Scott graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science in 1990 from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from the University of Oregon School of Law in Eugene, Oregon.
Upon graduating from law school, Scott practiced civil litigation, bankruptcy and employment law in Los Angeles and Orange County California until 2000, when he returned to West Michigan. Scott joined the law firm of Coupe, Van Allsburg & Pater, P.C., in 2000 where he practiced business litigation, consumer bankruptcy, personal injury, and criminal defense, until he joined the firm of Steven E. Bratschie & Associates, P.C., in December 2002 (now Bratschie&Born P.C.). In July of 2014 he joined Hoesch & Vander Ploeg, P.L.C. to broaden their litigation and collections practice, before opening Mancinelli Goeman Law Group, PC with Dan Goeman. In 2014 he was a founding member of Michigan Receivable Management, LLC a debt purchasing company where he was Chief Purchasing and Compliance Officer.