Justice Larson, served on the Iowa Supreme Court from 1978 until his retirement in 2008. He was the longest-serving member of the bench in Iowa Court history.
Justice Larson was born and raised in Harlan. He received his bachelor's in 1958 and law degree in 1960, both from the University of Iowa. While at law school, he was an editor of the Iowa Law Review.
Following his graduation from law school, he was a law clerk for U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge M.D. Van Oosterhout. Later, Justice Larson practiced law in Harlan with his father and served two terms as Shelby County Attorney. In 1975, he was appointed to a district court judge. He served on the district bench until his appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1978.