/Court Proceeding – Juicio or Procedimiento Judicial
• Judgment/verdict – El jucio or la sentencia
• Clerk – Secretario del Tribunal
• Judge – El/La Juez
• Bailiff – El Alguacil
• Court Coordinator – Administrador/a de Causas
• Filing – Presentar documentos or presentación de documentos
• Case number – Numero de caso
• Pro se/Self‑represented litigant – Litigante sin abogado or pro se

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Classroom Prompts:

Let’s practice a court‑filing conversation using Spanish legal vocabulary! In pairs, choose Scenario A or Scenario B and create a five‑minute role‑play.

Use at least five (5) Spanish vocabulary words from today’s episode, such as: demandado, respuesta, moción, audiencia en el tribunal, or presentación de documentos.

At the end of your role‑play, you must finish with a clear acuerdo statement in Spanish – a brief agreement summarizing what the clerk and the litigant decided. 😊

Scenario A – Filing on Time

• Litigant goal: Understand what an Answer (respuesta) is and make sure it is filed correctly.
• Clerk goal: Explain the filing process and help the litigant meet the plazos procesales (deadlines).
• Required elements:
  • The litigant must ask what a respuesta is.
  • The clerk must explain the importance of the número de caso.
  • The conversation must include one next step, such as scheduling an audiencia en el tribunal.

Scenario B – Requesting More Time

• Litigant goal: File a moción asking for a prórroga (extension of time).
• Clerk goal: Explain how to submit the motion and what happens if deadlines are missed.
• Required elements:
  • The litigant must ask about plazos procesales.
  • The clerk must explain what happens after filing (possible audiencia or procedimiento judicial).
  • The litigant must confirm they are filing as a litigante sin abogado.

The Spanish for Lawyers Podcast is back and fresh out of the oven! 🥐🔥🎙️Meet TYLA directors Jenée Duran, Lisa Luz Parker, and Jack Hurd as they kick off Season 2!

As National Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close this week, we’re celebrating the rich linguistic and cultural contributions that shape our legal community. We’re proud to continue uplifting bilingual legal education and expanding access to Spanish‑language tools for attorneys, educators, and the communities they serve!

In Episode 0, our hosts introduce our new theme, “Pan Dulces: Spanish in Small Bites” (hence, the conchas-themed flyer!), a season built around short-and-sweet, practical, and approachable episodes designed to help attorneys strengthen their legal Spanish skills one bite at a time.

This season also expands our reach to educators, offering concise, classroom‑ready segments that make it easy to incorporate real‑world legal Spanish into teaching. Whether you’re practicing law, preparing future lawyers, or simply sharpening your language toolkit, these episodes are crafted to meet you where you are!

You can find this and all future episodes here: https://tyla.org/resource/spanish-for-lawyers-podcast/

Vamos! Season 2 is ready to serve!

TYLA District 15 Director Jack Hurd joins Julia Rubio as co-host on this episode of the Spanish for Lawyers Podcast featuring Laredo-based attorney Daniella Barrera Martinez. Daniela discusses her upbringing as a native Spanish speaker and the frequent use of the language in her family law practice, emphasizing its importance in building client trust. The episode concludes with a practical review of Spanish legal terminology and a mock client consultation.

🎧 Listen at the link below or on any podcast platform: https://tyla.org/resource/spanish-for-lawyers-podcast/.

Want to jump to a specific segment? Head to Buzzsprout for chapter markers and quick links: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2611763/episodes/19050979.

#spanishforlawyers #tyla #younglawyers #legalspanish #legaleducation #cle #bilinguallawyers #accesstojustice #laredo #southtexas #familylaw