Born in Newark, New Jersey, Gibbons was raised in Belleville, New Jersey. He graduated from Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in 1942. He served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. Gibbons graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree and from Harvard Law School in 1950 with a Bachelor of Laws. After graduation, Gibbons joined the firm of Crummy &amp; Consodine. After several years with the firm, he was named a partner and the firm's name changed to Crummy, Consodine &amp; Gibbons. In 1967, Gibbons became President of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and also a member of the Governor's Commission on Civil Disorders. This was during the time of the Newark riots which left 23 people dead and more than 1,500 arrested. The firm responded by sending cars full of lawyers to courthouses to speed up the processing of bail applications and reduce jail overcrowding. The firm represented many of those charged on a pro bono basis.