Dees, Morris (1936–)

Born December 16, 1936, Morris Dees is one of the most significant legal figures to advance civil rights and social justice for historically underserved groups. Despite his upbringing in segregationist Alabama, his parents imparted strong Christian values to Dees that compelled him to redress criminal and civic wrongs through the justice system. Warm interactions with black families, coupled with troubling class-based experiences among whites during his youth, further nurtured his dedication to eradicating the detrimental impact that race and social class exert on individuals' lives. Although Dees was a successful entrepreneur, the reading of Clarence Darrow's The Story of My Life provoked him to sell his mail order business and open a law practice devoted to civil rights legislation. The resultant partnership law firm, Levin &Dees, evolved into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 1971.

Dees' legal career is marked by a number of landmark cases and decisions. Examples include integrating the Montgomery, Alabama, Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the Alabama State Troopers, as well as holding white supremacist organizations financially and criminally responsible for unlawful actions against communities of color and immigrants. Substantial monetary awards against groups such as the United Klans of America and Aryan Nations, in fact, have forced some organizations to disband. Despite the critical advances against hate groups, Dees' decision to emphasize Klan activity as a SPLC priority prompted some of its personnel to leave the organization over ideological differences regarding the new legal focus. Additionally, critics outside of the SPLC have accused Dees of drawing few distinctions between white supremacists and other organizations that support limiting immigration, controlling population growth, or upholding the right to bear arms. Detractors primarily question Dees' use of legal approaches that suggest guilt by association rather than evidence of direct involvement.

Beyond the legal arena, Dees gained national prominence as a successful fund-raiser for presidential hopeful George McGovern, former President Jimmy Carter, and Senator Ted Kennedy's 1980 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Professionally, Dees received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. He has authored two books, Hate on Trial: The Case Against America's Most Dangerous Neo-Nazi and Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat. His autobiography A Season for Justice, later rereleased as A Lawyer's Journey: The Morris Dees Story, was published in 1991. He is the recipient of numerous awards, [Page 440]including the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial and Friend of Education Awards from the National Education Association, Young Lawyers Distinguished Service Award from the American Bar Association, and the Roger Baldwin Award from the American Civil Liberties Union, among other distinctions.