Gloria Allred

Gloria Allred
Born	Gloria Rachel Bloom 3 7, 1941
Birthplace	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney, women's rights advocate
Employer	Allred, Maroko & Goldberg
Known for	High-profile civil rights and women's rights litigation
Education	Loyola University School of Law (J.D.)
Awards	National Women's Hall of Fame inductee
Website	[http://www.gloriaallred.com/ Official site]

Gloria Rachel Allred (née Bloom; born July 3, 1941) is an American civil rights attorney and women's rights advocate based in Los Angeles, California. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Allred has represented clients in numerous high-profile cases involving allegations of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violations of civil rights. As the founding partner of the law firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, she has handled cases involving public figures and institutions across the United States, frequently appearing in national media to advocate on behalf of her clients. Her work has drawn both significant praise from women's rights organizations and criticism from those who view her methods as attention-seeking. Allred was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in recognition of her advocacy. As of 2025 and 2026, she continues to be an active and prominent figure in American legal life, representing more than two dozen survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice to ensure accountability for alleged sexual predators.

Early Life

Gloria Rachel Bloom was born on July 3, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Details about her parents and childhood have been discussed in various profiles over the years, though comprehensive sourced accounts of her earliest years are limited. She grew up in the Philadelphia area during the mid-twentieth century, a period of significant social change in the United States.

Allred has spoken publicly about formative experiences that shaped her commitment to women's rights and civil rights. In various interviews, she has described experiencing gender-based discrimination and violence at different points in her early life, experiences that she has cited as motivating her legal career. She was raised during an era when women faced substantial institutional barriers to entering the legal profession, and the civil rights movement was reshaping American society.

She married Peyton Huddleston Bray Jr. in 1960; the marriage ended in divorce in 1962. She later married William Allred in 1968, taking his surname, which she retained professionally after their divorce in 1987.

Education

Allred pursued higher education at a time when relatively few women entered the legal profession. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles. Her legal education equipped her to practice in California, where she was admitted to the California State Bar.

In May 2025, Allred delivered the commencement address at American University Washington College of Law, where she charged graduates to "defend democracy in tumultuous times," reflecting the themes that have defined her decades-long career.

Career

Founding of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg

Allred is the founding partner of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, a Los Angeles–based law firm that has handled a wide range of civil rights, employment discrimination, and personal injury cases. The firm has built a reputation for taking on cases that involve allegations of discrimination and harassment, often against prominent individuals and large institutions. The firm's client list has included individuals from diverse backgrounds, and its cases have addressed matters of sex discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and civil rights violations.

High-Profile Cases and Advocacy

Throughout her career, Allred has been involved in a substantial number of cases that attracted national and international attention. Her willingness to take on cases involving powerful public figures has been a defining characteristic of her legal practice.

Bill Cosby

One of the most widely covered chapters of Allred's career involved her representation of multiple women who accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault. Allred represented numerous accusers in the case, which became a landmark moment in American discussions of sexual violence, accountability, and the statute of limitations. During the legal proceedings, Allred was involved in depositions and public advocacy on behalf of her clients, drawing extensive media coverage.

Same-Sex Marriage

Allred was involved in the legal effort to secure same-sex marriage rights in California. She participated in the litigation that led to a California Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, a decision that was celebrated by LGBTQ rights organizations as a landmark ruling. Allred publicly celebrated the ruling and continued to advocate for marriage equality in subsequent years.

Tiger Woods

In 2009, Allred represented at least one woman who came forward with claims related to professional golfer Tiger Woods during a period when multiple women publicly alleged extramarital relationships with Woods. The case generated worldwide media attention and placed Allred at the center of a high-profile celebrity scandal.

Roman Polanski

Allred was involved in the long-running legal saga surrounding filmmaker Roman Polanski, who fled the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. Allred represented individuals connected to the case and was a vocal public advocate for accountability in the matter.

Airport Security and TSA

In 2008, Allred took on a case involving a woman who alleged that she was subjected to invasive and humiliating treatment by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at an airport, in a case that involved a nipple ring and drew national media attention. The case highlighted issues of passenger rights and the limits of airport security procedures.

Borat Lawsuit

In 2006, Allred was involved in legal proceedings related to the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, representing individuals who claimed they were misled about the nature of their appearances in the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy film.

Casino Industry Litigation

Allred represented a former employee in a case against Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, winning a legal fight to represent the individual in what was described as a high-profile employment dispute.

Political Cases

Allred has also been involved in politically charged cases. In 2010, she was connected to the case of Scott Lee Cohen, a politician in Illinois whose fitness for office was questioned in connection with allegations of domestic violence and other misconduct.

