The Southern Poverty Law Center’s name points to its roots in “poverty law,” advocacy for the poor with a heavy flavor of civil rights law. Montgomery, Ala., attorneys Joseph Levin Jr. and Morris Dees co-founded the center in 1971; earlier, they had brought pro bono actions that resulted in the integration of the Alabama Highway Patrol and redistricting of the state Legislature. But private work could not support the practice at a time when lawyers typically were not awarded fees for winning civil rights cases, Levin recalled. Dees had the idea to start the nonprofit to support their work.
The SPLC relies heavily on small donor contributions, many of them solicited by direct mail, but receives no federal or state money. It runs a $30 million annual budget.
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