Sessions was born in Waco, Texas, the son of Alice June (née Lewis) and William Steele Sessions, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[6] He grew up in Waco and in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.. He graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, in 1978, where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He worked for Southwestern Bell for 16 years and rose to the rank of district manager for marketing in Dallas.
The Boy Scouts of America recognized him as a "Distinguished Eagle Scout." He holds a position on the Circle Ten Council of the BSA. Both of his sons are also active in scouting.