Jeffrey Epstein Cases (2025–2026)

In the mid-2020s, Allred became one of the most prominent attorneys involved in the ongoing legal and political fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. As of late 2025 and early 2026, she represented more than 27 survivors of Epstein, advocating publicly for the release of Epstein-related files and demanding accountability for individuals alleged to have participated in or facilitated Epstein's trafficking network.

In December 2025, following the partial release of Epstein-related files by the Department of Justice, Allred stated publicly: "I'm not here for politics. I'm here for justice, for my clients."

In February 2026, Allred alleged on CNN that male sexual predators were being protected by the Epstein files while the identities of victims — referred to as "Jane Does" — were being revealed, a situation she characterized as deeply unjust.

Also in February 2026, Allred called on the FBI to search Jeffrey Epstein's storage lockers, arguing that people who were abused deserved the "whole truth" about the case. She stated that the failure to search these lockers was a disservice to Epstein's victims and to the public interest.

In a related matter, Allred commented on the arrest of Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor), cautioning that the arrest did not guarantee justice for trafficking victims. She expressed concern that allegations concerning the sharing of state trade secrets during Andrew's time as a trade envoy were being given priority over sexual assault claims.

California State Bar Investigation

In June 2025, Bloomberg Law reported that the California State Bar had initiated a probe process involving former clients of Allred's firm. State Bar investigators were described as being in contact with former clients of the firm, which has long been known for taking on high-profile cases. The nature and outcome of the investigation were not fully detailed in the report.

Media Presence and Public Profile

Allred has been a frequent presence in American media throughout her career. She has appeared on numerous television news programs, talk shows, and documentary programs to discuss her cases and her views on women's rights, civil rights, and the legal system. Her practice of holding press conferences — often alongside her clients — has become a signature aspect of her public advocacy.

A 2025 profile in Los Angeles magazine captured the distinctive nature of her media presence, describing a scene in which Allred summoned "several dozen reporters, bloggers, and cameramen" to a press event, opening with her characteristic introduction: "Hello, I'm attorney Gloria Allred."

Allred has also shared her views through broader media platforms, including appearances on Big Think, where she discussed legal and social issues.

In 2011, Allred was announced as the host of a reality television program titled We the People, which focused on legal disputes and resolutions.

Personal Life

Allred was born Gloria Rachel Bloom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She married Peyton Huddleston Bray Jr. in 1960; the couple divorced in 1962. She subsequently married William Allred in 1968 and took his surname, which she continued to use professionally following their divorce in 1987.

Allred's daughter, Lisa Bloom, is also a prominent attorney and legal commentator who has appeared frequently in national media. The mother-daughter pair have both been involved in high-profile legal cases, though they have operated independently and, in some instances, on opposing sides of public controversies.

Allred has been based in Los Angeles, California, for the majority of her legal career, and continues to practice law from there as of 2026.

Recognition

Allred has received recognition from multiple organizations for her advocacy work. Her most notable honor is her induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame, which recognized her contributions to the advancement of women's rights through the legal system.

Over the course of her career, she has been the subject of numerous media profiles and documentaries. Her approach to legal advocacy — combining courtroom litigation with public media campaigns — has been analyzed and discussed by legal scholars, journalists, and commentators.

Allred's commencement address at American University Washington College of Law in May 2025, titled "Courage Is Contagious," reflected the recognition she has received from academic institutions for her contributions to law and public life.

She has been described by various media outlets as one of the most recognizable attorneys in the United States, with her name becoming synonymous with high-profile women's rights litigation. Her firm's list of significant cases spans decades and encompasses a broad range of civil rights issues.

Legacy

Gloria Allred's career has had a measurable impact on the development of civil rights law and women's rights advocacy in the United States. Her involvement in cases ranging from same-sex marriage litigation to sexual assault accountability has placed her at the intersection of many of the most significant social and legal movements of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Her approach to legal practice — combining aggressive litigation with sustained media engagement — has influenced a generation of attorneys who specialize in civil rights and discrimination law. While this approach has drawn criticism from some legal observers who argue that media-centric advocacy can overshadow the legal substance of cases, others have credited Allred with bringing attention to issues that might otherwise have been ignored by the legal system and the public.

As of 2026, at the age of 84, Allred remains an active practitioner, continuing to take on cases of national significance. Her representation of more than two dozen survivors in the Jeffrey Epstein case demonstrates her continued engagement with the most consequential legal issues of the time. Her decades of work have contributed to shifts in how American courts and the public at large approach issues of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and civil rights.

The breadth of Allred's case history — from employment discrimination suits to landmark constitutional litigation on marriage equality to international cases involving public figures — reflects a legal career of unusual scope and persistence. Whether in the courtroom or in front of cameras, Allred has maintained a consistent focus on the rights of individuals she represents, a focus that has defined her public identity for more than fifty years.