Lawrence Morales, II

By June Moynihan

Cover and article photography by Mewborne Photography shot on location at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio.

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

Lawrence Morales, II’s dream job growing up was to play major league baseball. His father, attorney Lawrence Morales, Sr., says of his son: “As early as he could, he was throwing the ball. By age five, he was batting. I was also passionate about baseball, so it was something that we could share.” The draw of baseball for father and son is eloquently expressed in Butterly Winter, the 2011 novel written by W.P. Kinsella, the author of Shoeless Joe: “[P]roperly played, baseball consist[s] of mathematics, geometry, art, philosophy, ballet, and carnival, all intertwined like the mystical ribbons of color in a rainbow.”

The siren song of the game ensnared the entire family. Melissa “Missy” Morales Fletcher, Lawrence’s sister and fellow San Antonio attorney, confirmed, “We were a baseball family. It was a year-round devotion.” Missy, who is six years older than Lawrence, recalls: “Once I got my driver’s license, I was enlisted on the driving crew to get my brother to practice and games, too. I have many memories of doing homework on the bleachers.”

“I played all the time, and if I wasn’t playing a game, I was training. My dad was my baseball coach,” Lawrence explains, and he practiced every day, including game days, even if just for ten minutes. One Super Bowl Sunday, waiting for the football game to start, Lawrence remembers that his dad summoned him for some catch, noting, “No one else is practicing right now.” That lesson—to train and be prepared— was instilled in Lawrence at a very young age.

Lawrence always had an interest in the science of excellence. His father remembers his son’s dog-eared copy of Harvey Dorfman’s book The Mental Game of Baseball—A Guide to Peak Performance. Dorfman is a sports psychologist who introduced more modern techniques of mental skills coaching and treatments to boost an athlete’s mental health wellness. Lawrence Sr. traces much of his son’s exceptional academic performance in college and law school to his early adoption of Dorfman’s lessons and techniques. Lawrence learned early that accomplishments were worth the hard work required. As Tom Hanks’ character in A League of Their Own famously sputtered at a frustrated and defeated Geena Davis, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.”

After a distinguished high school baseball career playing for MacArthur High School in San Antonio, Lawrence earned a baseball scholarship to the NAIA Division II Missouri Valley College. It was February 1998. Lawrence was a freshman, and he was set to leave class early (again) to get on a bus for a double header. His English teacher, Professor Jones, stopped him to say, “You’re really bright. And you’ve got your priorities all wrong.” She was someone who did not buy into Lawrence’s MLB dream and thought he was wasting his talents. Lawrence deeply reflected on her message and credits Professor Jones for forcing him to look at what he was giving up to chase baseball.

That same double header for the Missouri Valley Vikings required a four-hour drive to play the Mineral Area College Cardinals in frigid temperatures topping out at 10º. After dreaming of a professional baseball career since childhood, Lawrence found himself keeping warm between innings by huddling around the garbage-can fire that the Cardinals had kindly placed next to the visitors’ dugout. With the words of Professor Jones worming their way through his head, he recognized that this was an unlikely path to the major leagues, and the following week Lawrence applied to the University of Texas.

Several weeks later, the Minnesota Twins invited Lawrence’s college team to play their Double-A team in Fort Meyers, Florida, during Spring Training. When Lawrence and his dad arrived, they observed hundreds of professional players scattered across a dozen fields. That day, Lawrence turned a double-play in front of Tony Oliva, a Twins coach, who happened to be one of his dad’s favorite players, but Lawrence was not signed to a professional contract. In The Natural, Bernard Malamud wrote, “We have two lives; the one we learn with and the one after that.” With Professor Jones’ insight into his true talents and the results of the Spring Training game, Lawrence turned toward a new chapter in his life. That night, Lawrence accepted his invitation to attend the University of Texas.

