There was an unchanged number of active legal licenses in Lea County in August compared to the previous month, according to the State Bar of New Mexico.
Overall, 49 lawyers were working within the county at the time.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amber Christine Leija | — | 05/15/2023 |
| Andrew Lowell Stout | Stout & Stout Lawyers | 09/20/2016 |
| Anthony Spaulding | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 03/01/2022 |
| Ayana Isabella Estrada | — | 06/21/2024 |
| Barbara Theriot Hodgson | Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 07/20/2017 |
| Blake J. Dugger | Law Office of Blake J. Dugger, P.C. | 11/04/2016 |
| Chiduziem Chinedu Ezeh | Children, Youth & Families Department | 02/28/2019 |
| Christan Quiroz Valencia | Valencia Law Firm | 09/25/2018 |
| Christopher R. Mills | — | 09/27/2007 |
| Cynthia Lane Graves | NM Children Youth and Families Department | 01/18/2022 |
| D’Nae Robinett L. Mills | DRM Attorney at Law, LLC | 09/23/2019 |
| Eduardo Ramirez | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 05/11/2022 |
| Efren Andres Cortez | Fifth Judicial District Court | 09/25/2012 |
| Erik Ryne Hutcheson | Davis W. Smith, P.C. | 04/24/2014 |
| Gareth Edward Denham | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 10/24/2024 |
| Gene C. Samberson | Heidel Samberson Cox & McMahon, LLC | 08/16/1962 |
| Jesse Craig | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 09/11/2023 |
| John W. Caldwell Jr. | — | 04/26/2004 |
| Joseph Mio Zebas | Zebas Law Firm, PLLC | 03/04/1999 |
| Josephine Naira Tine | Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 10/12/2023 |
| Joy Akayla Key-shawna Applewhite | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 09/28/2021 |
| Juan Venancio Silva | Silva Law Firm | 05/12/1999 |
| Karen McReynolds | McReynolds Law Firm | 04/25/2011 |
| Karli Sue McMurray | One Love Worldwide | 09/25/2012 |
| Kathleen A. Moran | Crenshaw Dupree & Milam, LLP | 04/24/2006 |
| Kirk C. Chavez | NM Human Services Department Child Support Enforcement Division | 02/01/2005 |
| Larry K. Bishop | — | 10/09/1991 |
| Laura K. Castillo | Laura K. Castillo Attorney at Law | 09/20/2004 |
| Lee A. Kirksey | Fifth Judicial District Court | 05/01/2000 |
| Lee Green | Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 05/23/2022 |
| Lewis C. Cox III | Heidel Samberson Cox & McMahon, LLC | 09/26/1989 |
| Lisa Kuykendall | Children Youth and Families | 10/08/1998 |
| Mark L. Stout | Stout & Stout Lawyers | 08/27/1979 |
| Mark Terrence Sanchez | Fifth Judicial District Court | 10/05/1987 |
| Medjine Desrosiers-Douyon | — | 10/24/2024 |
| Megan A. Kirtley | Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 04/29/2022 |
| Melissa A. Sawyers | The Sawyers Law Group | 09/22/1992 |
| Michael H. Stone | Fifth Judicial District Court | 10/05/1992 |
| Michael T. Newell | Newell Law Firm, LLC | 10/05/1987 |
| Mirna Raquel Torres | — | 10/04/1999 |
| Patrick B. McMahon | Heidel Samberson Cox & McMahon, LLC | 03/28/1997 |
| Ricardo Jasso | Jasso & Jasso Law Firm, LLC | 09/23/2019 |
| Scotty A. Holloman | Holloman Law, LLC | 04/12/1984 |
| Sri Mullis | Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 09/20/2010 |
| Tashika A. Curlee | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 09/23/2019 |
| Tommy D. Parker | Tommy D. Parker, P.C. | 10/05/1981 |
| Ugochuku Nwachuku | Law Offices of the Public Defender | 02/09/2024 |
| Valerie S. Chacon | — | 09/25/2018 |
| William G. Shoobridge | — | 10/09/1974 |
