Lawrence Praeger
DOB: 7/20/55; B.A. Simon’s Rock College (Great Barrington Mass) 1976, J.D. South Texas College of Law 1981.
Married to Jessica (Stettler) Praeger 1989; two sons, Nathaniel (14) and James (11).
Assistant County Attorney, Bell County, TX 1982-1985; Associate, Perini & Carlock (family and criminal law practice) 1985-1988; self-employed as Lawrence J. Praeger, P.C. since 1988. Board
Certified in Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1992-current.
BACKGROUND:
Larry was born in New York City in July 1955. His father was a tailgunner in the Pacific in WWII, and
worked in the textile industry after the war; his mother was a legal secretary. The family moved to the
small town of Sumter, South Carolina when Larry was 5; and he grew up in Sumter. He left high school
early for an opportunity to attend Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, which
allowed him to start college at 17. Larry worked during school and in the summers to help finance his
education.
Graduation left Larry with a desire to obtain a law degree, from a good school that would permit a
working man’s schedule. South Texas College of Law in Houston was ideal; he was accepted into their
program, and worked while attending school.
After graduation Larry accepted a position as an Assistant County Attorney in Bell County, prosecuting
misdemeanors and juvenile cases in the busy area, which includes Fort Hood. He obtained a great deal
of practical jury trial experience and prosecuted the first DWI jury trial using videotape evidence in the
county.
Larry then wished to move to Dallas to expand his potential and was employed by Perini & Carlock, a
firm that handled criminal defense and family law matters. This was an ideal place to obtain experience
in those areas, and Larry was well prepared to open his own practice in 1988. He was appointed by
Judge Barefoot Sanders to represent a defendant in a complex criminal savings and loan case, and
represented clients in criminal family law cases and other general civil matters. While he has handled
many criminal cases over the years, he has recently decided to devote his practice to family law issues
and related matters.
Larry has represented individuals and businesses in a huge variety of cases, before a wide variety of
courts. He is certified and has acted by mutual agreement as a mediator. His love of the profession and
keen regard for its immense effect on others is exemplified by his 5 year service in the Grievance
Committee of the State Bar, wherein a panel hears and assesses complaints made against attorneys for
the conduct and operation of their practice. He also fought against unjustified actions of a state agency
in the landmark Texas Supreme Court case of Black vs. Dallas County Child Welfare Unit 835 S.W.2d 626
(TEX. 1992).
Larry and his wife Jessica have been married since 1989 and are the proud parents of two sons. Nate is
a 7th grade student at Dallas Academy and James is a 4th grade student at Lakehill Preparatory School.
While his extra time over the past few years has been taken up with attending his son’s basketball,
football, soccer and baseball games, he is a past longtime member of the Lions Club, both in Bell and
Dallas counties. Larry enoys reading historical biographies and is a fan of Texas political history, such as
Robert Cato’s biographies of LBJ.
