Rex Mickles was born on July 25, 1949 in Beorne, Texas to Joseph and Helen Mickles. It became apparent early on that Rex was bright, although far from brilliant. But what was most noticeable was his determination and work ethic. As a child, he sat for hours, working on his reading, spelling, and math skills. His teachers in school most often commented on his focus. He would never be the valedictorian or attend the gifted and talented classes, but he worked hard enough to maintain a respectable grade point average.

Joseph Mickles was an insurance agent who made most of his money from hard work and effort. He stayed open late and often went to local factories and major stores in an attempt to drum up business. For Joseph, everything he did was an opportunity for business. He often volunteered to coach his son's little league baseball games, not only to spend time with his son, but because he could meet so many other parents. Even during baseball games, business cards would fall out of his shorts where he had stuffed a supply in case he met a new prospect. Joseph was a good, hard working man who believed that you were responsible for making your own way. He had not been born wealthy, but he earned a decent living from hard work and determination. Rex learned these lessons early in life.

While attending Hoover High School in Beorne, Rex played baseball and was on the debate team. He was very cognizant of extra-curricular activities and the positive impact they could have on his applications to college. After graduation, Rex pursued a degree in political science from the University of Texas. His college years were marked by more hard work. Although many students seemed to be able to skip an entire semester's worth of classes and still pass, Rex knew he didn't have such abilities. He prided himself on his attendance record and took detailed notes throughout all his classes. He was also active in student government while at UT.

Rex's father had often felt like he was on the periphery of important people in town. He was in the Rotary Club and the Lion's Club and all those organizations. But he felt like an insurance agent was not considered one of the truly important people: someone who was truly respected. He was never angry or bitter about his position; he just often remarked about how admired the attorneys were. Many times at the dinner table, Joseph would tell Rex and Helen about how much influence this attorney had, or how that attorney was building a big new house. For most of his childhood, Rex had heard of doctors and lawyers discussed in reverential tones.

During his junior year at UT, Rex decided to pursue a career as a lawyer. In typical Mickles fashion, he went about doing everything he could to prepare his application. He took the right courses, joined the right organizations, and worked hard at making himself an attractive candidate. Of course, hard work could only account for so much when he took the LSAT test. His scores were far too low to attend the likes of Harvard or Yale. But he was glad to be admitted to law school at the University of Mississippi, which had a decent share of famous alumni.

Once again, hard work was the memorable factor of his law school career. He didn't make the prestigious Law Review, but he excelled at things like Moot Court and other activities. He was well-liked by both the student body and the professors. It was also during law school that Rex met his wife, Erin. Upon graduation, one of his professors helped him get a job with the Yoknapatawpha County's District Attorney's office. He worked there for a number of years, working his way up through the ranks and was eventually appointed Assistant District Attorney.

He enjoyed the work as a district attorney. Rex felt like it was a noble profession and that he was making a difference. However, when Erin gave birth to a daughter, Rex began to feel the financial pressures closing in on him. Life as a public servant obviously was not very well-paying. The young family struggled and Rex looked for a way out. As his father had done before him, Rex simply sat down and said to his wife, "We need more money. I'll get it." That began his aspirations for a private practice. He began laying the groundwork and doing the preparations he would need to launch his practice. He was just waiting for the right time.

In February of 2000, Rex was assigned to prosecute a local theatre group named Oxtales. The charges were that the theatre company had performed a sexually explicit play and that minors had been present. The case immediately became a high profile story in Oxford and Rex found himself on the nightly news quite often. He quickly realized that this case was his ticket to a private practice and he worked the case diligently. He had always worked extremely hard on his cases; this was nothing new. But this time, he made sure that he got on TV and that his name got in the papers. He became friends with a local television reporter, Penelope Young, and they both used this case to further their careers.

By May of 2000, the case was over with convictions for most of the defendants involved. In particular, the leader of the theatre group, Andrea Stover received an 18-month prison sentence and a $10,000 fine. With the feather of convictions in his cap, Rex turned in his resignation to the District Attorney's office and launched his private practice. Although his co-workers were sad to see him go, they wished him the best his new career.