Rory is a native of Aberdeen and a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School. Rory attended Northern State University and ultimately received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Dakota in 1970. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve, ultimately retiring as a captain in the Infantry Branch of the United States Army Reserve. He graduated from law school at the University of South Dakota in 1973 as a Thomas Sterling Honors graduate. He served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Fred J. Nichol in 1973-74 and has practiced in Aberdeen since May 1974. Rory is a member of the Brown County and American Bar Associations, including the Business law and the Real Property, Trust and Estate law sections, the State Bar of South Dakota, the Education Law Association and the National Association of School Board Attorneys. He is licensed to practice in South Dakota state and federal court, in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and in the United States Supreme Court. Rory practices primarily in the areas of litigation, business and corporate law, school law, estate planning and probate, and Elder-law.