Steven Ellison, Esq.
Senior Legal Writer
Articles written
58
Steve is an experienced lawyer who writes legal articles for FindLaw.com.
Steve went to Iowa State University and received a bachelor’s degree with honors, Phi Beta Kappa, in English before going to the University of Minnesota Law School. He was on the law review and graduated magna cum laude, Order of the Coif. After graduation, he clerked for Chief Judge Harry H. MacLaughlin of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Steve then entered private practice. He focused on complex civil litigation, including class actions, product liability litigation, and contract disputes. He spent nearly 15 years in Chicago and became a litigation partner in a large global law firm. He then returned to Minneapolis and, after nearly five years with two Twin Cities firms, opened his own firm. He continued to focus on complex civil litigation, but added family law, intellectual property, and employment law to his practice. He has litigated cases in state and federal courts all across the country and has first-chair trial and appellate experience.
In addition to his legal practice, Steve has been an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing at DePaul Law School in Chicago and the University of Minnesota. He mentored students for many years in moot court classes and competitions. He has spoken at many continuing legal education seminars about issues relating to the practice and profession of law.
Community Service
Steve believes that service is fundamental. He served on the board of the Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers, an organization that provides legal and educational services to help maintain the bond between imprisoned mothers and their children. He has represented mothers in abuse and neglect proceedings. He has specialized training in representing women who have survived domestic abuse. Steve has received commendations from the Minnesota Supreme Court for pro bono work he has done on behalf of members of the Red Lake Nation and a domestic abuse survivor.
Steve has varied interests. He loves Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, and reads them for fun. He has run the Chicago Marathon twice and holds a black belt in a Korean martial art. Steve is a voracious reader, loves video games, and enjoys spending time with his wife of more than 35 years and their four children.
Latest Articles
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How to Get Your Dog Back From Someone (Including Your Ex)
You love your dog—maybe even more than that human you're living with. But when you finally decide to end the relationship (with the human, that is), your ex takes your beloved pooch with them. Or maybe you need to be out of the country for work and you ask a…
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Idaho Mom Lori Vallow Daybell Found Guilty of Murdering Her Children
Following a six-week murder trial at the Ada County courthouse, a Boise, Idaho jury found Lori Vallow Daybell, the subject of the Netflix true crime docuseries, Sins of the Mother, guilty of murdering two of her children, conspiracy to murder her husband's first wife, and grand theft. It took the jury…
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Influencer Mom Guilty of Lying About Attempted Kidnapping
The issue of race is divisive enough in this country without attention-seekers falsely accusing people of color of serious crimes. But at least one perpetrator is getting their comeuppance, and it's making headlines in Wine Country. Katie Sorensen, a white social media "mommy influencer" from Sonoma, was convicted of one…
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Pick Your Side: Disney v. DeSantis
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's fight with entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. is almost hard to watch. The latest salvo was launched this week by the governor's side, which filed a lawsuit against Disney in an attempt to invalidate two long-term contracts that give Disney substantial control over the district it…
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SCOTUS to Decide Constitutionality of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to take up a case that threatens the very existence of the nation's premier consumer watchdog agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Last October, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the CFPB's funding structure violated the Appropriations Clause of the Constitution,…
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What Proof Do You Need to Get a Restraining Order?
Restraining orders exist to keep people safe. They can provide a level of security if you're afraid someone may hurt you. But before a court restricts your abuser's freedom, it will require you to prove the allegations of your careful and thorough petition with evidence. If you need a restraining…
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Restraining Order Basics
What you might know of as a restraining order can go by many different names: orders for protection, orders of protection, protection from abuse orders. There are also variants and specific types of restraining orders: temporary restraining orders, preliminary protective orders (PPOs), domestic violence restraining orders (DVROs), domestic violence protective orders (DVPOs). But no…
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White Homeowner Shoots Black Teenager Who Went to the Wrong House
16-year-old Ralph Yarl was supposed to pick up his twin brothers from a house he hadn't been to before, but went to the wrong address by mistake. The address he ended up at was a house owned by 84-year-old Andrew Lester. Details of exactly what happened next are a little…
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Fox Settles Dominion Defamation Case for $787.5 Million
Some legal experts and Democrats are downright crestfallen that the defamation suit brought by Dominion against Fox News is going away. No moment-by-moment courtroom updates, no cross-examination of Tucker Carlson as fodder for late-night shows, and no apologies for the conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that were broadcast night…
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Adnan Syed's Conviction Reinstated
Adnan Syed—whose dubious murder conviction was the subject of the 2014 hit podcast Serial—cannot catch a break. At the request of Baltimore city prosecutors, Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn had vacated his conviction on the grounds that prosecutors failed to turn over evidence they were legally compelled to provide to…