Effingham: No change in number of lawyers with active licenses in May 2026
Overall, the city had a total of 26 lawyers with active licenses in May.
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 June 2026, average lawyer salaries in Illinois ranged from $101,987 for an entry-level attorney handling routine legal work to $258,374 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 $191,228 in Illinois, compared to $187,607 nationwide.
Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this time period.
| Lawyer Name | Name of Firm | License Grant Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pamela J. Apke | Law Group of Illinois Ltd. | 11/04/1999 |
| William W. Austin | McDevitt Osteen Chojnicki & Deters LLC | 10/06/1970 |
| Chad Edward Chojnicki | McDevitt Osteen Chojnicki & Deters, LLC | 05/08/2008 |
| Scott Ronald Ealy | Scott R. Ealy, Attorney at Law | 10/06/1993 |
| Erica Feldhake | 05/13/2021 | |
| Matthew Robert Hortenstine | Taylor Law Offices | 11/04/1993 |
| Aaron Christopher Jones | Taylor Law Offices, P.C. | 11/06/2008 |
| Kerry Rick Keller | Orr Law, LLC | 11/23/1976 |
| Christopher Andrew Koester | Taylor Law Offices | 11/07/1991 |
| Brenda Marie Mathis | Mathis Law | 05/07/2015 |
| Twila Russell Orr | Orr Law, LLC | 11/16/1984 |
| John N. Pantazis | Heartland Dental, LLC | 04/10/2009 |
| Robert Arvel Scales | Effingham County State's Attorney | 11/07/2002 |
| Scott J. Schmidt | Effingham County Public Defender | 11/05/1998 |
| Edward Martin Siemer | McDevitt Osteen Chojnicki & Deters, LLC | 11/10/2021 |
| Carolyn Matthews Spraul | 05/08/1997 | |
| Nathan Daniel Sturycz | Midland States Bank | 05/06/2010 |
| David W. Sutterfield | Sutterfield Law Offices PC | 10/29/1980 |
| William Bradford Totten | Totten Law Office LLC | 11/07/1991 |
| James S. Treccia | Effingham County Public Defender | 01/14/2021 |
| Douglas Joel Tucker | Midland States Bancorp, inc. | 11/04/1993 |
| Lou J. Viverito | Taylor Law Offices, P.C. | 11/01/1982 |
| Kara J. Wade | Taylor Law Offices, P.C. | 11/09/2006 |
| Clayton A.L. Walden | Taylor Law Offices, P.C. | 01/14/2021 |
| Tracy Ann Willenborg | Taylor Law Offices, P.C. | 11/06/2003 |
| Dale Franklin Wolff | McDevitt Osteen Chojnicki & Deters, LLC | 11/13/1975 |