Unchanged number of active legal licenses in Sterling in May 2026
Overall, the city had a total of 25 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Joseph Baima | 11/05/2009 | |
| Amanda J. Baron | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/05/2015 |
| Trent Lyle Bush | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/04/1999 |
| Cristina M. Buskohl | Mertes & Mertes | 05/10/2018 |
| Kyle Gregory Carlock | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/10/2005 |
| Matthew Cole | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/09/2017 |
| Jeffrey Nicholas Harkey | Illinois Appellate Court - Third District | 11/08/2018 |
| Michelle L. Heller | Wipfli LLP | 05/06/2004 |
| Mark Lloyd Holldorf | Holldorf Law Office | 11/16/1984 |
| Daniel Alan Huffman | Law Office of Daniel A. Huffman P.C. | 11/04/1999 |
| Mathew Michael Keegan | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/10/2005 |
| Elizabeth Jacquelyn Klahn | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/08/2007 |
| Robert Thomas Lesage | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/07/1996 |
| Michael Allen Mellott | RRCA Accounts Management, Inc. | 11/05/1987 |
| James William Mertes | Mertes & Mertes | 11/04/1993 |
| Magen Joelynn Mertes | Mertes & Mertes | 11/04/2004 |
| Ryan Matthew Olson | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/07/2019 |
| Paul Alan Osborn | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 10/29/1980 |
| James Lawrence Reese | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/29/1967 |
| Marvin G. Ripley | Marvin G. Ripley, Attorney At Law | 10/27/1975 |
| Laura Elizabeth Sonen Schrauth | Whiteside County State’s Attorney | 11/07/2019 |
| Marc Steven Simon | Halo Branded Solutions Inc | 10/30/1973 |
| Gary L. Spencer | Mertes & Mertes | 11/05/1979 |
| Elizabeth J. Wahl | Wahl Clipper Corporation | 05/10/2012 |
| Timothy Brian Zollinger | Ward, Murray, Pace & Johnson | 11/05/1992 |