"The judge's only obligation - and it's a solemn obligation - is to the rule of law. And what that means is that in every single case, the judge has to do what the law requires...

And there is nothing that is more important for our republic than the rule of law. No person in this country, no matter how high or powerful, is above the law, and no person in this country is beneath the law."

- Justice Samuel Alito

Born in Gainesville, Missouri Larry graduated from Gainesville High School in 1966. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1970 and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1973. After law school he worked for the Kansas City law firm of Shughart, Thomson, and Kilroy. After returning to Gainesville, he served 3 terms as the prosecuting attorney for Ozark County. Those duties involved trying felony jury cases throughout the 38th Judicial Circuit, which was comprised of Christian, Taney, Douglas, Ozark and Wright Counties. During the same period he conducted a general civil law practice concentrating on domestic, real estate, and probate litigation. During the 1980’s and early 1990’s Larry served as legal counsel and management for a Branson based petroleum oil marketing company. Thereafter he has been engaged in general law practice with a concentration primarily in civil litigation in Christian, Taney, and Stone Counties. For the past three years he has been a partner of the law firm of McCullah and Luna, LLC located in Forsyth, Missouri. He recently received special recognition from the Southwest Area Legal Services organization for his work in representing clients who are financially unable to access the legal system.

His wife Laurie is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and works as a senior project manager in the Springfield regional office of Flintco, a Tulsa based commercial construction management company. Laurie currently serves as president of the Springfield chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction and received the outstanding woman in construction award in 2004 at the Springfield Contractors annual awards banquet.

Larry and his wife Laurie have lived in southern Christian County for the past 5 years where they raise and show foxtrotter horses in their spare time. They have 3 adult children, Megan Werner and Blake Luna who reside in St. Louis and Ryan Dale who attends college in the Dallas area.