CHICAGO, IL - The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed attorney Juan R. Thomas of Aurora to serve as a member of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (A.R.D.C.) Review Board. The A.R.D.C. is the Supreme Court agency that investigates allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois. The appointment is effective January 1, 2025, and will expire on December 31, 2027.  

Dr. Thomas is Of Counsel to the law firm of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., in Chicago. He practices in the areas of real estate, estate planning, civil litigation, labor relations, and family law. He is listed as one of the National Black Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers for his exceptional work in family law. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign where he teaches a course on the history of the African American lawyer in America.  

Dr. Thomas has an extensive educational background, with degrees from Morehouse College, the University of Illinois College of Law, the University of Illinois College of Education, the University of Chicago Divinity School, and the Chicago Theological Seminary.  

In August 2023, Dr. Thomas was elected Secretary of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, a national association of lawyers/leaders whose mission it is to provide high-quality programming and leadership development training for members of the legal community. He is in line to serve as President of that organization in the 2026-2027 bar year. Dr. Thomas is currently a member of the American Bar Association's Board of Governors and serves as the Second Vice President of the Illinois Bar Foundation. He received the American Bar Association's 2024 Spirit of Excellence Award for his efforts to promote a more racially and ethnically diverse legal profession.  

The A.R.D.C. Review Board is composed of nine members, all of whom are lawyers appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court. The Review Board sits in panels of three and considers appeals from reports of the A.R.D.C. Hearing Board, which functions like a trial court in attorney disciplinary proceedings.  

More than eighty employees and over one hundred lawyer and non-lawyer volunteers work for the A.R.D.C. All funds expended by the agency are from annual registration fees paid by Illinois attorneys.

Dr. Thomas's appointment to the A.R.D.C. Review Board is a significant achievement and reflects his exceptional qualifications and dedication to the legal profession. His role on the board will allow him to contribute to the oversight and regulation of attorney conduct in Illinois, ensuring that the highest standards of ethics and professionalism are maintained. 

This appointment further strengthens QPWB's commitment to excellence and our dedication to serving the legal community. We are proud to have Dr. Thomas as a member of our team and look forward to his continued contributions to the firm and the legal profession.