Lawrence "Larry" W. Sauer Jr.

Lawrence W. (Larry) Sauer, Jr. surprised us all by leaving without notice on June 27, 2023. Larry was a force of nature, whether it was on the soccer field or in the courtroom. His enthusiasm for life was contagious.

Larry gave a sh*t. He cared about his family and friends, his clients, and justice. Larry took great pride in his half-a-century-long criminal defense and civil rights legal practice. Whether fighting for the LGBTQ+ community in the 70s and 80s or the rights of the accused for decades, he did it with integrity, intelligence, and dedication, and he did it successfully.

You could always count on Larry. He never judged his clients, irrespective of their legal problems. Instead, he responded with compassion, understanding, and wisdom. He regularly helped young attorneys with everything from rent deferment to assisting them at trial.

Larry loved his family – his perfect wife of 50 years Judy Doran; their almost perfect son Doran and daughter-in-law Jamie; beautiful grandchildren Ole and Isabel; loving sisters Sharon, Ann, Sheila, and sister-in-law Holly; convivial brothers-in-law Terry, Jim, and Brent; wonderful son Rich, daughter-in-law Tanya, and grandson Dakota; loyal Aunt Pat; and many intelligent nieces, nephews, and close friends.

Growing up in Houston, the son of Lawrence and Mae Sauer, Larry attended St. Thomas High School and the University of Houston. He earned his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law. Prior to law school, Larry served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, but the manner of his discharge is still up for debate.

A gathering to celebrate Larry’s life will occur on Friday, July 7, at 3 p.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish, 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin, Texas 78731.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his memory be made to the Texas Observer and the ACLU of Texas or the activist organization of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wcfishnorth.com for the Sauer family.