Morris Dees

Morris Dees (born December 16, 1936) is an American civil rights lawyer and activist best known as the co-founder and former Chief Trial Counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), one of the nation's premier civil rights organizations. Born in Alabama, Dees witnessed racial injustice firsthand and became motivated to pursue law as a tool for social change. After earning his law degree, he initially practiced civil law while developing a passion for civil rights advocacy. In 1971, Dees co-founded the SPLC with civil rights attorney Joseph Levin Jr., establishing an organization dedicated to fighting racial discrimination, hate groups, and injustice through litigation and education. Under Dees's leadership, the SPLC became known for taking on high-profile cases against the Ku Klux Klan and other hate organizations, winning significant legal victories. The organization's legal strategies, including holding hate group leaders financially liable for violence perpetrated by their organizations, became a model for civil rights litigation. Dees has been controversial; while celebrated by civil rights advocates, he has also faced criticism regarding SPLC's tactics and internal practices. Nevertheless, his decades-long commitment to fighting racial hatred and promoting equality has made him a significant figure in the civil rights movement. His work has contributed substantially to legal frameworks protecting civil rights.