State Bar Director Spotlight • October 2024

Lawrence Morales II

Hometown:: San Antonio
Position: Partner in the Morales Firm in San Antonio
Board Member: District 10, Place 2 Since 2022

Interview By Will Korn
Photo courtesy of Lawrence Morales II

MY ATTORNEY DAD WILL TELL YOU I WAS DESTINED TO BE AN ATTORNEY FROM BIRTH, BUT I WASN’T SO SURE. Indeed, after my major league baseball dream fizzled out, I was convinced I was headed for a career in finance. However, after a year as a financial analyst, I realized there was something missing. I remembered the joy my dad has when getting ready for a trial, and the pride he has after receiving a verdict. I remembered former clients approaching my dad in a restaurant or store to tell him how much it meant that he believed in them and was willing to fight for them. The privilege, he would say, was his and that he was so grateful that they trusted him to help during such a difficult time. After absorbing these encounters, I guess my dad was right—perhaps, I was destined to be a lawyer all along.

EMPLOYMENT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE HUMAN SOUL—it gives us identity, purpose, pride, and a social network. It also helps us support our families and communities. When the employment relationship is disturbed, it can be devastating to the employee and their family. While it may be difficult to appreciate the human impact of some practice areas, it is front and center in employment law. Knowing that my work will directly impact a person and their family is so motivating and rewarding.

COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY. Focus not on what others are doing or on what others have. Instead, focus on you and on the ones whom you love. As long as you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and happy—and you can look yourself in the mirror every night with pride—nothing else matters.

PRACTICING LAW IS NOT EASY. AS IF OUR PERSONAL PROBLEMS ARE NOT ENOUGH, IT’S OUR PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATION TO PLACE OUR CLIENTS’ INTERESTS ABOVE OUR OWN. And most clients come to us only when they encounter frightening and unfamiliar circumstances. Clients typically walk into our office only when things have gone terribly wrong. If that’s not stressful enough, let’s not forget there are highly trained lawyers on the other side who are doing everything they can to make sure we fail. No, practicing law is not easy. It is easy, however, to feel alone under these taxing circumstances; to feel that you are the only one with self-doubt. While in law school, we were surrounded by other students who were taking the same classes, studying for the same exams, and experiencing the same adversity. This community of similarly situated students provided a comforting support system. However, once we started practicing, we quickly realized that our clients and caseloads are all different. No two lawyers’ practices are identical, and it’s easy to believe no one else knows what you are going through. It’s no wonder that 45% of attorneys experience depression during their career and that as many as 36% of attorneys struggle with alcohol use. I was recently asked by a skeptical lawyer why I spend so much time on bar activities. I responded that the bar association helps me know my professional challenges are not unique, and it is important to me that other lawyers know that as well. Because true friendship is born out of shared experiences, the State Bar is a wonderful place to build social bonds, which keeps me coming back. Therefore, our bar associations prove that we are not alone. Helping to promote this message is why I ran for the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors.

AS PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO BAR ASSOCIATION, I helped create a fellowship program in honor of our late past president, Dawn Bruner Finlayson. Among other things, Dawn was passionate about building a talent pipeline for underprivileged students to join the San Antonio legal community. After Dawn’s tragic passing in 2021, Dawn’s husband and SABA members donated more than $100,000 to help realize Dawn’s pipeline goal. Beginning in the fall 2022, the fellowship has awarded tens of thousands of dollars in annual scholarships for first-generation undergraduate and law students who demonstrate an interest in a legal career in San Antonio.

MENTAL HEALTH FOR OUR ATTORNEYS is a top issue for me. As I mentioned above, practicing law is difficult and stressful. Giving our lawyers the resources they need to remain healthy is critical. Our member benefit with BetterHelp is a great start, and I want to explore other ways to make it easier for lawyers to ask for and receive mental health assistance.