About Steven M.
Steven M. Sandler trained in the courtroom early. He earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1974 and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology in 1978. He added trial training at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy in 1980. The sequence shows a steady build toward trial work and courtroom practice.
Sandler began his legal career in the late 1970s and has spent much of it practicing civil litigation. Records show he served as an associate at Levin & Perconti, where he developed experience in contested cases and jury work. Over the years he has handled matters that required admission to federal courts and appellate panels, and his practice has intersected with aviation law on multiple occasions.
His admissions reflect a broad ability to appear in both state and federal forums. He is admitted in Illinois and has litigated before the Illinois Supreme Court. On the federal side he is admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and he is a member of the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar. He also has been admitted pro hac vice in Indiana and in Texas for specific matters.
Professional involvement has been a consistent part of Sandler’s career. He holds memberships in the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. He has participated in groups that intersect with aviation and law, including the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association and the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Panel Lawyer Legal Services Plan. Those connections reflect recurring work tied to aircraft and pilot issues.
Within the Chicago Bar Association he held several roles on the Aviation Law Committee. He served as the committee’s chairperson in 2005–2006, then as legislative liaison in 2006–2007, and later as vice-chairperson from 2004 through 2012. Those positions involved committee governance, outreach to legislators, and organizing committee activities and programs.
Sandler’s background combines courtroom training, federal and state admissions, and memberships in aviation-focused legal organizations. He has maintained a practice presence at Levin & Perconti and has appeared in a range of civil and aviation-related matters. He currently handles aviation-related litigation and civil trial work at Levin & Perconti.
