Born in Portland, Steve Elzie received his BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz in Philosophy And Politics. He obtained his JD from the top-20 nationally ranked University of Southern California Law School, where he graduated in the top half of his class and received American Jurisprudence awards for the top grades in first-year Criminal Law and Torts courses. Immediately prior to starting his own practice, Steve served as a Supervising Attorney at Disability Rights Oregon, where he managed a 4-person team focused on representing individuals with severe mental health conditions in civil commitment proceedings.

During his tenure at DRO, Steve obtained numerous victories representing people who live with disabilities, including: the reversal of care decisions of adult foster homes and secure residential treatment facilities; reversing a city zoning decision regarding disability-related home modifications; re-qualification for a license following a driver’s DMV suspension based on mental health treatment; and obtaining housing accommodations for numerous Oregonians with disabilities.

After graduating law school in 2012, Steve spent many years in private practice civil litigation for law firms in Los Angeles and Orange County. Steve represented clients in areas of law including employment, general business litigation, corporate governance, and personal injury. Steve also spent three years on faculty at USC Law, where he taught international law. He has given academic talks and been published multiple times, including by the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.

Steve is an avid hiker backpacker who can be frequently be found in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest.