Jay B. Howd was born and raised in LaHarpe, Illinois, a small farm community in west central Illinois. Jay graduated valedictorian of his LaHarpe high school class while attaining all-conference status in both football and basketball. Jay’s upbringing in LaHarpe was instrumental in teaching him the value of honesty, dedication, and hard work.
Jay graduated with honors from Southern Illinois University in 1989, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes. While in college, he served as president of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society of which he remains a lifelong member. Jay attended law school at Southern Illinois University. While there, he served as the Research Editor on the Board of Editors for the Southern Illinois Law Journal.
Jay graduated from law school in December 1991 and started his own practice shortly thereafter. Although he is one of the few registered patent attorneys in southern Illinois, Jay has chosen instead to focus his attention exclusively on bankruptcy work out of a desire to help people in need of assistance. In 1998, Jay became a 50% owner of the Bankruptcy Clinic. In 2008, he became 100% owner. Today, he serves as the President and managing attorney for the firm which has offices in Carbondale, Marion, and Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
During his tenure at the Bankruptcy Clinic, Jay has counseled or co-counseled over 12,000 bankruptcy filings. He is passionate in his desire to make a difference in people’s lives. Jay finds great fulfillment in knowing his work has had a profound positive effect on the lives of the clients he has served through the years.
Over the years, Jay’s bankruptcy experience has drawn positive media attention. He has been featured on numerous occasions by local television and newspaper affiliates throughout Southern Illinois. Jay has made Southern Illinois his home for over 30 years. He has been happily married to his wife, Donna, for 20 years.
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