South Central Reporter

There were seven lawyers with active licenses to practice law in cities within Fayette County as of April, according to the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

The number of lawyers with active licenses remained the same when compared to the previous month.

Countywide, Vandalia was home to all the seven active lawyers in Fayette County during April.

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
Ariana Elizabeth Thurnau	06/11/2014
Emily L. Fitch	06/11/2014
Jessica Marie Carr	09/11/2017
Joel Andrew Slater	31/10/2013
Keith Charles Jacob	10/05/2012
Matthew Abraham Riedle	04/11/2010
Patrick Francis Schaufelberger	05/11/1992