Mr. Ferrell graduated with honors from Southeast Missouri State University. He is the recipient of both the University’s Outstanding Alumni Award and Alumni Merit Award.
In 1980 he graduated with honors from the University of Missouri School of Law. Finishing first in his class in both Criminal Law and Trial Advocacy.
First and foremost, Larry Ferrell is a trial attorney, having maintained an extensive trial practice for over 45 years at both the State and Federal court levels.
Mr. Ferrell began his career as an Assistant Prosecuting in Cape Girardeau County. At the age of 26 he was elected as the Prosecuting Attorney for Cape Girardeau County. He later served as Cape Girardeau County Counselor.
Mr. Ferrell, previously was a partner in the Limbaugh Law Firm, where he maintained an extensive civil and criminal practice in both state and federal courts, including personal injury, commercial, insurance, criminal, and governmental litigation.
Prior to joining Johnson, Schneider and Ferrell, Mr. Ferrell served as the Criminal Chief and Supervising Assistant United States Attorney for the Southeastern Division of the Eastern District of Missouri for 26 years where he personally supervised all criminal investigations in the Southeastern Division, including more than 3,500 federal criminal investigations and over 2,000 federal indictments.
In addition to his trial practice, Mr. Ferrell has maintained an extensive civil and criminal appellate practice in both Missouri and Federal Courts of Appeal, serving as the attorney of record in more than 100 cases before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Upon retirement from the United States Department of Justice in 2018, he joined Johnson, Schneider, and Ferrell, where for the last eight years, he has put his many years of experience to work for our clients. He continues to practice in all areas of civil and criminal law, at the trial and appellate levels. In both state and federal court.
For more than 25 years he has held an AV Preeminent rating with Martindale-Hubbell. The highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethical standards. In 2008 he was selected as a finalist for Missouri Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year.
During his career he has been privileged to accept leadership roles on numerous State Boards, including the Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services, and the Governor’s Commission on Crime. Most recently he was appointed Chairman of the Missouri Sentencing Commission and Vice-Chairman of the Missouri Public Defenders Commission by Governor Mike Parsons.
He counts among his greatest blessings, having had the opportunity to serve his country during two tours in Iraq with the United States Department of Justice. In 2006 he was selected to serve as a member of the Department’s Regime Crimes Liaison Office where he served as an attorney/advisor to the Iraqi Prosecution team during the investigation and prosecution of Saddam Hussein and other members of his regime for the commission of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.
In 2008 he was asked by the Department of Justice to return as the United States Justice Attache to Iraq. As the Senior Department of Justice official in country, and the direct representative of the Attorney General of the United States to the country of Iraq, he was charged with the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of the State Department, the Justice Department, and the International Community with the Iraqi Judiciary as they sought to implement the Rule of Law throughout Iraq. During that time, he also served as the Chairman of the Law Enforcement Section of the Status of Forces Agreement negotiated between Iraq and the United States.
Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with his family, and giving back to community by having served on the Boards of various not for profit organizations such as Habit for Humanity, Adult and Teen Challenge of Mid-America, and the Hope Therapeutic Horsemanship Center.