Attorneys
Ray Baxter
Senior Partner
Ray Baxter has been a fixture in the central Arkansas legal community for over 40 years, founding this firm in 1978. Mr. Baxter was born in Lake Village, Arkansas on August 12, 1952, and grew up in nearby Eudora. Mr. Baxter graduated cum laude from Louisiana College in 1974, earning a Bachelor’s in History and Speech with a minor in English. In the fall of the same year, Mr. Baxter entered law school at the University of Arkansas. For economic reasons, Mr. Baxter transferred to the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where he held a full-time job as an insurance adjuster for UFS&G while attending law school at night. Mr. Baxter graduated law school in December of 1977, and the next year entered into private practice in Benton, a place he is proud to have called home for the last 42 years and where he has always strived to serve his fellow residents. Mr. Baxter served as Saline County Juvenile Judge from 1978 to 1982, as the Secretary and later Chair for the Democratic Party of Saline County from 1980 to 1992, and on the Benton City Council from 1995 to 1998. Mr. Baxter was appointed by two different Governors to serve as Special Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court (Clinton-1991, Tucker-1993). Over his career, Mr. Baxter has handled virtually every type of case involving legal matters across the State of Arkansas. An accomplished trial lawyer, Mr. Baxter once handled a case that set the record as the largest single plaintiff recovery in the history of Arkansas at the time totaling $7.6 million, a figure later affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court (Ford Motor Co. v. Dean Estes Massey, 1993). Additionally, Mr. Baxter has maintained an active and successful appellate practice. Mr. Baxter’s practice, since 1978, has been focused on the client. Now in practice with his son, J.R., Mr. Baxter is eager to continue the tradition of first class representation that the Baxter Law Firm has provided to so many.
James R. Baxter
Partner
James “J.R.” Baxter is a 2014 summa cum laude graduate of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas where he majored in political science and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. J.R. then attended the University of Arkansas School of Law where he graduated second in his class of 116 in May of 2017. While in law school, J.R. won the 2015 William H. Sutton Barrister’s Union Trial Competition and the 2016 Ben J. Altheimer Moot Court Competition. Now, J.R. focuses his practice on all aspects of complex litigation and is passionate about assisting his clients through the litigation and appellate process. When he is not advocating for his clients, J.R. enjoys cooking Cajun food and spending time with his wife, Allie, his son, Jamie, and his two golden retrievers, Jackie O. and Fitz.
Bobby McCallister
Attorney at Law
Bobby McCallister was born in Benton, Arkansas in 1964. He graduated in 1983 from Benton High School with honors and went on to the University of Central Arkansas. At UCA, Bobby graduated with a bachelor of science degree while competing on the two-time National Champion Bears football team as a four-year letterman. He graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1991, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board and received honors for top-graded in Legal Methods and Trial Advocacy. Bobby began practicing law in his hometown of Benton in 1991 and has served as a deputy prosecutor, circuit judge, city judge, administrative law judge, and as a member of the Benton School Board during his career. Bobby has handled multiple civil and criminal jury trials and has represented a wide array of business and individual clients in matters including litigation involving school districts, products liability, motor vehicle injury, and construction, among many others. Bobby’s criminal practice experience includes felony, misdemeanor and juvenile court. He also has a great deal of experience in appellate work which has included civil, criminal and administrative law.