Meet George Manning: Trial Attorney, Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law

Texas State Bar Number: 24118451 | Licensed: April 24, 2020

Who is George Manning, and Why Does His Background Matter to Your Case?

There is a certain kind of attorney who arrives at the law not through a straight academic path but through a life that has already tested him in ways that most people never face. George Manning is that kind of attorney. Before he ever set foot in a law school classroom, he served as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps—one of the most demanding and character-defining experiences a young person can undertake. That service, and the discipline and conviction it built, forms the foundation of the way George Manning approaches every criminal defense case he handles today. He is a Trial Attorney at Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law, focusing his practice on criminal defense in San Antonio and throughout Bexar County. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Texas at San Antonio, earned his Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University School of Law with a concentration in Criminal Law and Innocence, began his legal career representing indigent defendants in West Texas as a student attorney with a public defender’s office, built an independent criminal defense practice as a solo practitioner, and has been fighting for clients in San Antonio courtrooms ever since. When clients describe George Manning, words like exceptional, dedicated and results-driven come up consistently—and his background explains exactly why.

Credentials at a Glance

Full Name: George I. Manning
Title: Trial Attorney
Firm: Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law
Texas Bar Card Number: 24118451
Texas Bar License Date: April 24, 2020
Bar Status: Active, Good Standing

Military Service

Before pursuing his education and legal career, George Manning answered a call that few are willing to accept. He served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman—one of the most physically and mentally demanding roles in the American military—and was honorably discharged in 2010. His service in 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment gave him something that no law school curriculum can provide: the ability to perform under pressure, to stay disciplined when the stakes are highest, and to remain focused on the mission regardless of the obstacles in front of him. Every one of those qualities translates directly to the work of a criminal defense attorney who is fighting to protect a client’s freedom. The Marines do not produce people who fold under pressure, and George Manning’s record in the courtroom reflects that.

Military Service Summary

Branch: United States Marine Corps
Role: Infantryman
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment
Discharge Status: Honorably Discharged, 2010

Education

Following his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, George Manning committed himself to his education with the same discipline he had brought to his military service. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Texas at San Antonio—an academic honor that places him in the top tier of his graduating class—before going on to earn his law degree from one of the most respected law schools in Texas, where he pursued a specialized concentration that reflects his commitment to genuine justice, not just technical legal wins.

B.A., Anthropology — University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), 2013, graduated Cum Laude
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) — Texas Tech University School of Law, 2018, with a Degree Concentration in Criminal Law and Innocence
Student Attorney — Caprock Regional Public Defender’s Office, Lubbock, Texas (final year of law school); represented indigent criminal defendants in real cases under attorney supervision

The Degree Concentration in Criminal Law and Innocence at Texas Tech is worth explaining to prospective clients, because it is not a standard law school track. This concentration is focused not only on the mechanics of criminal procedure and constitutional law, but also on wrongful conviction—the causes of it, the systemic failures that allow it to happen, and the legal tools available to prevent and correct it. An attorney who has trained specifically in innocence-focused criminal law approaches every case with a heightened awareness of how evidence can be misread, how witness accounts can be distorted, and how the prosecution’s narrative can diverge from the truth. That lens makes George Manning a more rigorous and more skeptical advocate—exactly what a person facing criminal charges needs on their side.

Career History & Professional Experience

George Manning began his legal career the hard way—not in a large firm with a safety net, but in the public defender’s office as a student attorney, representing people who had no resources and no one else in their corner. That experience grounded his practice in something real from day one. After passing the Texas Bar in April 2020, he built an independent solo practice in San Antonio handling criminal defense cases as well as estate planning and probate litigation, developing the self-reliance and case management skills that come only from running your own practice and owning the outcome of every matter you handle. He subsequently joined a statewide criminal defense firm before bringing his full focus to Barton & Associates as a Trial Attorney, where he represents clients charged with the full spectrum of criminal offenses in San Antonio, Bexar County and surrounding South Texas courts.

Career Timeline

Student Attorney, Caprock Regional Public Defender’s Office, Lubbock, Texas — represented indigent criminal defendants during final year of law school
Solo Practitioner, San Antonio, Texas — criminal defense and estate planning/probate litigation
Trial Attorney, Dunham & Jones Attorneys at Law — statewide criminal defense practice, San Antonio office
Trial Attorney, Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law (current)

What Clients Say About George Manning

Client feedback is one of the most honest measures of an attorney’s performance, and George Manning’s clients have been direct about what his representation means to them. One client put it this way: “George Manning is an exceptional attorney. I’m so grateful he took my case on such short notice and still managed to secure the best possible outcome for me. His professionalism, dedication, and expertise truly made all the difference.” That kind of result—taking a case under urgent circumstances and still delivering the best possible outcome—reflects exactly the discipline and commitment that George Manning brings to every client he represents.

Areas of Practice

George Manning focuses his practice on criminal defense, representing individuals facing charges across the full range of misdemeanor and felony matters in San Antonio, Bexar County and throughout South Texas.

Criminal Defense

Felony offenses including aggravated assault, burglary, evading arrest, smuggling, and murder/homicide defense
Misdemeanor defense including assault, criminal mischief, criminal trespassing, harassment, theft, and deadly conduct
DWI defense — first-, second-, and third-offense DWI, felony DWI, DWI with child, DWI with open container, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter
Drug crimes — possession of controlled substances, possession of marijuana, delivery and manufacture of controlled substances, drug-free zone enhancements, and asset forfeiture defense
Weapon crimes — unlawful carrying of a weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and weapon seizure defense
Sex crimes defense including sexual assault, indecency with a minor, and improper relationship
Domestic violence and assault family violence defense, including felony assault family violence, impeding breath or circulation, and violation of protective order
Probation violations, motions to revoke probation, and motions to adjudicate
Expunction and nondisclosure proceedings in Texas
Military criminal defense — representing active duty service members, veterans, and personnel facing chapter separation proceedings or security clearance issues

About George Manning: The Person Behind the Practice

George Manning grew up in San Antonio and graduated from Tom C. Clark High School before enlisting in the Marine Corps. He has spent nearly his entire life in this city and understands the communities, the courts and the people of San Antonio in a deeply personal way. His academic background in Anthropology—the study of human cultures, behaviors and social systems—gives him an unusually nuanced perspective on the human dimensions of criminal cases. Understanding why people make the choices they make, and how social and environmental context shapes behavior, is an asset in a field where prosecutors often reduce defendants to the facts of a charge and nothing more. George Manning sees the full person, and he fights for them accordingly. Outside the courtroom, he is known for his love of cooking, guitar playing and collecting, hiking, and swimming—the pursuits of a person who approaches life with the same range and intensity he brings to his work.

How to Reach George Manning & Barton & Associates

If you are facing a criminal charge in San Antonio or anywhere in Bexar County, the time to act is now. George Manning and the full team at Barton & Associates are available not just during regular business hours, but evenings, weekends and holidays—because a criminal arrest does not wait for Monday morning. The firm offers free consultations, and many clients are in court with their attorney within days of making that first call.