The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed J. Nelson Wood of Mt. Vernon to serve as a commissioner of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). The ARDC is the Supreme Court agency that investigates allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois. 

Wood is the CEO and legal counsel of Wood Energy, Inc., an independent oil and gas exploration company in Mt. Vernon. Prior to founding Wood Energy in 1986, Wood practiced law in Chicago, focusing on energy and natural resources law and representation of professional athletes. He negotiated contracts for players in the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball. He also counseled players in matters outside professional sports, including degree completion and careers after retiring from professional sports.

Wood also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, a non-profit organization founded to help lawyers, judges, and law students obtain assistance with substance abuse, addiction, and mental health problems. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Illinois Bar Foundation. 

Wood earned his bachelor’s degree from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and his Juris Doctor from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. 

Wood replaces James R. Mendillo, who had served as an ARDC Commissioner since 2010. The ARDC is composed of seven members, three of whom are non-lawyers.