Michael E. Byczek
Attorney at Law
Michael E. Byczek was licensed as an Illinois attorney in May 2007 after graduating from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is the founder of a solo law practice (sole proprietor) with a registered Illinois service mark for "Byczek Law". The formal name of the business is "The Law Office of Michael E. Byczek", which opened right after he was added to the roll of Illinois attorneys. His background is computer science and engineering with professional experience in software development. He is also a licensed Illinois real estate managing broker. Michael's father, Michael M. Byczek, has advanced degrees in physics and mathematics. Technical skills allow Michael to work on cutting-edge intellectual property research with emphasis on innovative technology. Michael's father introduced him to the legal industry in the 1980s-1990s as a successful pro-se plaintiff in numerous small claims cases (i.e. property damage and breach of contract).
As an attorney, Michael E. Byczek is continuing his family's nearly 200 year legacy in Chicago. He is the 3x-great-grandson of William and Julia Rooney, an early settler family of Chicago dating back to 1835. Their daughter Kittie A. Rooney (2x-great-grandmother) was baptized at Old St. Mary's Catholic Church in Downtown Chicago in 1849. She married Edward H. Talbot at Holy Name Cathedral in 1880. William and Julia Rooney acquired a large real estate portfolio in Chicago and the suburbs during the 1830s-1880s. This included construction of two commercial buildings in Downtown Chicago during the rebuilding efforts after the 1871 Fire, residential house built in the Gold Coast, and large farm in Cook County (present-day Des Plaines and Mount Prospect) that spanned about 800 acres. Edward H. Talbot was a promoter who launched his own real estate firm and was involved in several business ventures. For instance, he was co-owner of an early bicycle manufacturing company and co-founder of an international bank with offices planned throughout Europe.
Three of William and Julia Rooney's grandsons became Chicago attorneys, one of whom served as Chief Justice of the old Municipal judicial system. One grandson was the deputy clerk of the court and godfather of Michael E. Byczek's grandmother Marie (Flanagan) Byczek. Two grandsons entered politics. One was elected a Chicago alderman and another campaigned for Cook County Commissioner and U.S. Congressional representative. Two of their granddaughters married attorneys, one of whom was Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. One of William Rooney's cousins was married to a Chicago Alderman. William Rooney and/or members of his family served as election judges and delegates in the 1860s.
Edward and Kittie Talbot's daughter Marie Talbot (great-grandmother) was very well acquainted with the legal and political careers of her Rooney cousins, since she lived with the family after her parents both passed away. The first woman to pass the Illinois bar exam, Myra Bradwell, did so in 1869. Kittie Rooney was a piano teacher in the Streeterville neighborhood at the time. Bradwell was not granted a law license because of antiquated gender restrictions. Instead, Alta Hulett became the first woman to receive an Illinois law license in 1873. William Rooney was developing real estate in Downtown after the 1871 Chicago Fire during this period. Bradwell received a license in 1890, the same year that Marie Talbot was born. Kittie (Rooney) Talbot helped manage the family's real estate and was active in court proceedings to co-administer her mother's estate in the 1880s-1890s, including courtroom testimony. These legal proceedings, led by Kittie (Rooney) Talbot, inspired her nephews to enter the legal profession.
Michael E. Byczek at the William Rooney house built in 1875 on Division and Astor in the Gold Coast. Kittie was married from the house in 1880 with a wedding breakfast held by her parents. [Photo from 2017]
The Rooney and Talbot legacy in Chicago motivated Michael E. Byczek to commence an extensive documentary project as a law student in 2003. He spent many long hours at the court archives and city hall analyzing legal documents, dating back to the 1870s. He made a special effort to understand his 2x-great-grandmother Kittie (Rooney) Talbot's views about the legal system at a time when there were very few female lawyers in Illinois. It is plausible that Kittie personally knew or otherwise met the first female attorneys in Chicago through her own experience and observations. It was Kittie Talbot who, amongst all of her siblings, stepped forward after her parents passed away to lead efforts to protect the family legacy in real estate. Kittie must have contemplated how her daughter Marie's life and times would improve due to these pioneer women.
Michael E. Byczek's legal business will celebrate the 20 year anniversary in 2027. He works from a home office in a Bridgeport two-flat owned by his parents since 1979 and where his grandparents, Michael S. Byczek and Marie Flanagan, also resided. The property on Bonfield Street was originally owned by Michael Bonfield, whose son Joseph was an attorney and served as Corporation Counsel for the city.
License verification is available through the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois (www.iardc.org).