James Rogan overcame the adversity of a difficult childhood and adolescence. Seeing education as a way out of poverty, he worked his way through a small community college, and then the University of California at Berkeley and UCLA Law School. 
 
After law school and passing the bar examination, he became a corporate litigator at a Los Angeles law firm.  He then took a pay cut to become Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney. 

In 1990, he was appointed by the governor to be California’s youngest sitting judge on the Glendale Municipal Court.

In 1994, Jim ran for and won a special election to the California State Assembly, where he was unanimously elected during his freshman term to serve as the first Republican Majority Leader in almost 30 years. 

In 1996, Jim won the first of two consecutive terms to the United States Congress.  Jim was chosen to be one of the House prosecutors in the historic U.S. Senate impeachment trial of President William Jefferson Clinton.  President Clinton and his supporters nationally targeted him.  His unsuccessful reelection battle became the most expensive House race in American history.

Jim recently accepted a partnership with the DC law firm of Venable, Batjen, Howard, Civiletti, & Rogan, LLP.