I am

deborah lawson

Thanks for joining me on a quest to find a better way to navigate legal matters as we create the family of your dreams amidst Texas’s ever-changing and often hostile legal and political landscape.

My Deets

We are

lawsonlegal

Founded in 2008, lawsonlegal is a boutique law firm offering collaborative and non-traditional legal services designed to champion and protect the LGBTQ2SIA, kink, and poly/non-monogamous communities.

Our Services

I am

not your typical attorney

I graduated from Texas A&M in 1992, with a business degree, and didn’t go to law school until almost ten years later. In the interim, the New York Times foreshadowed my early career with one article: “Graduates Facing Worst Prospects in Last 2 Decades.” I went to work for a mouse instead, sharing pixie dust with the millions of guests who entered EPCOT Center and the Magic Kingdom every year.

Try Collaborative

I attended

Texas A&M…twice

The second time in Galveston, where I met both the professor who would shape my future and the man with whom I would share my life. Ditching the marine biology path, Rusty Williams ’02 moved with me to Camden, New Jersey, where I was a 1L at Rutgers School of Law and Rusty was sent to the game grid to battle Master Control.

Mediation Works

We moved

back to Texas

During my first week of law school, I put in for a transfer back to Texas. In 2003, I graduated from SMU’s Dedman School of Law, took the Texas Bar, and moved to Houston to pursue a career in admiralty and maritime law while Rusty helped lawyers survive on the digital front. I’ve represented a major railroad and several major shipping lines, but my true passion is helping unique individuals and very small companies with their day-to-day legal issues.

My CV

not unlike

Death & Taxes

In 2008, I opened this private practice with a mission to help special members of the often-forgotten middle-class answer their legal questions without breaking the bank. My goal was to help these individuals plan and protect their legacies every step of the way. Owning my own practice also allowed me to dedicate more of my time to charity, and I developed a niche helping non-profit corporations apply for recognition under IRC § 501(c). A small part of my practice still focuses on non-profit formation and governance, a passion that stems from a long-time love affair with planning events and fundraising, but the truth is, no one listens when they don’t have skin in the game.

Legacy Planning

Fightin’ Texas Aggie

Class of 1992!

Thanks to more than 92,000 Aggies in the Houston area, there’s always something to do with the Maroon & White. In 2013, I was honored to be only the Houston A&M Club’s 5th female President in 90 years. During my tenure, I proudly helped the Houston Aggie Women launch as a stand-alone entity in 2018. Somewhere in between, I chaired Muster, Coach’s Night, several Reveille golf tournaments, and so much more.

Family-owned Businesses

There

she is…

I have had the honor of representing several state and local organizations in the Miss America line of scholarship competitions – as a volunteer, an attorney, and on the Board of Directors – and can honestly say that if you’re an empowered young woman looking for a great way to earn scholarship money and improve your marketability, check out the local competitions in any of the lines. You might be surprised. There is a reason that these competitions have survived while other programs fade away.

Non-profit Law

Lawyers

not liquor

From 2018-2023 and 2024-2025, I served as President of SLAGH – Stonewall Law Association of Greater Houston, Houston’s independent LGBT bar association (lawyers, not adult beverages). I am an active member of the National LGBT Bar’s Family Law Institute, the State Bar of Texas’s LGBTQ+ Section, and the Houston Bar Association’s LGBTQ+ Committee, and I proudly stand with fewer than 1% of Texas lawyers in the Texas Bar College and Texas Bar Foundation. In 2023, I accepted the challenge of President of the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary, attorneys, spouses, and everyone who loves the law facing inward, supporting the legal community itself so that we can continue to take care of the world.

Our Services

Y'all

means all!

I had the privilege of serving on the inaugural Board for Houston’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, working with a dynamic team of entrepreneurs to create a safe place for the community to come together in business and in life.  I have also had the privilege of acting as a trustee for the Executive & Professionals Association of Houston, the oldest LGBTQ+ organization in Houston.  If you are looking for a great group of people to have dinner with, ask me about EPAH.

EPAH

Gayest and Greatest:

Married and Straightest

I have been honored to be chosen as the Gayest and Greatest Female Attorney (in Family, Estate, and Probate in various years) since 2018. Meanwhile, Rusty is a meteorology engineer for a small IT company that ensures that data always has a silver lining.  (Were we really ever that young?)

OutSmart Magazine

Is it time

to have a tough conversation?

Whether I’m volunteering or practicing law, my work is dedicated to enriching (and protecting) your legacy. I would love to hear about your plans to protect your life’s work, email me to set up our first consultation.

Contact Me