Following her junior year in 2010–11 at Auburn, she decided to take a year off from school and began to train full-time for the 2012 Olympics with former Auburn head coach David Marsh at SwimMAC Carolina. At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the qualifying meet for the 2012 Olympics, Lawrence qualified for the U.S. Olympic team for the first time by placing second in the 200-meter breaststroke behind Rebecca Soni. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she finished sixth in the final of the 200-meter breaststroke. At the 2013 World Championships, Lawrence finished 3rd to win the bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke final. Two years later at the 2015 World Championships, she won the silver medal in the 200m breaststroke.