Gloria Allred

Practice Areas: Employment Litigation

“I commence each day with the awareness that it is my responsibility to aid individuals and advocate for justice, understanding that valuable achievements necessitate sacrifice, self-control, and bravery.”

— Gloria Allred, Fight Back and Win

Born on July 3, 1941, Gloria Allred grew up as the only child in a working-class household in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated with honors in English from the University of Pennsylvania and furthered her education with a master’s degree from New York University and a cum laude Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles. Additionally, she holds an Honorary J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.

As a founding partner of the law firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg (AM&G), she and her firm handle more cases related to women’s rights than any other private firm in the country, securing hundreds of millions of dollars for victims. Gloria Allred also established and currently serves as the President of the Women’s Equal Rights Legal Defense and Education Fund (WERLDEF).

Allred, Maroko & Goldberg specialize in representing individuals who have faced discrimination based on factors such as sex, race, age, physical limitations, or sexual orientation. The firm also stands for victims of AIDS discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Their work extends to civil rights, rape, child sexual abuse, and cases involving battered women.

With a four-decade-long legal career, Gloria Allred has been honored extensively for her pioneering work in women’s rights and minority rights advocacy.

She has received the President’s Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers and the President’s Award for Outstanding Volunteerism, presented by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 at the White House. Her peers recognize her as one of the finest lawyers in America. In January 2014, Gloria received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Trial Lawyers for her groundbreaking role in combating injustices and securing new rights, particularly for women and minorities.

Gloria Allred is also a three-time Emmy nominee for her commentaries on KABC television in Los Angeles. Her nationally syndicated television show “We the People, with Gloria Allred” was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2012.

She has been acknowledged as one of the most significant radio talk show hosts in the U.S. by USA Today. In May 2001, she was awarded the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award from the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts for her exceptional contributions to talk radio.

Articles about Gloria Allred or written by her have been featured in esteemed publications including TIME Magazine, The New York Times, Ms. Magazine, The American Lawyer, The Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Herald Examiner, and The London Times. In July 1990, Los Angeles Magazine named her one of the “30 Most Powerful People in Los Angeles,” and in 1994, she was deemed one of the “50 Most Interesting People in Los Angeles.” TIME Magazine hailed her as “one of the nation’s most effective advocates of family rights and feminist causes.” She earned commendations from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley for her remarkable contributions to the justice system.

Gloria Allred is also the sole individual to have received the 1986 Public Service Award from the National Association of Federal Investigators.

In 1998, the Los Angeles Business Journal recognized her as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Los Angeles Law.” In 2000, The Daily Journal named her one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in California.”

In 2006, Ms. Allred was honored as a “Distinguished Daughter” by her high school, the Philadelphia High School for Girls, in a ceremony held in Philadelphia. In 2007, she was bestowed the “Silver Achievement Award” by the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles for her significant impact on the community through professional, volunteer, and philanthropic endeavors. In 2009, New York University chose her for the Distinguished Alumnus Award, which she accepted at their May 2009 commencement.

She has been listed in the Southern California Super Lawyers from 2004 to 2018, recognized by Law and Media and Los Angeles Magazine. She has also been featured in the “Best Lawyers in America” editions from 2011 to 2017. In September 2013, she received the Victoria Woodhull Award from the Veteran Feminists of America for her dedicated work championing women’s civil rights. In 2014, she was granted the Face Forward Award for her legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, and Gloria was included in Loyola Law School’s list of the top 50 most Inspirational Alumni. In 2015, she was honored with the inaugural Elgy Award for her ten-year commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community. Most recently, at the 2016 International Women’s Forum (IWF) World Leadership Conference, Gloria was recognized with the 2016 IWF Women Who Make a Difference Award.

In 2017, Netflix announced the release of “Seeing Allred,” an original documentary focusing on Ms. Allred and her pursuit of justice, globally premiering on Netflix in February 2018 following its debut in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. In February 2018, Ms. Allred received the Lenore Kramer Award for Excellence from the Women’s Caucus of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. In June 2018, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for Women (NOW) for her ongoing dedication to combating injustices against women.

Beyond her legal career, Gloria Allred holds California life credentials in secondary school education and supervision. She taught in public schools for six and a half years and was a lecturer at the University of Southern California for several years.

Moreover, Ms. Allred is the author of “Fight Back and Win, My Thirty-Year Fight Against Injustice- And How You Can Win Your Own Battles.”

Ms. Allred’s daughter, Lisa Bloom, practices law in California, while her grand-daughter Sarah and grandson Sam are attorneys in New York and a paralegal, respectively.

Notably, former President Obama introduced Ms. Allred as “one of the nation’s top attorneys.”