Cities within Ford County saw no change in the number of lawyers with active licenses in December compared to the previous month, according to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois.
In total, there were six active legal licenses recorded in Ford County in December 2025.
All of the licenses were granted in Paxton.
According to the ABA’s 2025 National Lawyer Population Survey, Illinois had one of the highest concentrations of lawyers in the United States, with 61,945 resident active attorneys statewide.
That total places Illinois among a small group of states accounting for a significant share of the nation’s legal workforce, reflecting its importance within the broader U.S. legal system.
As of December 2025, average lawyer salaries in Illinois ranged from $102,021 for an entry-level attorney handling routine legal work to $258,030 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 $191,066 in Illinois, compared to $187,448 nationwide.
Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this period.
| Lawyer Name | Date of Admission |
|---|---|
| Andrew L. Killian | 11/08/2001 |
| Harvey Cato Welch | 10/29/1980 |
| Jerry L. Niemann | 11/01/1977 |
| Kandace Lena Hofer | 01/14/2021 |
| Lance Charles Cagle | 11/10/2005 |
| Michael R. Hynes | 11/05/2015 |
Information in this article was obtained from the ARDC of the Supreme Court of Illinois. The source data can be found here.
