Chris Riley was born and raised in Austin, the son of Peter and Eva Riley. He attended Austin High School and served as a Congressional Page for Congressman J. J. "Jake" Pickle before attending Harvard College, where he graduated with honors in Economics, and the University of Texas School of Law. In 1990 he passed the bar and moved downtown. He then worked as an attorney at the Texas Supreme Court for five years before entering private practice with Shields & Rusk, P. C., later known as the Rusk Law Firm.