The Honorable Lauren Zorfas (retired) is one of three founding partners of ADZ Law, LLP and a former Court Commissioner with the San Mateo Superior Court. Commissioner Zorfas serves as a private judge, mediator, settlement officer, arbitrator, special master, neutral evaluator, and parent coordinator.
She leads ADZ Law’s alternative dispute resolution group (ADR), drawing on her experience on the Bench, her 22 years of ADR and litigation experience as well as her extensive training in mediation.
Prior to launching ADZ Law with her partners, Tulin Acikalin and Jessica Dayton, Commissioner Zorfas managed her own successful law office where she focused on dissolution and legal separation of marriage/domestic partnerships, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, domestic violence, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, advice counsel, limited scope, and mediation.
As Court Commissioner, Commissioner Zorfas presided over an array of cases including child support, domestic violence, general family law, and criminal law. While at the San Mateo Superior Court, Commissioner Zorfas provided training, guidance and support to the Court’s family law externs; served as a Judge and scorer for the San Mateo County Mock Trial competition; presented a training for attorneys practicing in the Domestic Violence Court; and co-presented at the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Masters Workshop – “How to Break Through a Stalled Mediation.”
Prior to her appointment as Court Commissioner, Commissioner Zorfas served as Judge Pro Tem at the San Mateo Superior Court presiding over a variety of case types. She also conducted numerous trainings at the San Mateo Superior Court for Status Conferences, volunteered regularly in the San Mateo County Bar’s Lawyers in the Library program and has testified at the California Civil Justice Crisis Hearing at UC Irvine School of Law.
Commissioner Zorfas’ career is rooted in community service as she served as Executive Director of Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and the Supervising Attorney overseeing the Family Law Facilitator’s Office and Self-Help Services at the San Mateo Superior Court.
She has served as an advisory board member of the Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, a board member of the Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, chair of the Lawyer Referral Committee, a member of the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council, and a member of the Legal Process Sub-committee of the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council. Commissioner Zorfas was appointed to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Foster Care of the San Mateo Superior Court and had the honor of being appointed to the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee to the Judicial Council by then Chief Justice Ronald George.
Commissioner Zorfas graduated Juris Doctorate with Honors, from San Francisco Law School in 1999 and was awarded Valedictorian, the highest academic achievement of her class.
Published Articles
- Co-authored “Touting Mediation as Part of a Multi-Option Program,” California Courts Review, Spring 2008
Awards
- Named to Super Lawyers 2016-2019
- Recipient of the William Nagel Award for “successful innovations and selfless commitment of time and energy advancing the professionalism of the San Mateo County Bar Association” (2008)
- Commitment to the Goals of the Barristers Award (2006)
- Fatherhood Advocate of the Year Award (2006)
Memberships and Affiliations
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
- California Judges Association (CJA)
- Collaborative Practice San Mateo County
- San Mateo County Bar Association
- ADR Section
- Family Law Section
- Estate Planning/Probate Section
