Morris Dees to receive ‘Courageous Advocacy Award’ for social justice work
SPLC founder is only the fourth recipient of award that has honored judges and advocates across the world – and the first since 2007.
SPLC founder Morris Dees has been named by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) as a recipient of the Courageous Advocacy Award for demonstrating “exemplary courage” as he has pursued a legal career dedicated to fighting hate and protecting society’s most vulnerable.
The national association has presented the award to judges and advocates across the world who have represented clients “and a firm commitment to the rule of law, even at great risk to personal freedom and safety.”
Dees is the fourth recipient of the award and the first since 2007.
The group highlighted the work of Dees and the SPLC, noting that the SPLC continues to be “a vital opponent against those who promote hatred and intolerance.” The award will be presented to Dees at the group’s national board of directors meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday.
“ABOTA applauds Morris Dees and his staff of 75 lawyers for bringing systemic reforms – legally and peacefully – to society,” said ABOTA President Joel W. Collins Jr. said in a statement. “Mr. Dees has served as a tireless champion for those who could not defend themselves.
“He has endured numerous death threats, had his offices burned to the ground, and has opposed some of the most violent hate groups in America. All the while, he has adhered to the rule of law to fight against those who conspire against the very principles that provide freedom in our country.”
Since founding the SPLC in Montgomery, Alabama, with attorney Joe Levin in 1971, Dees and the SPLC have taken pro bono cases few others are willing to pursue. The SPLC has shut down some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist groups by winning crushing, multimillion-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of their victims, has dismantled vestiges of Jim Crow across the South, and has won precedent-setting legal victories for victims of discrimination.
“It’s a great honor to receive this award, but this recognition belongs to everyone at the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Dees said. “Every day, they demonstrate a selfless commitment to justice that inspires me and leaves no doubt that our clients have the most passionate and skilled champions fighting for them.”
