The interpreter is overlooked when considering the refugee claim process in Canada, even though refugee lawyers most often work with interpreters to understand their clients. Through qualitative interviews with refugee lawyers, this thesis aims to better understand how interpreters affect the lawyer-client dynamic. Tension surrounding the appropriate role of the interpreter, the complexity of communicating through interpreters, and interpreters’ effects on lawyer-client relationships emerged as themes and are explored with reference to the existing interpretation studies literature. The author proposes that an updated lawyer-interpreter-client relationships framework is necessary to fully encompass the realities of these complex relationships, and offers suggestions for best practices to ensure lawyers, interpreters, and clients maintain productive relationships. / Graduate / 0398 / actontess@gmail.com