Thomas M. Dunlap was born in Fulton, Missouri, April 2 1949. He graduated from Westminster College (B.A. 1971) and from the University of Missouri-Columbia (J.D. December, 1974) and was admitted to the bar in 1975. Dunlap is a member of the America Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, and a Past-President of the Callaway County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before Missouri State Courts, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the United States Supreme Court. Dunlap's practice includes civil and criminal trial practice to judges and juries. He represents plaintiffs in wrongful death (including a one million dollar [$1,000,000.00] verdict in Callaway County) and personal injury cases (including a two million dollar [$2,000,000.00] settlement in Boone County)*. He also represented employees in Workers' Compensation claims. He has tried cases to juries in six central Missouri counties and regularly handles civil cases, including domestic relations matters in Callaway, Boone, Audrain, and Montgomery counties.

Dunlap's defense practice involves representing persons charged with criminal law violations, ranging from driving while intoxicated to homicide.

Dunlap is a founding member and has served as President of The Callaway County Industrial Development Authority and the Fulton Area Development Corporation. He has also served as President of the Fulton Board of Associates for Westminster College William Woods University and the Kingdom Supper.

The Dunlap family has been in Callaway County since 1819. David "Peg Leg" Dunlap was the first public school teacher in Fulton and Robert Spence Dunlap, a Revolutionary War Veteran, spearheaded changing the name of "Volney" to Fulton. Dunlap's wife, Julia, is the Director of Parent Relations at Westminster College and they have two children, Jill, a literacy trainer in Cooper County and Andy, a banker with The Callaway Bank.