There were two fewer active legal licenses in Taos County in July than in the previous month, according to the State Bar of New Mexico.
Overall, 79 lawyers were working within the county at the time, compared to 81 the month before.
Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this time period.
As of March 1, 2025, average lawyer salaries in New Mexico ranged from $96,460 for an entry-level attorney handling routine legal work (Attorney I) to $202,032 for highly experienced attorneys managing complex cases with significant autonomy (Attorney V). Mid-level attorneys, such as those in Attorney III roles—who handle highly complex legal work with moderate supervision—earn on average $161,322 in New Mexico, compared to $174,969 nationwide.
Based on results from the February 2025 Bar Exam by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, New Mexico’s first-time pass rate was 63%, ranking it above the national average at the time. However, that also marked a notable drop from the 82% first-time pass rate in July 2024, when New Mexico was among the top 10 states for first-time passage.
For context, overall pass rates for the February 2025 bar exam were low, with only 14 states recording rates above 50%. The decline has been linked to historically low scores on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), which saw its lowest average since it began in 1972.
| Lawyer Name | Name of Firm | Admission Date |
|---|---|---|
| Abby G. Sanger | Taos Attorney, LLC | 10/16/2017 |
| Alan H. Maestas | Alan Maestas Law Office, P.C. | 10/08/1997 |
| Aleksandar N. Kostich | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 09/22/2006 |
| Amanda G. Laupheimer | Laupheimer Law Office, LLC | 04/29/2019 |
| Annamarie Delovato | — | 10/08/1998 |
| Anthony G. Lopez | Anthony G. Lopez Attorney at Law | 10/10/1978 |
| Brendan James Keegan | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 06/21/2024 |
| Carlos F. Romero | — | 09/25/2012 |
| Christopher John Stachura | — | 05/24/2004 |
| Connie Ode | Humphrey & Ode, P.C. | 09/24/2001 |
| Cosme D. Ripol | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 10/16/1986 |
| Darryl A. Bouchard | Darryl Bouchard Law, LLC | 11/02/1993 |
| Day Gamble Thornton | Alan Maestas Law Office, P.C. | 04/29/2020 |
| Dennis C. Romero | Dennis C. Romero, P.C. | 04/12/1984 |
| Dennis T. Sanchez | Sánchez Law Firm | 01/01/1979 |
| Diane M. Garrity | Serra & Garrity, P.C. | 05/02/1989 |
| Donald A. Gallegos | QuestaLaw | 10/09/1991 |
| Donald James Mooney Jr. | Mooney Law Firm | 05/28/2004 |
| Edward L. Kelley | — | 02/28/2019 |
| Elizabeth A. Musselman | The Musselman Law Firm, P.C. | 04/18/1985 |
| Emilio Jacob Chavez | Eighth Judicial District Court | 09/20/2004 |
| Erik Schlenker-Goodrich | Western Environmental Law Center | 09/29/2003 |
| Floyd W. Lopez | Floyd W. Lopez, P.A. | 10/01/1982 |
| Francis L. Reckard | — | 10/24/1995 |
| Frank E. Murchison III | Frank E. Murchison, P.C. | 09/25/2012 |
| Gary M. Feuerman | Law Office of Gary M. Feuerman | 01/24/2005 |
| Gregg Vance Fallick | — | 12/13/1991 |
| Hal B. Landrum Jr. | — | 09/21/2009 |
| Harvey D. Means | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 02/17/2023 |
| Henry R. Valdez | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 10/21/1982 |
| Iris A. Thornton | Advocacy for Community and Environment | 09/27/2007 |
| Jacob Daniel Caldwell | Caldwell Law Firm, LLC | 10/03/2000 |
| James T. Mamalis | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 04/09/2018 |
| Jason Sage Montclare | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 04/06/2009 |
| Javier Torres-Hughes | Javier Torres-Hughes Law Office, LLC | 10/01/2013 |
| Jeffrey Alan Shannon | Eighth Judicial District Court | 10/06/1999 |
| Jennifer C. McCabe | — | 04/24/2014 |
| John L. Van Eaton | John L. Van Eaton Attorney at Law | 10/01/1982 |
| Jonathan David Gardner | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 09/26/2011 |
| Joseph E. Caldwell | Caldwell Law Firm, LLC | 03/31/1972 |
| Juan Vargas | Vargas Law Office | 10/01/1977 |
| Kaitlyn Luck | — | 09/23/2013 |
| Kathryn Hardy | Kathryn J. Hardy Law | 09/23/2013 |
| Kelan Emery | Emery Law Firm, P.C. | 05/03/1988 |
| Kevin A. Zangara | Zangara Law Office | 09/16/1980 |
| Kevin Donald O’Leary | Kevin D. O’Leary | 04/27/2012 |
| Kim M. McGinnis | — | 09/20/2010 |
| Kyle J. Tisdel | Western Environmental Law Center | 04/09/2019 |
| Lee Boothby | New Mexico Legal Center, P.C. | 04/26/2004 |
| Leslee C. Petersen | LCP Taos Law | 06/22/2001 |
| Lisa Alexandra Hamer | — | 02/09/2024 |
| Luann Linsalata | — | 01/29/2008 |
| Marcus J. Montoya Jr. | Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 10/16/2017 |
| Margaret Yvonne Romero | MY Romero Law, LLC | 09/22/2006 |
| Marissa Crollett | Crollett & McDowell, P.A. | 04/25/2017 |
| Markus W. Kolber | De Stefano Law Firm | 09/22/2006 |
| Mary E. Humphrey | Humphrey & Ode, P.C. | 10/08/1997 |
| Mary Lane Leslie | Leslie Law, P.C. | 10/07/1986 |
| Maureen Siobhan Moore | — | 04/20/2009 |
| Michelle Marie Warren | Michelle Warren Law, LLC | 10/02/1990 |
| Nadia Cabrera-Mazzeo | — | 11/16/2020 |
| Paloma G. Romo | Paloma Romo Attorney at Law | 04/30/2013 |
| Rachel C. Kolman | Eighth Judicial District Court | 11/02/1993 |
| Richard De Stefano | De Stefano Law Firm, LLC | 05/26/1994 |
| Robert E. Crollett | Crollett & McDowell, P.A. | 05/05/1978 |
| Robert Todd | — | 06/07/2023 |
| Ronald E. Olsen Jr. | Eighth Judicial District Court | 04/30/2013 |
| Rose Evangeline Rushing | Western Environmental Law Center | 10/13/2022 |
| Samuel M. Herrera | The Herrera Firm, P.C. | 05/02/1989 |
| Sara Anne Blankenhorn | Taos County Magistrate Court | 09/09/2011 |
| Seton Talty | US District Court for the Central District of California | 04/28/2025 |
| Sophia Romero | — | 04/27/2012 |
| Stephen Natelson | Natelson Law Firm | 01/01/1971 |
| Stephen Paul Gates | — | 12/10/2012 |
| Sue B. McDowell | Crollett & McDowell, P.A. | 10/10/1978 |
| Susan C. Baker | Susan C. BAker Attorney at Law | 04/24/2014 |
| Timothy R. Hasson | — | 05/21/1996 |
| Travis Patrick Weiner | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 06/07/2024 |
| William Nathaniel Weiss | NM Children Youth and Families Department | 05/12/1999 |
