Michael Bogomolny is a California-certified court interpreter for English and Russian and a registered court interpreter in New York. He has interpreted at more than 750 USCIS interviews, at hundreds of court hearings, depositions and examinations under oath, and in U.S. immigration courts. He is based in Los Angeles. He also works with Hebrew, and translates documents from Russian, Ukrainian and Hebrew.
The language, the law and the procedure
Mikhail has interpreted in U.S. immigration court (EOIR), seated beside the judge, and has watched how immigration judges and the government's trial attorneys approach credibility, inconsistencies and case law. He combines that experience with formal study: an Immigration Law Specialist Certificate and Harvard Law School's online course in contract law. In an asylum interview, a deposition in a contract dispute or a federal appeal, he understands what is legally at stake, so the interpretation is precise where it matters.
He calls this strategic interpreting: choosing, every time, the English that carries exactly what the speaker meant, so the officer or judge understands the person as they intended. It never means taking a side. Every word is interpreted, nothing is added, and nothing is left out.
Credentials
More detail is on the credentials page, and all qualification certificates are shown in full on the certificates page.
- Certified Court Interpreter, English–Russian, Judicial Council of California. Certification requires passing written and oral examinations, followed by ongoing continuing education and ethics requirements.
- Registered Court Interpreter, New York State Unified Court System.
- Immigration court interpreter: U.S. immigration courts, U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), interpreting beside the judge.
- Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract, HarvardX online course taught by Harvard Law School Professor Charles Fried (2018), and Zero-L, Harvard Law School Online (2024).
- Notary Public, State of California.
- Member, National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT).
- Translation partner of the New England Institute for Country Conditions Expertise: TranslatorPro is listed among the partners of the institute, which provides country conditions expertise to immigration attorneys.
Clients and matters
Besides individuals and families, Mikhail has interpreted in international disputes worth millions of dollars and worked for government ministers and politicians from other countries, judges, mayors, entertainment celebrities and high-net-worth professionals. These matters are often sensitive and high-profile; client names and details are never disclosed.
Need an attorney?
Over the years Mikhail has built strong professional relationships and can recommend a competent attorney you can trust in virtually any area of law. Recommendations are free: Mikhail receives no compensation for them, and the choice of attorney is always yours.
Where Mikhail has interpreted
California state courts; U.S. immigration courts (DOJ, EOIR); U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); the U.S. Department of Justice; the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit; California state prisons (CDCR); the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; the California Department of Consumer Affairs; the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board; the California Labor Commissioner's Office; the Los Angeles Unified School District; and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The work covers civil, criminal and administrative hearings, depositions, examinations under oath (EUO), qualified medical evaluations (QME), meetings, conferences and negotiations, in person and remotely.
Education and professional development
- Immigration Law Specialist Certificate, Washington Technical Institute, 2023
- Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract, HarvardX online course taught by Professor Charles Fried of Harvard Law School, 2018
- Zero-L, Harvard Law School Online, 2024
- Effective Legal Writing: Drafting for a Global Audience, Seattle University School of Law, 2018
- Undergraduate Certificate in Forensic Linguistics, London College of Foreign Trade
- Court Interpreters Orientation Program (six modules), Judicial Council of California
- Advanced Consecutive Techniques, Transinterpreting, 2019
- DOJ–EOIR immigration court training, Southern California School of Interpreting
- Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) Certificate, RWS
Professional standards
Mikhail works to the highest standards of a court interpreter: complete, accurate, impartial and strictly confidential. The officer, judge or attorney hears exactly what was said, and the person he interprets for understands every word, with someone dependable beside them.
Before an interview Mikhail calls the client, answers questions and explains how the day will go, so you arrive calm and confident.
Articles and videos
Mikhail writes about immigration interviews for Russian-speaking readers on Rubic.us and records videos about how asylum interviews work in practice.
- Сколько длится интервью по убежищуHow long an asylum interview lasts, and what takes up the day at the asylum office. In Russian, Rubic.us
- Как вести себя с офицером на интервью по убежищуHow to conduct yourself with the asylum officer during the interview. In Russian, Rubic.us
- Нужен ли вам адвокат и переводчик на интервью по убежищуWhether you need an attorney and an interpreter at your asylum interview, and why. In Russian, Rubic.us
- Когда вы получите ответ после интервью по убежищу и почему вы не стукачWhen to expect a decision after the asylum interview. In Russian, Rubic.us
Useful videos · False friends in legal interpreting · 10 myths about the asylum interview
Profiles and listings
- Google Business Profilereviews and rating
- LinkedInprofessional profile
- Rubic.us author pagearticles and videos, in Russian
- ChamberofCommerce.combusiness listing
- Russian FlyersRussian-language business directory
- GoPlugRussian-language business directory
- Interesnoe.mepublication, in Russian
- Country Conditions ExpertTranslatorPro listed as a translation partner