Socorro County had 1 less active license in July than in previous month

Kris Becker Board Administrator at the State Bar of New Mexico - State Bar of New Mexico website
Kris Becker Board Administrator at the State Bar of New Mexico - State Bar of New Mexico website
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There was one less active legal license in Socorro County in July than in the previous month, according to the State Bar of New Mexico.

Overall, 21 lawyers were working within the county at the time, compared to 22 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.

Lawyers in Socorro County with Active Legal Licenses in July
Lawyer Name Name of Firm Admission Date
Adren R. Nance Nance Pato & Stout, LLC 09/30/2002
Amy Katherine Douglas 04/25/2011
Bruce M. Burwell Seventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office 10/09/1974
Clinton H. Wellborn Seventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office 10/23/1989
David L. Dotson The Law Office of David L. Dotson 09/23/2013
David Matthew Pato Nance Pato & Stout, LLC 09/30/2002
Devorah L. Kalani 02/09/2024
Ekaterina I. Magedova Seventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office 10/13/2022
Janice K. Woods The Woods Law Firm 09/27/2007
Jerry A. Armijo Jerry A. Armijo, P.A. 09/26/1984
Jessica R. Aberly Aberly Law Firm 10/20/1994
Joanna D. Aguilar Joanna D. Aguilar Attorney at Law 10/05/1988
Judith A. D. Holcomb 12/19/1990
Katherine R. Stout Seventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office 09/30/2002
Keith Martin Valles Law Office of Keith M. Valles 09/29/2003
Kimberly A. Syra 10/23/1989
Lee Deschamps Deschamps Law Office 06/24/1981
Meagan A. Dotson 04/24/2014
Mercedes C. Murphy Seventh Judicial District Court 09/30/2002
Ricardo A. Berry 04/24/1995
Ron P. Lopez 10/21/1982


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Kris Becker Board Administrator at the State Bar of New Mexico - State Bar of New Mexico website

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