Resume

About

I am an access to justice advocate, a multilingual professional, and a PhD in Law student at the University of Washington School of Law. My research takes an interdisciplinary approach, exploring the intersection of law, technology, linguistics, and public policy. I examine the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging AI-powered interpretation and translation technologies, particularly their impact on meaningful access to justice in judicial and administrative proceedings for speakers of non-dominant languages.

With over 10 years of dedicated service as a court-credentialed Swahili language interpreter both in Washington state and beyond, my multi-jurisdictional experience has given me unique insight into the nuances of how justice is administered throughout the United States, highlighting both its complexities and challenges.

Beyond courtroom interpretation, I collaborate with law firms, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to ensure language access. I have witnessed firsthand how language barriers become justice barriers, and how the stakes of language justice extend far beyond translation and interpretation services.

Committed to advancing access to justice, I serve as an Interpreter Representative Commissioner on the Washington State Supreme Court Interpreter and Language Access Commission (ILAC). In the past, I have served on the board of the Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society and volunteered with Social Justice Fund Northwest and the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, supporting initiatives that strengthen community health and justice.

I hold a Master of Jurisprudence from the University of Washington School of Law with a focus on Technology and Health Law, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management. I am dedicated to improving access to justice and health equity, serving my community, and addressing the challenges faced by many immigrants and refugees.

Presentations & Speaking Engagements

Ensuring Language Access in Civil Protection Order Hearings
Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts · PORT Project · Statewide Webinar
November 2025 · Washington State

I served as a featured panelist for a statewide judicial education webinar examining language access standards and interpreter practices in civil protection order proceedings, contributing frontline practitioner expertise and policy perspective to an audience of judges, court administrators, and legal professionals across Washington State.

Color of Justice Program
Washington State Bar Association
2025 · Washington State

I participated in the Color of Justice Program, a statewide initiative connecting law students and legal professionals of color with judges and practitioners to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession, and engaged in dialogue on access to justice, representation, and the future of law for underserved communities.

COVID-19 Public Health Communication for Swahili-Speaking Communities
Public Health – King County · Washington State Public Health
2020–2021 · King County, Washington

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I collaborated with Public Health – King County to translate culturally relevant education materials for the Swahili-speaking community and provide voice-over recordings, demonstrating the importance of coordinated, culturally sensitive public health interventions. Watch a Swahili video with Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Experience

PhD in Law Student
University of Washington School of Law
September 2026 – Present · Seattle, WA

• Pursuing doctoral research at the intersection of law, technology, public policy, and linguistics, with a focus on AI-powered interpretation and translation technologies in judicial and administrative proceedings.
• Examining the legal, ethical, and policy dimensions of AI governance frameworks as they affect language access and access to justice for individuals who speak languages other than the dominant language.
• My research is grounded in over a decade of frontline practice as a court-credentialed interpreter and healthcare professional — bringing practitioner depth to questions that existing legal scholarship has not yet fully addressed.

Court, Medical & Social Services Credentialed Interpreter — Swahili-English
Independent Contractor · Nationwide
2011 – Present

• For over a decade, provided critical interpretation across Washington state courts, government agencies, education institutions, hospitals, and social services — serving immigrants and refugees, whose access to justice, health care, education, housing and public services depends entirely on accurate, culturally competent language access.
• Interpreted in civil protection order hearings, domestic violence and sexual assault proceedings, mental health evaluations, child welfare cases, and immigration matters — bearing direct witness to how language barriers become justice barriers in the highest-stakes institutional settings.

Patient Relations Manager
University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC)
2022 – 2023 · Seattle, WA

• Served as the primary institutional liaison between patients and hospital leadership on matters of quality of care, service delivery, and patient rights — navigating complex situations with legal, ethical, and regulatory dimensions.
• Assessed and mitigated institutional risk; drafted formal resolution letters and quality improvement recommendations presented to senior leadership and medical directors.
• Ensured compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations, identifying systemic gaps and developing action plans to close them.
• Served on the Patient and Family-Centered Care Steering Committee — shaping institutional policy on equitable, dignified care delivery at one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law
University of Washington School of Law · In Progress · Seattle, WA

Master of Jurisprudence — Technology Law & Health Law
University of Washington School of Law · Seattle, WA

Master of Business Administration (MBA) — Healthcare Management
Western Governors University · Salt Lake City, UT

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration — Healthcare Management
Western Governors University · Salt Lake City, UT

Grants & Awards

Black Opportunity Fund Grant ($2,000)
University of Washington · Project completion expected February 2027

Awarded for my proposed project, Enhancing Language Justice through Community Awareness and Empowerment Initiatives.

Research & Leadership Training

Data Equity Research Training
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Policy Research · Los Angeles, CA · 2024

• Applying a Data Equity Lens to Data Systems
• Engaging Relevant Communities to Achieve Data Equity
• Applying a Data Equity Lens to Questionnaire Design
• Considering Language for Promoting Data Equity
• Ensuring Fair Representation of All Communities in Data Analysis
• Utilizing Weights to Achieve Fair Representation
• Implementing Imputation Techniques for Fair Representation

Global Health Leadership Certifications
University of Washington — Department of Global Health · Seattle, WA · 2022–2023

• Leadership and Management in Health · Global Mental Health · Wellbeing for Health Professionals
• Policy Development and Advocacy for Global Health · Fundamentals of Implementation Science
• Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health · Introduction to Epidemiology for Global Health
• Economic Evaluation in Global Health · Project Management and Economic Evaluation in Global Health

Skills

Access to Justice & Legal Research
Access to Justice · Language Access Law · AI & the Law · Technology Law · Health Law · Immigration Law · Court Interpretation · Interpreter Ethics · Legal Research & Writing · Interdisciplinary Research

Policy, Health & Data Equity
Public Policy · Health Equity · Healthcare Risk Management · Data Equity · Global Health Policy · Implementation Science · Monitoring & Evaluation · Epidemiology · Patient Advocacy

Languages & Cultural Competency
Swahili — Superior · Kikuyu — Proficient · Simultaneous Interpretation · Cross-cultural Communication · Community Engagement

Leadership & Innovation
Thought Leadership · Policy Development & Advocacy · Public Speaking · Mediation · Human-Centered Design

Volunteering & Leadership

Interpreter Representative
Washington State Supreme Court — Interpreter & Language Access Commission (ILAC)
2024 – Present · Washington State

• Appointed in 2024 to represent the interpreters’ professions on the state’s highest judicial language access body — a recognition of trust, expertise, and professional standing at the systemic level.
• Uniquely positioned to bridge frontline interpreter experience with systemic policy reform — translating lived practice into durable institutional change.

Other Volunteer Service
Social Justice Fund NW · Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS) · City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA)

Member Associations
American Translators Association (ATA) · Kenya Scholars & Studies Association (KESSA) · Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS) · American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM) · National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) · National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT)

UW Community Engagement and Involvement

• 2026 – Present: Member / Outreaching Grad, Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE), University of Washington
• 2025 – Present: Member, Black Law Students Association (BLSA), University of Washington

Conferences & Symposiums

• Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS), 2025
• Leadership Without Borders Conference, 2025
• Kenya Scholars & Studies Association (KESSA), 2026
• The Power of Public Research in Technological Society Symposium, 2026

Publications

Recommendations for Working With Interpreters of Languages of Limited Diffusion Permalink

Kariuki I, Squires A. Recommendations for working with interpreters of languages of limited diffusion. J Nurse Pract. 2026;22(9):105988. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2026.105988