California native John Rough attended Occidental College and Beverly College of Law. Even before graduation, Rough was sharpening his skills in the bonds and undertakings arena by working summers at the Los Angeles County Courthouse for Golden State Bonding, his family bond business. Endowed with the same entrepreneurial spirit as his father, Rough established Bond Services in 1974. Twenty years later, he co-founded a second company, California Civil and Judicial Bonding, which served to broaden the scope of his expertise. Today, Rough is one of the few bond specialists with such extensive connections in the California court system.