Makennan joined GIFFORDS Law Center in 2024 as a legal project manager, where she plays a pivotal role in guiding the Litigation team’s efforts to defend commonsense gun laws in the courts and hold the gun industry accountable for its role in the gun violence epidemic. Makennan obtained her BA with Honors from Columbia University, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to joining GIFFORDS Law Center, she served as a legal associate at March for Our Lives, where she helped shape the organization’s legal strategy, amplifying the voices of young people and survivors in impactful amicus briefs and providing legal education to youth advocates.