David L. Salgado received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Chicago's St. Xavier College and a Juris Doctorate degree from John Marshall Law School. While in law school, Mr. Salgado held summer intern positions at the Illinois Public Defender's, and the Travelers and Immigrants Aid Offices. Mr. Salgado was admitted to the Illinois State Bar and the Federal Bar in 1985 and immediately opened and managed a general practice firm specializing in worker's compensation, personal injury, traffic, criminal misdemeanors, divorce, and discrimination matters.

In 1991, Mr. Salgado joined the prestigious defense firm of Koutsky, Boudreau, Lassen & Mason, where he handled hundreds of worker's compensation files for an established list of insurance clients. In 1998, he opened his own firm concentrating on worker's compensation, personal injury, and bankruptcy matters. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Salgado was appointed Bankruptcy Trustee for the Northern District of Illinois by the U.S. Trustees Office, Department of Justice. As Bankruptcy Trustee, Mr. Salgado presided over Section 341 creditors' hearings and investigated the assets and financial background of debtors.

Mr. Salgado has contributed legal articles to a variety of newspapers and has appeared on radio and television. He has volunteered his services to the Legal Assistance Foundation as well as other diverse charitable organizations and churches. Mr. Salgado has also offered free legal clinics and has educated unions and their membership regarding worker's compensation rights and related legal topics.