Steve was born in Madison. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Marshfield where his father, N.J. "Jerry" Helland, became one of the original fourteen doctors at the world famous Marshfield Clinic. Steve attended elementary school and junior high school in Marshfield. In 1965 Steve's family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he completed high school and graduated in 1973 from Arizona State University, with a B.A. in History.

After a brief career teaching high school world and American history, Steve entered the University of South Dakota School of Law, where he made the Dean's List and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1976. After passing the Wisconsin Bar Exam, Steve entered private practice in Madison with a small law firm of four other attorneys in 1976. Steve formed his own firm, Steven C. Helland, S.C., in 1988. Steve teaches seminars on debtor/creditor law, construction lien law and estate planning, and is a frequent judge in law school Moot Court competition. He has also been a presenter at conventions of The State Bar of Wisconsin. Memberships & Associations