Hon. Larry M. Collins (Ret.) was a judge for the 3rd Judicial District Court of Minnesota in Waseca County. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Tim Pawlenty on September 28, 2005. Collins retired in 2017 after reaching the mandatory age of retirement.
The 3rd Judicial District includes Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Winona Counties.
Prior to beginning his judicial tenure, he was the County Attorney in Waseca County, having served in that capacity since 1978. Before that, Collins spent two years as an attorney in the Law School Division at West Publishing Company (1976 to 1978) and was an assistant city attorney in Rochester (1974 to 1976).
He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota in 1969. Collins went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Minnesota Law School in 1972.
After graduating from law school, he began his legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. O. Russell Olson and the Hon. Donald Franke with the 3rd Judicial District Court (1973 to 1974).
His memberships included the Minnesota District Judges Association, the Minnesota State Bar Association, and the 5th Judicial District Bar Association.
Collins also served as a member of the Court Operations Advisory Workgroup and the 3rd Judicial District Family Violence Task Force and was the lead judge for the Waseca County Children’s Justice Initiative.
He was named Citizen of the Year by the Waseca County News and Janesville Argus (2007). Collins is also the recipient of the Julius E. Gernes Public Attorney Award of Excellence from the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Public Law Section (2003) and the Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Social Service Association, Region IX (2002).