About Jay B. Howd

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.

To contact Jay at Bankruptcy Clinic, PC, call 618-993-1300.

Professional Associations & Memberships
- National Advocates Top 100 Lawyers
- National Assoc. of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), Member
- Bankruptcy Attorneys of Southern Illinois (BASIL), Member
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Kentucky Bar Association
- Jackson County Bar Association
- First United Methodist Church of Carbondale
Other Information About Jay
Litigation Percentage
- 20% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
- Certified Legal Specialties
- Registered Patent Attorney, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 1999
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1992
- Kentucky, 1999
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 1992
- U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky, 1999
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1993
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1993
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1994
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 1999
Education

Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, Illinois
- J.D. – 1992
- Honors: Best Journal Comment / Article Award
- Honors: National Products Liability Moot Court Team
- Honors: Honorary Member American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects (Scribes)
- Law Journal: Southern Illinois Law Journal, Research Editor, 1991 – 1992
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
- B.S. (Cum Laude) – 1989
- Honors: President, Tau Beta Pi Honor Society
- Honors: Dean’s Search Committee
- Honors: Recipient of Seven Academic Scholarships
- Honors: Dean’s List (Four Years)
- Honors: Joint Engineering Student Council Member
- Honors: Golden Key National Honor Society
- Honors: National Dean’s List
- Honors: Outstanding College Students of America
- Major: Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes
Published Works
- In. re Nance (Redefining Above Median Bankruptcy Practice Under BAPCPA), 371 B.R 358 (S. Dist. Ill. Bankruptcy 2006)
- In. Re Barrett (Redefining Vehicle and Housing Deductions Under BAPCPA), 371 B.R. 860 (S. Dist. Ill. Bankruptcy 2007)
- Cottril v. Dept. of Treasury, IRS (Discharging Back Taxes in Bankruptcy), 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 1315 (S. Dist. Ill. Bankr. 2002)
- Bivin v. Wright, Et Al. (Recognizing a Cause of Action for Clergy Malpractice), 656 N.E.2d 1121 (Ill. App. 5th Dist. 1995)
Classes / Seminars
- Featured Speaker – Practicing Law Under BAPCPA, Bankruptcy Attorneys of Southern Ill., 2006
- Past Employment Positions
- Law Office of Jay B. Howd, Owner, 1992 – 1998
- U.S. Dept. of Energy Argonne National Laboratory, Research Assistant, 1987
Fraternities / Sororities
- Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
- Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society