The Morales family (L-R) Felicia, Lyla, Lawrence, Marissa, and Sofia

Lawrence started his finance studies at the Red McCombs Business School and the following summer traveled to Spain for a study abroad program. While touring the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, a cute girl approached him, pointed to his UT baseball cap, and asked in English, “Do you go to UT?” She introduced herself as Marissa and informed Lawrence that she was also a UT student, traveling with a friend to Rome with a layover in Madrid. The two struck up a conversation. Lawrence did not have a chance to get her last name before she disappeared.

As fate would have it, the cute girl turned up as a classmate in two of Lawrence’s classes in the fall semester. Lawrence immediately recognized her as the girl he had met in Madrid and reminded her of their encounter. He quickly learned that Marissa Barrera was not only in the business school, but she was also the daughter of San Antonio lawyer, Roy Barrera, Jr. A few weeks later, the Red River Showdown (the rivalry game between UT and the University of Oklahoma, played in Dallas) was scheduled, and according to tradition, a large group of students took a road trip to Dallas to support the team. Marissa and Lawrence ran into each other throughout the weekend, and the rest, they say, is history. “He was a breath of fresh air,” says Marissa. “College dating is fraught with a lot of bad dates. And he just really had his head on straight.”

By graduation, they had both accepted jobs in finance. Marissa went to Dallas, Texas, as a credit analyst for Comerica, and Lawrence went to Neenah, Wisconsin, for a coveted job as a financial analyst at Kimberly- Clark. Shortly after starting her job, Marissa determined that a career in finance was not for her. Her twin brother, Mark, was applying to law school, and Marissa decided that she would like to study law, too. Their older brother, Roy III, was attending Baylor Law School and spoke highly of the program, so Marissa applied and was accepted there.

Lawrence and Marissa were building their frequent flier miles traveling between Dallas and Neenah when she told him she was scheduled to start law school in 2002. She knew she was tethered to Waco for the next three years. Marissa explains, “It was so hard to be long distance. Every time we visited, it was like my heart was being pulled out of my chest when I had to leave Wisconsin or drop him at the Dallas airport.”

Lawrence had similar feelings about his job and being apart. He was scheduled to visit Marissa in Dallas over Memorial Day weekend in 2002. He had planned a day trip to a nearby museum and was attempting to reprise the day they met in Madrid. With Missy’s help, Lawrence worked it out with the museum staff to replace a painting’s plaque with his marriage proposal to Marissa, and it nearly did not go as planned when she walked quickly past the painting. He insisted that she really look at the painting and read the plaque, and she obliged begrudgingly, until she got to the proposal and happily accepted.

For many, a grand romantic gesture includes champagne and roses. For Lawrence, it was secretly taking the LSAT and applying to law school. After his marriage proposal, Lawrence revealed that he would start law school just one quarter after Marissa began (Baylor Law is on a quarter system) and that they would again be living in the same city.

The Mental Game of Baseball— A Guide to Peak Performance

While in law school, Lawrence performed exceptionally well as an award-winning member of the renowned Baylor Moot Court and Mock Trial Teams. He also served as an Executive Editor of the Baylor Law Review. His credentials landed him a federal clerkship with Judge Priscilla Owen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit after graduation.

Dean Bradley Toben of Baylor Law remembers Lawrence as a student and remains friends with him through the alumni network. “Lawrence has that rare combination of intellect, savvy, people skills, maturity, and work ethic that has put him in a position to excel in any endeavor in which he is involved,” Dean Toben said. “His winsome personality, combined with these personal attributes, make him a stand-out leader.”

Such kind words elicited an audible eyeroll from Marissa, “Oh, the faculty loved him! Lawrence was teacher’s pet,” she exclaims jokingly. “He enjoyed law school because he was so good at it! The rest of us had t-shirts made that said, ‘Baylor Law, Where Fun Goes to Die,’ but he was having a great time, and it showed in his performance.”

