On July 30, 2011 The Southern Public Defenders Training Center (SPDTC) awarded Mark Stephens the Stephen Bright Award for his contributions to indigent defense. SPDTC is an organization dedicated to training public defenders to fight for the rights of indigent persons accused of crimes. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and the Freedom Riders, SPDTC carries on the cause of American civil rights.
The award’s namesake, Stephen Bright, is a leader in the indigent defense community. Bright is the current president and senior counsel for the Southern Center for Human Rights. This organization fights for the rights of persons on death row and inmates who have been wronged by racially discriminatory practices in criminal justice system, particularly in the Southern United States. Stephen Bright’s distinguished career includes two successful cases heard in the United States Supreme Court. His work has been acknowledged by the American Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Association, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and the National Association of Criminal Lawyers. Bright's career inspires those driven to make a difference in a system that is biased against the underprivileged and powerless. SPDTC holds Stephen Bright as the epitome of what a one person can do in the fight to bring civil rights and a fair justice system to indigent persons.
Mark Stephens’s contributions to the struggle for civil justice have been widely recognized prior to receiving this award. Mark conceived the Community Law Office and brought it to fruition. The CLO is one of a handful of offices in the country, not just the South, that has adopted a holistic model of legal representation. That means the CLO does not just see a client merely as someone charged with a crime, but in the broader sense as a whole person who – whether rightly or wrongly accused – has specific needs that make functioning in society more challenging. The holistic defender looks beyond the charge and examines the poverty, illiteracy, substance abuse, or mental illness (among many other possible contributors) that bring so many unfortunate people into conflict with the law. By helping to turn lives around, holistic defenders serve both the individual client in need of a better life, and society’s need for peace and safety.
Mark took a small office that started with him and seven other attorneys and transformed the office into a true Community Law Office: a place where people can come to get assistance with finding employment, connecting with mental health care providers, addressing substance abuse issues, and receiving quality representation at a level not achieved by most public defender offices. Mark's vision has led the way for others determined to bring holistic public defense to their community.
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