On March 8th, the Language Resource Center hosted a fantastic panel discussion on translation and interpretation in medical, legal and literary fields. Guest speakers included Dr. Fawzi El Shafei, UM Interpreter Services; Nessma Bashi, Iraqi Refugee Assistance Program; Megan Berkobien, Department of Comparative Literature. Dr. El Shafei discussed the importance of being flexible when working with patients speaking a wide range of dialects. She also attended to the difficult dynamic of responding to patients in pain, and the necessity of distance in her work. Much like Dr. El Shafei, Ms. Bashi described her own emotional struggles in preparing refugees to stand in court. She also underscored the devastating need for legal interpretation in muslim communities like those in Dearborn and Detroit. Ms. Berkobien rounded up the panel with her own experience with the publishing world and how to get your foot in the world of literary translation.