I was pleased to hear the recent announcement that Natalie Kelly, the former Director of Law Practice Management for the Georgia State Bar Association, has accepted the position of Director of Legal Management at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC or Center).
Natalie is one of my favorite people. Since I hadn’t had the chance to talk with her in a while, I reached out to Natalie recently. I wanted to get her thoughts about her new position. We talked about her new job, the SPLC itself, legal tech, and even the responsibility of law firms and law firm leaders to speak out against hate.
I got to know Natalie through the ABA’s Law Practice Division, in which she is active. As Director of LP Management with the Georgia State Bar, she assisted state bar members and legal professionals in firms of all sizes and types with practice management, process, and technology. She also taught Law Practice Technology at Georgia State University School of Law as an Adjunct Professor. (Natalie invited me to speak at a couple of her classes over the years).
Due to a combination of events with the Bar Association and her personal life, Natalie recently decided it was time for a change. So she took advantage of an opportunity with the Center.
The SPLC
First, a little about the SPLC. I’ve been a supporter and contributor to it for several years. It describes itself as a catalyst for racial justice, primarily in the South. It works in partnership with communities to combat white supremacy and advance human rights. Of particular interest to me as a lawyer is the SPLC’s willingness to take pro bono cases few others are willing to pursue.
And the outcome of those cases often has had far-reaching effects. Some of the Center’s lawsuits resulted in the desegregation of recreational facilities, the reapportionment of the Alabama Legislature, the integration of the Alabama state trooper force, and reforms in state prison systems. Through litigation, the Center has dismantled vestiges of Jim Crow, reformed juvenile justice practices, shattered barriers to equality for women, children, the LGBT community, and the disabled, protected low-wage immigrant workers from exploitation, and more.
By winning multimillion-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of their victims, the SPLC has shut down some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist and other hate groups.
By winning multimillion-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of their victims, the SPLC has shut down some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist and other hate groups.
I became familiar with the Center when it sued the Imperial Klans of America in state court in rural Meade County of Kentucky. The SPLC won a $2.5 million verdict against the Klans for its role in the brutal beating of a teenager at a county. The verdict crippled the IKA, once one of the nation’s largest Klan groups.
The interesting thing about the verdict was that it came from a jury in a small conservative county not particularly known for racial sensitivity. In fact, when Louisville decided to take down a 70-foot tall Confederate monument a few years later, Meade County welcomed the relocation of the memorial to the County with open arms. That this kind of verdict could be achieved there speaks to the quality of representation and passion the Center lawyers provide.
New Opportunites
I asked Natalie why the change. She told me it was a confluence of events both at the State Bar Association and personally. And she concluded it was time to do something different. But one thing stood out: she wanted to work someplace where it was ok and even encouraged to take a position on societal issues about which she feels passionate.
To be responsible, you have to try your darndest to get on the right side of things
It’s a fact that state bar associations need to be careful with positions given their members’ broad and divergent beliefs. While that may be understandable, Natalie felt like it was time to take a stand. As she put it, she believes “to be responsible, you have to try your darndest to get on the right side of things.” Natalie is pro-human and pro-justice. Perfect fit for the Center.
Natalie plans to assess the processes and technology used by the Center in its litigation and see what might need to be modernized. For an organization like the SPLC, less is more in terms of time spent. Like a plaintiff’s law firm whose business model hinges on efficiently and effectively processing contingency fee cases, groups like the SPLC need to find ways to automate work and have good workflows to be successful. (By the way, an artist friend pointed out to me less is more is NOT a concept dreamed up by a lawyer. It’s a concept promulgated by Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe, who was one of the pioneers of modern architecture. Maybe lawyers should be required to take an art history class along the way).
Natalie plans to look at the intake and vetting process for cases. She wants to make this process as efficient as possible so that when a case gets to a Center lawyer, it’s ready for the lawyer’s expertise. She also wants to analyze the Center’s vendors and outside lawyers to be sure their ideals align with those of the Center.
Get and use management techniques and technology without slipping into a space of waste
As you might expect, given her experience, Natalie has a good understanding of the practical and possible for an organization like the SPLC. As she put it, she wants to “get and use management techniques and technology without slipping into a space of waste.”
Law Firms’ Duty to Speak Out
As we closed our discussion, I asked Natalie about law firms and lawyers and their duty to speak out against injustice. I asked this because some law firms have spoken out recently, but many have not, perhaps fearing client reaction. Natalie told me that lawyers and law firms do have a duty to represent their clients and that everyone has a right to representation. But, she said we all have a responsibility to stand up against hate and injustice. As she put it, staying silent on broad issues of the day is always to the detriment of the greater good.
As you gather from the title of this post, one of SPLC’s mottos is fighting hate, teaching tolerance, enhancing justice. (I proudly wear one of Center’s tee shirts with that slogan on it). I can’t think of a person that better lives those ideals than Natalie Kelly.
Congrats, Natalie. Best of luck!