He was raised in the Monterey area, and attended two Catholic grammar schools: San Carlos School (Monterey) and Junípero Serra School (Carmel). He attended Monterey High School, a public school where he became involved in student politics, and was a member of the Junior Statesmen of America. As a junior, he was the vice president of the Student Body, and as a senior, he became its president. In 1956, he entered Santa Clara University, California, and graduated "magna cum laude" in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 1963, he received a Juris Doctor from the Santa Clara University School of Law.