Elmer Driedger was born in Osler Saskatchewan in 1913 to a Mennonite family where he learned to speak both German and English. He began classes at the University of Saskatchewan in 1929, earning a BA (1932) and LL.B. (1934). He received a scholarship to Marburg University and later attended Kiel University in 1935, although political developments in Germany forced him to return to Canada before the war. After returning to Saskatchewan, he briefly lectured in company law at the University of Saskatchewan, before going on to pursue his twenty-five year career in the federal Department of Justice, during which he became a leading expert in statutory interpretation, and was eventually made Deputy Minister. He later worked as a professor of law at the University of Ottawa. During his time at the University of Saskatchewan, he participated in various activities, including soccer, hockey, and the debate club.