born in daytona beach, florida and raised in yorktown, virginia, stowers earned his bachelor of science degree in biology from blackburn college in 1975. he then went on to serve as a park ranger with the national park service at colonial national historical park in virginia before transferring to mount mckinley national park in 1977. after leaving the national park service he earned his juris doctor in 1985 from the university of california, davis school of law, where he was inducted into the order of the coif honor society. stowers then served as a law clerk for u.s. ninth circuit court of appeals judge robert boochever and then went on to serve as a law clerk for alaska supreme court justice warren matthews.