Robert G. Scott grew up in town of Erie, in Whiteside County, Illinois where he attended the local schools graduating from Erie Community High School. He continued his education at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois graduating in 1945 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in economics. He attended the University of Illinois Law School in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois graduating in 1947 with his Juris Doctor degree. After graduating from law school he received his license to practice law from the Illinois Supreme Court. He began practicing law with the firm of Bell, Farrar & Scott in Rock Island, Illinois. On January 1, 2005 he and his grandson, Lincoln T. Scott, together with Kenneth M. Collinson, formed Collinson & Scott, P.C.

Robert G. Scott is a general law practitioner with particular focus on matters involving real estate, wills and trusts and probate of estates. He served as President of the Rock Island County Bar Association from 1978 to 1979. He served as President of the Milan Area Rotary Club from 1994 to 1995 and is a Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. In 1998, he was recognized as a Senior Counsellor by the Illinois State Bar Association in recognition of more than 50 years of honorable service at the bar. In 1999, he was recognized by the Rock Island County Bar Association's Volunteer Lawyer Project as volunteer of the year. He is also currently a director of Blackhawk Bank & Trust.