RJ Scaggs Unplugged
Former recruiting committee chair, partner RJ Scaggs has an advantage when it comes to singling out law school candidates who will succeed at the firm. After earning his undergraduate degree, he followed family tradition by serving in the United States Marine Corps. He was an artillery officer obtaining the rank of captain. Being responsible for a couple of hundred troops and equipment gave him valuable experience in spotting talent and motivating people. The maturity and self-discipline RJ learned in the military served him well at The College of William & Mary, where he earned his law degree. RJ excelled in his academic career, as class valedictorian, as a member of the William & Mary Law Review and was named to the Order of the Coif.
Both law school and his military experience helped crystallize RJ’s ideas about where he wanted to practice. “My wife and I realized we weren’t big city people, and we didn’t want to be too far from our families in western Virginia. But I still wanted a sophisticated law practice. RJ found the attorneys at Morris Nichols had varied backgrounds, life experiences, and roots around the country contributing to a cosmopolitan atmosphere within the firm. “Although some of my colleagues are home-grown, many of us hail from outside of Delaware, with no connections to the state or to Morris Nichols,” he says. “Excellence is a great equalizer,” he continues.
His recognition in The Best Lawyers in America and having been named a “Top Lawyer” by Delaware Today Magazine confirms RJ’s success, but his work falls second to his family and faith. His family is a vigorous bunch that includes three daughters. They enjoy all kinds of sports and outdoor activities including hiking with their dogs Belle and Cochise. As a family wishing to give back to the community, they manage annual trips to places such as Mexico and Appalachia in conjunction with their church to repair homes for the needy. RJ also finds personal time for writing fiction, and he recently earned 3rd place in a writing contest sponsored by the Delaware State Bar for his story titled “A Sickness Unto Life” about a lawyer whose life is changed by an encounter with a homeless couple. RJ appreciates that his career allows him and his family the freedom and means to embrace a full life.
When interviewing law school candidates, RJ emphasizes a message that he knows will resonate with the people who will do well at the firm: “Morris Nichols is the kind of firm where we focus solely on work product, and we strip away everything else. You don’t have to put in a lot of ‘face time’ to impress us. All you need to do is good work. We encourage you to manage your time so that you can have a life outside of the office, too. Sometimes that’s difficult; it’s a challenge, but that’s our goal.”