Having made himself useful to Burke in preparing the preliminary case against Warren Hastings, he

was retained as counsel in 1788 by the managers of the impeachment, together with William Scott,
for colleague. He took no part in the proceedings in Westminster Hall beyond attending and
watching their progress, but gave advice in chambers. His practice in ecclesiastical and admiralty
courts thenceforward grew rapidly. He remained on intimate terms with Burke until his death, and
was his literary executor.
In 1796 he was appointed, through the interest of the Duke of Portland, regius professor of civil law
at Oxford, in succession to Thomas Francis Wenman, and the same year, through the influence of
Burke with Earl Fitzwilliam, entered parliament as member for Peterborough. His speeches in
parliament heavy and simply followed Burke's line, except in matters of international law. In
opposing the union with Ireland he insisted that Burke, had he lived, would have done so likewise.
Laurence was a member of the committee appointed in 1806 to frame the articles of impeachment
against Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, the last such case. He was chancellor of the diocese of
Oxford and a judge of the court of admiralty of the Cinque ports. He died suddenly on 26 February
1809, while on a visit to one of his brothers at Eltham, Kent, and was buried in Eltham Church,
where a marble tablet was placed to his memory. Laurence did not marry. His leisure time he spent
in societyhe was a member of the Eumelean Clubor in writing.