 Vassallo studied at the University of Malta from where he graduated as doctor of laws in 1982 with a thesis on Insurance Law.Between 1981 and 1988 Vassallo was law reporter for "The Times (Malta)" covering a period of trials dealing with human rights violations.He was later parliamentary reporter for the same paper (1988–89) before taking up the editorship of the Green Party paper "Alternattiva" (1989–91).