Big News! The Original UCLA Extension Team Reunites!

Exciting News! Jessie Liu Joins The Chinese Court Interpreters!

We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Jessie Liu, a renowned California Court Certified and U.S. Federal Court Qualified Mandarin interpreter, to The Chinese Court Interpreters!

Jessie joins our founding instructors, Tracy Ma and Mia Mu, to reunite the original UCLA Extension Legal Interpretation and Translation Program faculty. Each brings years of courtroom and teaching experience, a deep understanding of the profession, and a shared passion for excellence in interpreter training.

Together, this powerhouse team is launching one of the most comprehensive and practice-oriented court interpreting programs available，designed to help students build real-world skills, confidence, and professional success.

Our Courses

About The Chinese Court Interpreters

Our Story

The Chinese Court Interpreters was founded by Tracy Ma and Mia Mu, both California Court Certified Mandarin Interpreters, who share a common vision, to create a professional learning platform dedicated to the training and advancement of Chinese-speaking court interpreters.

Drawing on years of courtroom practice and teaching experience, they recognized a lack of quality resources tailored for Mandarin interpreters. To bridge that gap, they built a supportive community where interpreters can learn, grow, and connect , guided by instructors who truly understand both the profession and the challenges of certification.

What We Offer

Interpreter Training Courses

The Chinese Court Interpreters offers:

State Certification Exam Preparation Courses: intensive training in written exam prep class, sight translation, consecutive interpreting, and simultaneous interpreting.
One-on-One Coaching: personalized sessions tailored to individual learning goals.
Continuing Education (CIMCE-Approved) Courses: year-round online classes and webinars for certified interpreters to fulfill their continuing education requirements.

Rooted in professional integrity and hands-on experience, The Chinese Court Interpreters continues to empower interpreters at every stage, from aspiring learners to seasoned professionals, helping them build confidence, refine their craft, and thrive in their careers.

A Growing Community of Interpreters

Building Connections Beyond Borders

Today, our students come from across the United States, not only from California, but also from New York, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, and Hawaii, among many others.

We now have several students from across Canada as well. Their participation has made our community even more diverse and dynamic, connecting interpreters beyond borders and time zones.

What began as a small effort to support a few aspiring interpreters has grown into a vibrant nationwide community. At The Chinese Court Interpreters, we are not only building a place to learn but we are building a professional home for Chinese interpreters from every corner of the country.

Here, students and professionals come together to share experiences, exchange ideas, and inspire one another. They support each other’s growth, celebrate milestones, and open doors to new career opportunities. It has truly become a family which connects Chinese interpreters across states and time zones, bound by a shared language, shared values, and a shared commitment to excellence.

testimonials

Our Elite Instructors

Lijuan (Tracy) Ma

Lijuan (Tracy) Ma is a California Court Certified Mandarin Interpreter currently serving with the Los Angeles Superior Court. She also leads the Legal Interpretation and Translation Program at UCLA Extension, where she has been a dedicated instructor since 2014.

Originally from Beijing, Ms. Ma graduated from the University of Science and Technology Beijing with a degree in English Language and Literature. Having lived in the United States for nearly two decades, she brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to her teaching and interpreting work.

Over the years, Ms. Ma has accumulated extensive experience across both public and private sectors, including legal, medical, and conference interpreting, as well as numerous specialized fields. Her deep understanding of courtroom procedures, combined with her real-world experience, allows her to bridge theory and practice for aspiring interpreters.

Explaining her motivation for creating these courses, Ms. Ma shares:

“There are very few continuing education programs conducted in Mandarin. I wanted to create something accessible and relevant, a series of specialized courses that fill the gap in professional training and empower interpreters to reach their full potential.”

In addition to her work in the courts and classrooms, Ms. Ma is passionate about mentoring the next generation of interpreters. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes clarity, professionalism, and cultural competence, encouraging students not only to pass certification exams but also to build lasting careers with confidence and purpose.

Jessie Liu

Jessie Liu is a California court-certified Mandarin interpreter and U.S. federal court qualified interpreter with extensive experience interpreting in legal and courtroom settings. As a freelance interpreter and translator, she has provided language access in criminal, civil, immigration, and administrative proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.

Jessie earned her Master of Arts in Conference Interpreting from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS). In addition to her court work, she regularly provides simultaneous interpretation at high-profile conferences and events.

Since 2019, Jessie has taught in the English and Chinese Legal Interpretation and Translation Program at UCLA Extension, where she trains aspiring interpreters to meet professional standards of accuracy, ethics, and courtroom procedure. She also teaches in other interpreter-training programs and conducts workshops nationwide on certification preparation and interpreting skills. Her passion for teaching and commitment to excellence continue to shape the next generation of legal interpreters.

Additionally, Jessie is an active advocate for the T&I profession. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Translators Association. She also hosts the ATA Chinese Language Division podcast in which she invites professionals in the T&I field to talk about the most important and trending issues.

Xiaotian (Mia) Mu

Xiaotian (Mia) Mu is a California Court Certified currently serving with the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She is also an instructor in the Legal Interpretation and Translation Program at UCLA Extension, where she trains future interpreters to meet the highest professional standards.

Ms. Mu earned her Master’s degree in Translation and Interpreting and her Bachelor’s degree in English from Nankai University, one of China’s top universities. With a solid academic background and professional interpreter training, she demonstrated exceptional aptitude from an early stage, consistently ranking among the top of her class. During her student years, she actively participated in international exchange programs and provided both interpretation and translation services for major events, including the World Economic Forum in Tianjin (Summer Davos).

After moving to the United States, Ms. Mu devoted herself to the field of court interpreting, combining her academic rigor with extensive courtroom experience. Over the years, she has built a reputation for her precision, professionalism, and dedication to excellence.

As an instructor, Ms. Mu is known for her systematic approach and practical insight. She integrates theory with real-world practice, offering highly targeted feedback and personalized guidance to help students overcome challenges and achieve professional growth. Her teaching is marked by patience, clarity, and a deep understanding of how interpreters learn and improve — making her both a respected mentor and a role model in the community.