Hicks enrolled in a university in Washington, where he earned a Juris Doctor in 1948; then he established a small private practice in Pierce County, Washington.
He attended Central Washington University, where he earned an bachelor's degree in education. Following his discharge from the Army, Hicks enrolled in the University of Washington School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor in 1948. Soon afterward, he established a small private practice in Pierce County, Washington. 
