Early Life, Education and Career
Roskam was born in Hinsdale, Illinois. He was the fourth of five children and was raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, graduating from Glenbard West High School. Roskam received his B.A. in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.
In 1984, Roskam taught history and government at All Saints High School in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. From 1985 to 1986, Roskam served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), and from 1986 to 1987 as a legislative assistant to Rep. Hyde. In the late 1980s, Roskam served as the Executive Director of Educational Assistance Ltd., a scholarship program for disadvantaged children founded by his father in 1982. In 1992, Roskam was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, serving from 1993 to 1999. In 2000, he was appointed by DuPage County Republican leaders to replace the retiring Beverly Fawell in the Illinois State Senate where he served until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Roskam resides in Wheaton, Illinois with his wife Elizabeth and their four children.
Roskam was a partner in the law firm Salvi, Roskam & Maher, a personal injury firm. He was named "Best Oral Advocate" by the American College of Trial Lawyers. The firm, now called Salvi & Maher, is politically notable because former Republican Senate candidate Al Salvi and former Republican House candidate Kathy Salvi are also partners in the firm. The Chicago Tribune noted that Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer.
After his parents took a trip to Vietnam and saw American veterans' dog tags for sale on the street, Roskam, along with his parents worked to return the dog tags to their owners or the families of the deceased.
Read more about this topic: Peter Roskam
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