About Summer R
Summer R Goldman earned her law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1998 after completing a double major in sociology and English at the University of Florida in 1995. Those formative years shaped how she thinks about people, stories and systems. They also set the stage for a career that has moved between public service and private practice.
She began her legal career in the public sector as an Assistant State Lawyer in 2001. That work gave her daily courtroom experience and a grounding in the mechanics of prosecution. After several years in the state attorney’s office, she moved into private criminal defense practice in 2004 at Fleming Law. The change was deliberate. It exposed her to the defense side of cases and to the wider strategic choices available when representing clients.
In 2009 Goldman took on a leadership role as a managing partner at Goldman Wetzel. Over time she shifted from being one of many advocates in the courtroom to running and shaping a practice. Managing partner responsibilities include supervising case strategy, mentoring junior lawyers and handling complex hearings in state and federal courts. She is admitted to practice in Florida and in the Middle District of Florida, and regularly appears in those jurisdictions.
Her professional affiliations reflect steady involvement in the local legal community. She has been a member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association since 2000 and has belonged to the Pinellas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2004. Those memberships have kept her engaged with peers, continuing education and local court culture. They also provide a forum for discussing changing law and procedure.
Goldman’s courtroom work covers a broad range of criminal matters. She handles pretrial motions, plea negotiations and contested trials. In federal matters she represents clients in proceedings before the Middle District of Florida. Colleagues describe her as direct and pragmatic. Clients see someone who explains options plainly and prepares thoroughly for hearings.
Outside of active litigation she spends time overseeing firm operations and training less-experienced attorneys. That administrative side of practice is an ongoing part of her role at Goldman Wetzel. She now concentrates her practice on criminal defense at Goldman Wetzel.
