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Sent 1: "The impact of her interest and work on the provision of legal services in the state of California is immeasurable," said Patricia Philips, senior of-counsel for Los Angeles' Morrison & Foerster.
Sent 2: "Its value is felt every day by someone who would otherwise be floundering around in the legal system yet dealing with very serious problems."
Sent 3: Zelon's public-interest work has not gone unnoticed.
Sent 4: Several organizations that share her commitment to public service - including the National Legal Aid & Defender Association and the State Bar of California - have honored her.
Sent 5: Two years ago, Zelon received the Laurie D. Zelon Pro Bono Award, which had been named for her one year earlier by the Law Firm Pro Bono Project, which she'd helped found.
Sent 6: "I didn't find out until I was standing in the great hall of the Supreme Court, surrounded by 300 people who were there, that the award had been named for me and was thereafter going to be given in my name.
Sent 7: It's very hard to believe, for anyone who knows me well, but I was actually speechless for a period," Zelon said.
Sent 8: Zelon faced one of the greatest challenges of her legal career, she said, when her appointment to the bench forced her to switch gears from civil litigation to criminal law.
Sent 9: "It was a steep learning curve for me," she said.
Sent 10: "It's a whole different set of processes.
Sent 11: The rules are different.
Sent 12: The case law is a whole body unto itself."
Sent 13: Attorneys praise Zelon for her thorough understanding of the law.
Sent 14: "She's extremely well-versed in the law," Leon said.
Sent 15: "She's very thorough in her research," Wong said.
Sent 16: Of course, not all attorneys concur with every decision Zelon makes in court.
Sent 17: Some city attorneys disagree with her interpretation of evidentiary statutes when Zelon puts limits on their use of hearsay testimony.
Sent 18: But lawyers who have appeared before her say that they appreciate her intelligent interpretation of the law.