Laura Gilson is a partner at Anapol Weiss, where she specializes in litigating on behalf of victims of sexual abuse, law enforcement misconduct, and other civil rights violations.
Prior to joining Anapol Weiss, Laura served as the Senior Sex Crimes Counsel in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. As a trial attorney at the Department of Justice, Laura led dozens of complex investigations across the country involving violations of federal civil rights law, including sexual misconduct and other forms of misconduct committed by government actors and hate crimes. After investigating these violations, Laura directed the litigation strategy to prosecute these abuses in federal court, including trying jury trials to verdict.
While at the Department of Justice, Laura secured convictions on behalf of numerous victims of criminal civil rights violations across the country, including:
US v. Smith: Laura led the trial team that convicted an Oklahoma police officer of obstruction of justice and sexual assault in violation of federal civil rights laws. Through this prosecution, Laura obtained the first guilty verdict under the enhanced penalties provision of the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The defendant was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
US v. Johnson: Laura led the investigation and prosecution of a private prisoner transport officer for violating the civil rights of multiple female pretrial detainees by sexually assaulting them during prisoner transports. The defendant was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
US v. Ware: Laura co-chaired the trial team that convicted a former Oklahoma Jail Administrator of deliberate indifference to inmate safety and aiding and abetting unreasonable force against a pretrial detainee in violation of federal civil rights laws. The defendant was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
Laura received several honors and awards for her work at the Department of Justice and has trained federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors in civil rights law, including sexual misconduct committed by government actors, deliberate indifference principles, and hate crimes.
Before joining the Department of Justice through the Honors Program, Laura clerked for the Honorable John Michael Vazquez, then a district court judge for the District of New Jersey.
Laura earned her law degree from Stanford Law School. She received her undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where she graduated magna cum laude and was elected Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from Hamilton College, Laura received a Fulbright Award to work in Balikpapan, Indonesia.
Practice Areas
Bar Admissions
- New York
- As a federal prosecutor, admitted to practice in:
- Eastern District of Oklahoma
- Western District of Oklahoma
- Northern District of Oklahoma
- Eastern District of North Carolina
- Western District of New York
- District of New Mexico
- District of Puerto Rico
- District of Columbia.
Awards & Accolades
- DOJ Honors Attorney Program - Fall 2019
- Special Commendation for Outstanding Service to the Civil Rights Division - 2021, 2023, and 2024
Education
- Stanford Law School, Juris Doctor, June 2017
- Hamilton College, Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, May 2012 (Phi Beta Kappa)
Representative Cases
- U.S. v. Gendron: Co-chaired the prosecution of a racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, NY. Briefed and argued the constitutionality of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, 18 U.S.C. § 249.
- U.S. v. Smith: Led the trial team that convicted a police officer of obstruction of justice and sexual assault in violation of federal civil rights laws. Obtained first guilty verdict under the enhanced penalties provision of the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
- U.S. v. Ware: Co-chaired the trial team that convicted a former Oklahoma Jail Administrator of deliberate indifference to inmate safety and aiding and abetting unreasonable force against a pretrial detainee in violation of federal civil rights laws.
- U.S. v. Buntyn: Co-chaired the trial team that convicted a former private prisoner transport officer of deliberate indifference during a prisoner transport in violation of federal civil rights laws.