[2] He earned an AB in Philosophy from Bowdoin College, and spent a year abroad at the Queen's University Belfast.

He earned a Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law, serving as a clerk for Paul Joseph Kelly Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

[3][4] After earning his undergraduate degree, Anderson spent two years as a teacher at Morris Catholic High School.

After graduating from law school, Anderson was of counsel at Holland & Hart in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Anderson prosecuted a number of individuals in high-profile political scandals in New Mexico.