He graduated with the highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law in 1978. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1978, and was admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court (Western District of Texas) in 1980 and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, in 1981.