The Team You Can Rely On
From experienced legal professionals to advocates that personalize their commitment to you, the dedication at Black & Jones Attorneys at Law runs deep. Through aggressive legal representation, Black & Jones clients have the best possible chance of prevailing and ensuring justice. Remember, we work for you, not your employer or the insurance company. We’re here to stand up for your rights and guide you through a complicated process during a difficult time.
Tracy Jones – Attorney/Owner
I was raised near Rockford in Rochelle, Illinois, and attended Rochelle Township High School. I graduated from Northern Illinois University and went on to receive my Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School (now the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law) in 2006. While pursuing my law degree, I worked as a judicial clerk in the 16th Judicial Circuit. I started my legal career right out of law school at the Law Office of Jim Black & Associates where I quickly found my calling as an aggressive and tenacious advocate for injured workers and those with disabilities. Over the next ten years, I represented thousands of people with successful resolution of cases through settlements or trials. During my practice, I have litigated many cases and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court on numerous occasions.
In 2015, I became partner at Jim Black & Associates, and the firm changed its name to Black & Jones Attorneys at Law. My practice now includes not only representing injured workers and people seeking Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits but also representing veterans seeking service-connected compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. I have helped veterans at both the agency level and at hearings before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Black & Jones Attorneys at Law has also represented clients before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Growing up in a working-class family instilled a love of helping others through honesty, integrity, hard work and compassion. My family ran a small auto repair business where employees were like family, and you took care of those close to you. Today’s world is different—employers treat employees like commodities only. It is a privilege to be able to help our veterans and injured workers when their employers and the system have failed them.
I love being able to use my skills and experience to serve and help others! When I’m not fighting for my clients, you’ll find me serving others and my family. I sit as President of the Board of Directors of a Rockford nonprofit and Christian organization called The Haven Network and on the Board of Directors of the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association. I am a member of several other legal organizations and bar associations. I also volunteer my time as an attorney advocate to a national organization called Administer Justice whose mission is to empower vulnerable neighbors with the help of a lawyer and God’s love.
Jason Esmond – Attorney/Non-Equity Partner
I was born and raised in the Rockford area. I attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004. I received my Juris Doctorate from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, in May 2008. While pursuing my law degree, I worked as an extern in the criminal division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Cleveland, Ohio. I then worked for The Law Offices of Gerald R. Walton & Associates, a civil litigation and criminal defense firm in Cleveland, Ohio. I joined Black & Jones as an associate attorney in 2009. In March 2022, I became a non-equity partner where I focus my practice in both workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability cases.
Stephanie Seibold – Attorney at Law
I was born in Rockford and have continued to live in the area. After attending Rock Valley College and Rockford University, where I earned an undergraduate degree in political science, I graduated from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 2012. While in law school, I worked at a local pharmacy and interned at the Office of the State Appellate Defender and the Zeke Giorgi Legal Clinic in Rockford. In October of 2023, I became an associate with Black & Jones Attorneys at Law. I currently practice in Workers' Compensation, Social Security Disability and Veterans’ Law. I am also a member of the Winnebago County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Jim Black – Retired Founding Partner
Though now retired, our founding partner, Jim Black, fought for the rights of injured workers and people with disabilities in the Rockford area for over 35 years. He is a Rockford native who attended Rock Valley College and the University of Illinois where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976. After working as a social worker in the Rockford community from 1976-1982, he attended St. Louis University School of Law in St. Louis, MO. He began practicing law in the St. Louis area in 1985 before returning to the Rockford area in 1987 where he focused his practice in workers’ compensation, Social Security disability and personal injury since 1991.
Sharon Haas – Firm Manager
I moved to Rockford in 2001. I have a Business Information Systems degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I like to read, travel and spend time with my nephews.