Mr. Wagner was born and raised in the Castro Valley, California. He graduated from University of California Davis in 2006 with a BA in Political Science. He attended law school at The University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, graduating with distinction in 2010. At McGeorge, Chris was on the Dean's Honor List and was also an editor for the McGeorge Law Review. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in December of 2010.

In his spare time he enjoys traveling, reading fiction, and playing sports, particularly ice hockey and soccer.