Paul Legler grew up in rural North Dakota. He was educated at the University of North Dakota, University of Minnesota, and Harvard University. He started his career as a poverty and civil rights attorney, representing migrant farm workers and indigent people throughout Minnesota and North Dakota. He was later appointed by President Clinton to serve as a policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where he served for eight years. Most recently, he worked as a public policy consultant for state and county governments across the country.