Another law school classmate, Brandon Barchus, recalls, “Lawrence was the law student we all wanted to be. He worked super hard and was really smart.” He continues, “And he remains so likeable because he is without ego. When we are at Baylor Law alum events, it is occasionally revealed that Lawrence was valedictorian of our law class. If Lawrence is within earshot, he’ll shoot back ‘Well, we weren’t a very smart class.’ And I laugh, too, until I remember that I was in that class with him.”

Brandon practices law in Houston and knew that, if he ever needed co-counsel in San Antonio, it would be Lawrence. Brandon got that chance in 2015, when he and Lawrence represented twenty-nine investors defrauded by Brian Alfaro, CEO of Primera Energy, and won the case with an $8-million award. Then it got even crazier when they found themselves raiding Mr. Alfaro’s house with ten federal agents to enforce the judgment. The legal team is just now finalizing the last bits to close out the case.

Brandon reveals, “My practice is mostly oil and gas law. I always knew that Lawrence was the go-to guy for evidence, but I got to see it in action. He really does have all the Texas Rules of Evidence in his head. If a problem comes up, he knows the objection, the rule number, and why it applies. He is really, really impressive.”

And this is not something new or previously unrecognized. Lamont Jefferson, currently at Jefferson Cano, was a partner at Haynes and Boone, where Lawrence worked after his Fifth Circuit clerkship. Lamont recalls, “We tried a case together early on in his career, and by the middle of the trial, the judge was asking Lawrence about the rules of evidence.” Another Haynes and Boone partner, Laura O’Donnell, agrees, “Lawrence is an evidentiary whiz. I have never met anyone with a stronger command of the rules of evidence.”

As an attorney at Haynes and Boone, Lawrence was lucky to try a case about once a year, which is typical for trial lawyers at large law firms. In 2012, Marissa and her father-in-law happened to be preparing for a civil trial together. Meanwhile, Lawrence was lamenting that he would be missing out on an opportunity to try a case with his father and wife. Lawrence discussed with Marissa that he wanted to go out on his own. Marissa was then five months pregnant with their third child, and while she was slightly apprehensive about the timing, she completely understood the appeal of presenting cases to judge and jury because she is similarly wired. Lawrence quickly set out on his own and was able to join the case that his father and Marissa were working on before the trial began. Marissa recounts, “He did the jury selection and cross examination. He was in trial lawyer heaven.” They won the case, and they have never looked back.

Shortly after opening The Morales Firm, P.C., Lawrence and his dad thought it was time to persuade Missy to join the family business. Her practice had always been defense work, but they wanted her to join them doing plaintiff’s work. “I needed some convincing, but Lawrence has always been really good about nudging me outside of my comfort zone,” admits Missy. “I have never regretted accepting his challenges.”

Lawrence also nudged Missy to start running. She had just turned forty, and Lawrence was training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon, which was six months away. He encouraged her to sign up for the half marathon and promised that he would run with her. Despite never being much for organized sports, Missy discovered that she loved running and training for a race. Now, she runs an average of fifteen miles a week and runs a race once a year as a training motivator. “Lawrence’s challenges have changed the way I view work and exercise in a powerful way that I didn’t see myself doing. My brother helps me see myself the way he sees me, and it is such a gift.”

Due to the untimely passing of SABA president-elect Dawn Finlayson in February 2021, Lawrence is stepping up to the SABA president position without the traditional preparation year. In honor of Dawn, he has absorbed some of her projects into his own president’s projects and has worked doubly hard to ensure that the leadership succession is smooth. Lamont Jefferson, who was the 2006-07 SABA President, notes, “Lawrence’s passion for the law is second to none— and it shows in his scholarship, in his service to the bar, and in his devotion to his clients. In the few years that I was honored to work with Lawrence, I am quite confident that I learned far more from him than I taught.” Dean Toben concludes, “The San Antonio Bar Association now knows what we have known since Lawrence first came to Baylor Law School. He makes us so proud!”

The Mental Game of Baseball— A Guide to Peak Performance