Anderson received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1970, followed by a Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law in 1975.

[3] Anderson was nominated by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2002, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on August 3, 1998.

[4] In 2006, Anderson was removed from a wrongful conviction lawsuit case by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

[6] In a 2011 Los Angeles Times article,[7] Anderson was criticized for extensive delays in reviewing writs of habeas corpus.

[7] Legal experts have said that the delays are "highly unusual" and critics have asserted that Anderson's handling of these cases is concerning and may warrant a misconduct inquiry.