Carbondale Reporter

Cities within Jackson County had an unchanged number of lawyers with active licenses in June compared to the previous month, according to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

In total, there were 25 active legal licenses recorded in Jackson County in June.

The highest number of licenses were granted in Murphysboro (23).According to the ABA’s 2024 Profile of the Legal Profession, Illinois had the fourth-highest number of lawyers per capita in the United States, with nearly five lawyers per 1,000 residents.

Illinois is home to the fifth-largest lawyer population in the U.S., with over 62,000 attorneys, according to the ABA’s 2024 Profile of the Legal Profession.

As of March 2025, average lawyer salaries in Illinois ranged from $107,027 for an entry-level attorney handling routine legal work to $224,163 for highly experienced attorneys managing complex cases with significant autonomy. Mid-level attorneys, such as those in Attorney III roles—who handle highly complex legal work with moderate supervision—earned on average $178,994 in Illinois, compared to $174,969 nationwide.

Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this period.

Lawyer Name	Date of Admission
Aaron Thomas Wise	05/09/2013
Andrew Wilson Suthard	05/07/2009
Arryn A. Carson	11/06/2014
Benjamin William Reed	11/01/2012
Carol McCann Samarah	05/01/2014
Courtney Elizabeth Jakobsen	10/31/2013
Dana Sue Frazier	11/06/1997
Diane Marie Speir	11/05/1992
Donna White McCann	05/10/2001
Edward J. Heller	11/05/1979
Gerald Scott Reed	11/01/1977
Guice George Strong III	11/23/1976
Jill Elaine Adams	05/08/1986
Joseph Alan Cervantez	05/01/2014
Julian Manuel Valdes	03/25/2021
Mary Christine Heins	05/04/1993
Michael Louis Wepsiec	11/05/1981
Peggy Lynn Reiman	11/04/1999
Penelope S. Smith	11/07/1985
Penny J. Pierson	11/07/1996
Raymond Neil Holley	11/06/1997
Rex Gordon Burke	11/13/1975
Richard L. Blake	11/05/1992
Thomas W. Mansfield	11/03/1978
Thomas William Moyer	11/04/1993