Jeremy E. Gluckman

Jeremy Gluckman is remembered for his lifelong efforts to leave the world better than he found it — and he did just that. 

Following in the footsteps of his parents, Sidney and Florence “Flossie” Gluckman, civil rights activists and recipients of the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award, Jeremy learned the value of justice and advocacy early on. One of his first experiences came in the 1950s, when as a young boy he joined his mother at a Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in for equal rights.

As a young adult, Jeremy served in the Peace Corps in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1967 to 1968 before beginning a distinguished career in legal aid, leading a branch office at the Legal Services of Greater Miami.

In 1975, the Legal Services Corporation Act was signed. At that time, Bay Area Legal Services, then called “Law Inc. of Hillsborough County,” only operated in Hillsborough County and with a modest annual budget of $166,000, a staff of six attorneys, a part-time accountant, an investigator, and six legal secretaries. 

The signing of the Act brought new opportunities, and new challenges, to the small Tampa legal aid. It suddenly allotted a budget of over $1 million, six-times the previous budget, and tasked the firm with providing legal services to Pasco County as well. 

To meet this moment, the Board of Directors needed just the right leader to bring Law Inc. of Hillsborough County into its next stage of expansion. So impressed with Jeremy’s late-arriving resume, the Board extended the hiring deadline to await his graduation from the London School of Economics.

Jeremy then assumed the position of Executive Director. He immediately began hiring attorneys, looking for top resumes and proven track records of advocacy. He hired Dick Woltmann, who would succeed Jeremy as Executive Director, later leading the firm for over 4 decades. Jeremy also led the firm in rebranding a name that better fit its increased service area: Bay Area Legal Services.

Bay Area Legal saw great litigation triumphs under Jeremy’s leadership including a class action victory in federal court enforcing the U.S. Farm Labor Contractor Act, protecting farmworkers who were being physically abused and cheated of their rightfully-earned wages. He also oversaw a class action lawsuit against the Florida Secretary of Education for racial discrimination against black public high school students regarding the State Functional Literacy Test. 

In 1979, Jeremy moved on to found his own Family Law firm, which grew to more than 30 staff members and was known for providing genuine care to clients. Over his 46 years as an attorney, he also served as an adjunct professor at Stetson University College of Law, helping educate the next generation of lawyers.

Outside of work, Jeremy enjoyed tennis, kayaking, canoeing, making homemade pastrami, and spending time with his family. He also gave his time and leadership to Tampa Jewish Social Services, the Harbour Island Neighborhood Association, and the Hillsborough County Bar Association, including its Collaborative Divorce Committee.

Jeremy leaves a legacy of justice, compassion, and lasting change for his community. His early contributions to the growth and success of Bay Area Legal Services will always be remembered.

Give in Memory of Jeremy