There were 24 lawyers with active licenses to practice in Rio Arriba County as of January, according to the State Bar of New Mexico.
Data refers to all lawyers who were actively practicing during this time period.
As of Feb. 1, 2026, average lawyer salaries in New Mexico ranged from $92,695 for an entry-level attorney handling routine legal work (Attorney I) to $234,542 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 $173,651 in New Mexico, compared to $187,488 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Adan E. Trujillo | Los Trujillo Legal Services, LLC | 09/20/2004 |
| Anastasia Martin | First Judicial District Court | 09/25/2012 |
| Antonio J. Salazar | Rancho de Los Perros, LLC | 10/21/1993 |
| Arwen Kristine Gaddis | First Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 05/16/2017 |
| Ashley Montoya | — | 09/29/2025 |
| Daniel T. Montoya | Daniel T. Montoya Law, LLC | 04/21/2008 |
| Edward Michael Gallegos | Gallegos Law | 04/24/2006 |
| Estevan Sanchez | North Central Regional Transit District | 09/23/2013 |
| Hector H. Balderas | Northern New Mexico College | 04/29/2002 |
| Jose A. Sandoval | Jose A. Sandoval Attorney at Law | 05/02/1977 |
| Joseph Alex Valdez | The J. Alex Valdez Law Firm | 10/01/1981 |
| Katharine Cook Fishman | The Espanola Mercantile Company | 10/08/1997 |
| Kristina Alexis Krell | — | 06/30/2022 |
| Matthew R. Baca | — | 09/25/2012 |
| Micaela Josefina Salazar | — | 04/28/2025 |
| Robert Marshall White | — | 09/22/2015 |
| Robert W. Merson | Chevron Pipe Line Company | 08/01/1966 |
| Sheri A. Raphaelson | — | 05/24/1991 |
| Timothy J. Vigil | — | 10/23/1989 |
| Trei Gilpin | Sentinel Law, LLC | 11/16/2020 |
| Tyr Loranger | Loranger Law, LLC | 04/29/2005 |
| Verily Taylor | First Judicial District Attorney’s Office | 05/14/2014 |
| William A. O’Connell | — | 10/02/1990 |
| Yvonne Kathleen Quintana | Yvonne K. Quintana Attorney at Law | 10/24/1995 |
