Michael J. Bidart, a prominent attorney and alumnus of Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, has donated $100,000 to the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS)’s California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP) to establish the Bernard and Lucie Bidart CCEP Fellowship. His contribution exemplifies his gratitude for the transformative education he received and his commitment to helping the next generation of students succeed.
Raised on a dairy farm, Bidart’s parents, though not formally educated, instilled in him the values of generosity and hard work.
“My parents were both very generous people,” Bidart said. “They didn’t have a lot economically to give, but they were very giving people. They were good to their family, they were good to their friends, and I pretty much felt an obligation to give to the university where I was fortunate to go.”
As a first-generation student, Bidart balanced his studies at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ with service in the California Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. His time at the university, though marked by challenges—including the loss of his mother to breast cancer—set the foundation for his future.
Professors like Dr. Sidney Blumner played a pivotal role in Bidart’s success.
“I had a very dear friend who was my professor at Cal Poly; his name is Dr. Sidney Blumner, and he was an inspirational teacher for me,” Bidart said. “He and his family had set up a similar scholarship in his parents’ name there at Cal Poly. And so I basically followed that lead and wanted to do the same.”
Bidart’s gift reflects his belief in the power of education to create opportunities for students from underserved backgrounds.
“I think just providing for people like myself, who came from circumstances where their parents were not educated but they valued education .. is changing their lives and giving them an opportunity and making them feel worthwhile.”
Beyond his philanthropic contributions, Bidart has had a distinguished legal career. As managing partner at Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP, he has won landmark cases, including a $120.5 million verdict against Aetna, and has consistently been recognized as a Super Lawyer. His work has shaped healthcare and consumer rights litigation, protecting vulnerable populations nationwide.
Through both his career and philanthropy, Bidart demonstrates a commitment to justice, education, and giving back. His advice to students is simple yet powerful, reflecting the wisdom of his late father.
“My dad used to ask me in Basque, ‘Are you doing your best?’” Bidart recalled. “That’s all that mattered. Just do your best. Don’t take shortcuts. That’s all you can expect of a person.”
Bidart hopes his gift will inspire others to contribute to Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½.
“My hope is that other students who are fortunate enough to later do well in their careers [will] give back,” he said. “It’s like anything else. It’s a causal chain. One deed begets another. And if it’s a good deed, the hope is that it will beget and give birth to future good deeds.”
Michael Bidart’s generosity is a testament to the power of education, the influence of mentorship, and the lasting impact of giving back. His support ensures Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ will continue to provide opportunities and transform lives for years to come.
About the California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP)
The California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP) investigates pressing national and global challenges—such as climate policy, healthcare, artificial intelligence, immigration, and racism—through a Californian lens. How do these challenges impact Californians in all their diversity and complexity, and what opportunities are there for California to take leadership in addressing them? CCEP is distinctive among ethics and policy centers in focusing its programs on annual themes. This approach to our programs allows for a richer and more multifaceted investigation of ethics and policy questions than can be provided through a single lecture, conference, or event.
CCEP selects a handful of qualified university students to serve as Ethics and Policy Fellows. Student Fellows spend the year investigating CCEP’s annual theme. Fellows participate in an intensive thematic seminar, interact with ethics and policy experts, learn about community initiatives related to the theme, and contribute to a student research conference.