Born and raised in the city of Chicago, Steve Bieszczat ’17 attended the University of Illinois for both his undergraduate degree and law school.
“I knew I wanted to pursue a legal career because I enjoy writing and wanted to help correct systemic injustices that pervade our society,” he said.
He chose Illinois for law school because of its proximity to Chicago and affordability compared to other schools. He was also already familiar with Champaign-Urbana from his undergraduate days, and knew it to be a fun, affordable city.
During his time here, Steve participated in law school softball and was involved in the American Constitution Society.
“Law school softball is a great tradition at Illinois, and I was the proud captain of my mildly athletic but enthusiastically supportive team, the Sneaky Cardozos.
“My class was relatively small (around 140 students), and there is an undeniable sense of camaraderie. Seeing the same people putting in nights and hours in the library motivated me to extract the most from my potential.”
Having gained work experience in a variety of positions, Steve was drawn to labor relations and the scope of workers’ rights.
“Professor Finkin’s Labor Law class was rigorous, but eye-opening. Already inclined towards public interest work, I was lucky enough to land a job with the National Labor Relations Board.”
Steve is currently employed with the NLRB’s General Counsel in Washington, D.C. He litigates unfair labor practice cases before the Board, and is also charged with protecting the statutory rights of employees to, among other things, organize and engage in collective action.
When asked to share some wisdom with current Illinois Law students, Steve said, “Don’t feel pressured into a type of legal career you aren’t comfortable with. There are big firms, small firms, solo practitioners, government agencies, non-profits, and all types of employers of Illinois College of Law graduates. Find an area of law, legal topic, policy issue, or type of practice that interests you, and pursue it diligently.”