Meet Attorney Guillermo Lara Jr.

San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney

Early on in my life, my family and I grew up in Houston, Texas. It was here that I learned how to handle my own on campus and on the street. I lived in a tough neighborhood and standing up for yourself meant never backing down or showing weakness. It was these early years that drove me to develop a thick skin and mental toughness that I use in my work today. Eventually, we moved out of town, but the lessons I learned allowed me to apply this ambition to my studies and lead me in the right direction for my legal career.

Early Years in My Career

My undergraduate degree at University of Texas at San Antonio focused on Biotechnology and at the time, I believed I wanted to be a doctor. After working in a DNA research lab for a few years, I thought I would be a patent practitioner. I loved the intricacies of inventions and technology and trying to find a way to get exclusive rights to ideas. That is what drove me to law school. During law school, I excelled and this gave me the opportunity to work with Halliburton Energy, a Fortune 500 company. I passed the patent bar in my first year of law school. This exam is known for having a 50 percent passage rate. I loved the work and the challenge, but I knew something was missing- the courtroom and face-to-face challenges.

Life After Patent Practice

Even though I enjoyed solving problems for inventors and analyzing raw data, I missed the face-to-face interaction. This realization drove me to take a job with the Public Defender's office in Laredo, Texas. I knew I would meet people that needed a voice and someone to fight for them. I knew most people here had their backs against the wall and needed help. I used the analytical skills I learned throughout my scientific work and the toughness I learned in my formative years to fight for people that needed it. I quickly learned that I loved this combination of work and I was good at it.

The Case

After a few years, I developed the reputation for being an aggressive, strategic, and organized litigator that would not back down in the face of threats. I have had several felony and misdemeanor trials, but one stands out. At the time, I was three years into my work in Laredo and I came across a harassment case. My client was adamant that he didn't do it and was, in fact, the victim of manipulation. The problem was that he had two harassment charges, a prior violation of a protective order, and recorded phone calls alleging his threats. I listened to his story and I began to consider all the angles. The district attorney suggested he take deferred adjudication on the case and dismiss the pending case. My client looked at me and said he couldn't take it, so we prepared the case for trial.

We anticipated all the state's moves and cut them off at the knees before they made their points, but what we didn't realize was that the judge was showing favoritism. We researched all the case law, prepared packets for court presentation, and argued every objection possible. I spent a lot of time with my client at my office because I wanted to know who he was as a person and use that to show the jury that I knew him and believed in him. It worked and we obtained a Not Guilty verdict along with dismissal of other charges.

The Fallout

During the trial, the judge was rude to my client and myself. Not to mention the DA's office was calling us names during the trial. I quickly responded and addressed the issues with both parties. Professionally, the other parties were going overboard and I had to stand up for the dignity of my client. Unfortunately, it did not go well and the judge threated to have me arrested and banned me from his courtroom. Not to mention, the district attorney also banned me from his offices. I didn't mind because I was doing what was right for the dignity of the person I represented.

I could not let this stand so I took it up to the Court of Appeals to make things right. I argued that the judge overstepped his boundaries and within a few months was written a letter of apology.

In the end, I knew that allowing the dignity of the person I represented to be degraded was unacceptable and did what any criminal attorney should do. I fought with all the legal tools to win the case and cared enough about my client to stand up for his rights. The reality is the lessons I learned from living in Houston, the analytical skills I picked up from my science background, and the experience of fighting so many criminal cases has given me the backbone to fight for the respect every client deserves.