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Steven Postolka, a Morningside College graduate, decided to talk with Ross Fuglsang’s Newswriting class about being a lawyer. In his discussion he mentions often the difference between private law practice and non-private law practice.

Postolka is a Sioux Rapids native who graduated from Morningside in 2011 with a degree in mass communication and political science. After graduation he went to the University of Iowa to pursue law school, graduating in 2014 with a law degree. With his law degree, Postolka is currently working with the Sioux City government, but before that he worked in Spencer, Iowa, doing private practice for four years.

Private practice can be more difficult than working for the government for a few reasons. Postolka mentioned that in private practice a person has to represent their clients and that can be difficult. Sometimes a client will really want to do something, but the lawyer has to step in and tell them no. “It is a difficult balance to make sure money is coming into the firm, but [also] doing justice for the client.”

Working for the government tends to be a little easier because there is no need to chase clients. Currently, Postolka is in charge of representing the council of Sioux City, which has five members. Representing the council or a client in general is one of the most difficult parts of being a lawyer. The client or council always have the final decision in their law suit. As Postolka states, “[It’s] always the client’s case, never your case.” No matter if it is for the government or for private practice, the client always gets the final say. All a lawyer can do is educate and guide their client to hopefully a win in the law suit.