He was born as László Szőgyény de Magyar-Szőgyén into a noble family, son of Vice Chancellor Zsigmond Szőgyény and Júlia Pászthory. He started his studies at Theresianum in Vienna then attended Faculty of Humanities and Law at University of Pest. He was awarded doctor of philosophy at the age of 18. He became honorary deputy recorder, then recorder of Pest County. From 1844 he served as Councillor in the Hungarian Royal Court Chancellery. He was appointed Court Chancellor but resigned from this position during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 when the chancellery was dissolved. He became a National Guard but did not fight in battles.