Ray Nickle grew up in Wyoming and attended Augustana College then graduated with high honors from Idaho State University in 1983. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1986 from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. He is listed as one of America’s top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys (2018 and 2019) and has received multiple awards for his volunteering through Legal Aid of Arkansas, including the 2019 Arkansas Access to Justice Commission Pro Bono Award. “It is the responsibility of all lawyers to give back to the community and the less fortunate. His interests outside of law are; family, golfing and hunting. Nickle is married to Sharon Nickle and has two sons, Greg and John Michael.