 He studied law with Hippolyte Saint-Georges Dupré and then Dominique-Benjamin Rollin; Rodier was called to the bar in 1827 and set up practice at Montreal.In 1826, he had married Julie-Victoire Dumont, the daughter of a cooper; she died in 1829.In 1831, he married Elise, the daughter of Benjamin Beaupré, a merchant at L'Assomption.