My name is Maria Vana. I am a Certified Legal Translator with a genuine passion for Law and Languages. I am a bilingual individual (Portuguese and Romanian native), which explains why, in 2015, I decided to turn my love for languages into a way of living. I also have a C2 Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English. One of my main goals is to become a polyglot (if you want to learn more about it, click here). Currently, I think, speak and write in three languages on a daily basis and I am usually in close contact with a total of five. Actually, I've always been in contact with foreign languages as long as I can remember and, as a result, I truly support multilingualism. The respect I have for other cultures, for humanity in general, and for human rights in particular, led me to become interested in Law as well. So much so, that upon graduating from Law School, I pursued a specialization immediately after. Of course it had to be in an area that knew no boundaries, ergo, a few years later, I obtained a Master's degree in International Legal Sciences.

​

As soon as I managed to figure out how to combine my two passions into a single field, I became a Legal Translator specialized in European Law & EU affairs. My main area of expertise is, in fact, EU case-law & legislation. Nevertheless, I also have a keen interest in other areas, such as: Banking & Economics; Finance & Investment; Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences, Healthcare & Bioethics; and Enviromental Law & Policy.

​

I always make it a priority to provide my clients with high-quality language services and especially with accurate and reliable translations, so even though I already had an academic background in Law, a few years into working as a legal translator, I decided to take on a Graduate Program in Translation Studies along with extensive CAT Tools training, in order to expand my knowledge, and be able to offer different services tailored to every client's needs. And since I don't mind sharing what I know with newcomers in the language industry, after completing my studies, I created a mentoring program based on what I had learned during my training and on my own professional experience which has grown and diversified over the years. Feel free to learn more about all my services   here  .

 

One of the things I value most as a lawyer-linguist is credibility, which is in fact the greatest currency. And with that in mind, right at the beginning of my career, I started working with law firms, national and international courts, law enforcement, European institutions and NGOs, because I wanted to be challenged and learn from the best. So far, it has been a very interesting and rewarding journey, full of personal and professional growth, allowing me to gain the experience and confidence that I needed. However, since I plan to put even more emphasis on my trustworthiness as this is something that every client looks for and values, in March of 2024, I decided to take it a step further and reach out to embassies and consulates to offer my services to Portuguese and American expats. As a result, and because I mean business, I am now on the official list of approved translators for several Portuguese Embassies and Consulates to the United States, as well as for the US Embassy & Consulate in Portugal.  

 

Without disregarding the services I normally provide, it is also worth mentioning that in 2023 I was invited to teach classes in Portuguese in Introduction to Law. I gladly honored the invitation in an effort to debunk common legal misconceptions and dispel certain fears that students looking to specialize in legal translation often have.

​

Among many things I occupy my time with, I also do volunteer translation work for TRANSLATORS WITHOUT BORDERS, and I am a volunteer mentor for WOMEN IN LOCALIZATION. Giving back is the foundation on which I am built.

​

If I could pick one quote to define my work ethic, it would probably have to be the Latin principle of law "Pacta Sunt Servanda", since it embodies the traditional idea based on keeping one’s word, meaning: I honor my commitments, and I deliver what I promise.

 

As a final note, I would like to add that I am a member of APT, APMJ, and APTRAD. 

 

Should you be interested in finding out more about my credentials, you can by clicking  here .

​