Lawyer was a local bandleader. The 1940 US Census reported the following:

He was a lodger at 22 Market Street in Albany. He was a 33-year-old African American who completed four years of high school. He reported a total of 30 weeks worked in 1939 and an income of $500.

In January 1939, the New York Age newspaper reported that Lawyer was the son of “Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer, 778 14^th Street, Watervliet, NY”, a small city a few miles north of Albany.

Like most of these local musicians, we had to scrape together scattered pieces of information about his activity. We were unable to find a photograph or very much biographical material. But he comes to our notice because of fairly frequent mention by the "Albany correspondent" in Harlem's New York Age newspaper.

Here is a chronology of musical activity pieced together using the Albany Times Union and New York Age:

1938

Dec - Jack Lawyer’s Brownskin Buddies played the 33 Club at Stop 33, Albany-Schenectady Road.

1939

Jan – May “Jackie Lawyer and His Brown Buddies” played the Club 68, 68 Green Street.

Jul – Oct New Roseland Dance Hall, 31 Green Street – “Jackie Lawyer and His Brown Buddies”.

In October, he closes run at Roseland and headed to Elmira. Band is billed “Miss Edith Bedell and Her Band.”

Nov - Lawyer and Brown Buddies played dance at Girls Versatile Club of Troy in the “new Superior Ballroom”.

- Played for NCAAP Boxing Smoker and Dance.

Dec - Played Odd Fellows Hall, Beaver Street in Albany, for the Young Women’s Square Deal Club.

- Tiara Club dance in Schenectady.

1940

Jan - NY Age reports: Jackie Lawyer and His Brown Buddies played the University Grill, Pearl Street in Albany, “the best ofay nightclub in the city”.

May - Lawyer and His Brown Buddies played the Victory Dance in Troy.

Oct - Igo’s on the Albany-Schenectady Road.