Anderson received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee in 1976 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1980.

[1] In 2003, Anderson became a United States magistrate judge for the Western District of Tennessee.

On September 6, 2007, he was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee vacated by James Dale Todd.

[1] On April 10, 2008, Anderson was confirmed by the United States Senate[2] by voice vote.

[1] In May 2024, NPR revealed that Anderson had received free travel in December 2021 to the Breakers Colloquium, a privately funded legal seminar hosted at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Florida, but had failed to disclose this on his annual financial disclosure form for that year, in violation of federal ethics law.