Carter received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1967, (he lettered in cross country and track on the teams of Jim Bush) and his Juris Doctor in 1972 from the University of California, Los Angeles and UCLA School of Law, respectively. After graduating from college, Carter accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the Vietnam War where he fought in the Battle of Khe Sanh, receiving a Bronze Star for valor in 1968. He was medically discharged as a First Lieutenant after receiving a Purple Heart.