The California Supreme Court on Tuesday is set to hear arguments in a case challenging Proposition 66, a ballot initiative aimed at speeding up the state's death penalty appeals process that was narrowly passed by voters last fall.

Lawyers at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe filed a petition to block the law the day after the election and convinced the state's Supreme Court to put off implementing the law until their constitutional challenge to the proposition could be heard.

Christina Von der Ahe, a partner in Orrick's Irvine office who is heading up the firm's effort on the case, took a break from argument preparations Friday to talk to The Recorder about why Orrick took the case pro bono and the proposition's potential to disrupt California courts. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.