Gordon Estes L’23

Born and raised in New Jersey, Gordon is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, from which he holds a BA in Creative and Professional Writing and a minor in Computer Science. He is an aspiring public interest attorney with a passion for public defense.

At Penn Carey Law, he served as a Senior Editor with the Journal of Constitutional Law and as a legal intern with the Criminal Defense Clinic. He previously served as a board member with the Penn Housing Rights Project and as Communications Director for the Penn Carey Law chapter of the American Constitution Society.

Gordon previously worked as a Legislative Aide and Communications Director to New Jersey State Senator Vin Gopal and Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey, where he supported and promoted efforts to develop progressive legislation promoting affordability, equal rights, and equitable access to services.

During his 1L summer, Gordon fought to secure reliable and affordable utility services for low-income Philadelphians as a legal intern with Community Legal Services. During his 2L summer, Gordon advocated on behalf of incarcerated individuals on death row as a legal intern with the Capital Habeas Unit at the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, Gordon serves as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Jessica Mayer of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division for the 2023-24 term.