John Gifford

John Gifford joined Student Legal Services in 2025. John has been a practicing attorney for 21 years. For 17 years, John worked as an attorney at public defenders’ offices in both Boulder, Colorado and Baltimore, Maryland representing indigent clients who were accused of crimes.

As a public defender, John handled thousands of cases spanning the gambit from traffic citations to homicides and complex, organized crime cases. Prior to attending law school, John worked as a paralegal for attorneys practicing in areas of criminal law, immigration and products liability defense.

John obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore in 2005. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia University, where he majored in philosophy.

John is licensed to practice law in Colorado. He is a member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. John is a Board Member at A Way Forward in Longmont, Colorado, a nonprofit whose focus is to provide free recovery and wellness services to the community.