Born in Union County, North Carolina, Lawler moved with his father to Tennessee and in 1815 to Mississippi Territory.
In 1820, he moved to Mardisville, Alabama and pursued his ministerial duties.
He was the Receiver of Public Moneys for the Coosa land district 1832-1835 and served as treasurer of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa 1833-1836.
He was re-elected as a Whig to the Twenty-fifth Congress and served from March 4, 1835, until his death in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 1838.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress