H.L Harrell is currently a judge for the Circuit Courts of the 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Previously he served in the General District Courts for the 27th Judicial Circuit. Prior to becoming a judge, Harrell worked for the Wythe County, Virginia's Commonwealth's Attorney's Office as a prosecutor. Harrell was both a general practitioner and a patent attorney prior to his service as a prosecutor. He received his J.D. from the College of William and Mary's law school.