J. Richard Cohen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J. Richard Cohen
Cohen in 2017
Born	Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	Columbia University (BA) University of Virginia (JD)
Occupation	Civil rights lawyer
Known for	Former president of the Southern Poverty Law Center

J. Richard Cohen is an American lawyer. He was the president and chief executive officer of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) from 1986 to 2019. The SPLC is an organization that works to fight hate and promote justice for everyone.

About J. Richard Cohen

His Early Life and Education

J. Richard Cohen was born and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His family was Jewish. His father ran a business that decorated homes. His mother worked as a legal secretary.

When he was young, a program called "crosstown busing" started in Richmond. This program helped students attend different schools to create more diverse classrooms. Cohen convinced his parents to let him go to a public school instead of a private one. He left high school a year early to attend Columbia University. He finished his studies at Columbia in 1976. Then, he earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1979.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Growing up in the South helped shape Cohen's path. He decided to become a civil rights lawyer. Civil rights lawyers work to protect the rights of all people. After law school, Cohen practiced law in Washington, D.C.. He worked with another lawyer, Charles Morgan Jr., for seven years.

In 1986, a lawyer named Morris Dees asked Cohen to join the SPLC. Cohen moved to Montgomery, Alabama, and became the legal director of the SPLC. Just two months later, he had to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. The case was about whether Alabama state troopers had to promote one Black trooper for each white trooper promoted. The Justice Department wanted to stop this rule.

As the SPLC's general counsel, Cohen worked on many important cases. He took legal action against different white supremacist groups. He also filed lawsuits to defend people's civil rights. In 1997, a magazine called The American Lawyer recognized him. They named him one of 45 public sector lawyers "whose vision and commitment are changing lives." He was also a finalist for a national award for his work on the Macedonia Baptist Church arson lawsuit.

In 2003, J. Richard Cohen became the president of the SPLC. He stepped down from this role in 2019.