Mr. Gelderman served as a judicial extern for Judge Anna Loftus in the Cook County Circuit Court Chancery Division in 2020. He was a research assistant at Loyola University Chicago, where he prepared briefs and conducted research related to administrative law, immigration law and civil rights. He has served as a case manager at Loyola Legal Clinic (2018–2020) and as an Equal Justice America Fellow at Equip for Equality (2019). Mr. Gelderman has a technical background working in biology and chemistry labs. He has conducted organic chemistry research through a National Science Foundation research grant, resulting in a published scientific publication.

Mr. Gelderman received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Carleton College. While in law school, he was an Executive Editor of the Loyola Law Journal and a brief writer for the National Moot Court team.