Professor Scales graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. Following graduation, he practiced at Faegre and Benson in Minneapolis, before serving as a law clerk for Judges David S. Doty and Michael J. Davis of the District of Minnesota. Prior to coming to Rutgers Law in 2011, he taught at Washington and Lee University.
His research focuses on the intersection of tort law and insurance. He also teaches Administrative Law.