Exhibit 24
		POWER OF ATTORNEY

	Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints each of Deborah J. Long, Nancy Kane,
and Harriette Hyche acting individually, the undersigned's true
and lawful  attorney-in-fact to:

	1. execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
	   undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of
	   Protective Life Corporation (the "Company"), Forms 3
	   4 and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
	   Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

	2. do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
	   undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to
	   complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5 and
	   timely file such form with the United States Securities
	   Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or
	   similar authority; and

	3. take any other action of any type whatsoever in
	   connection with the foregoing which, in the opinion
	   of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in
	   the best interest of, or legally required by, the
	   undersigned, it being understood that the documents
	   executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
	   undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall
	   be in such form and shall contain such terms and
	   conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
	   such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

	The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact
full power and authority to do and perform any and every act and
thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in
the exercise of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as
fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or
substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of
this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.
The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoingattorney-in-fact,
in serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are
not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's
responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

	This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and
effect until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3,
4 and 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions
in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact.

	IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of
Attorney to be executed as of this 20th day of Feb., 2004.

Date: Feb. 20, 2004   Signature:  s/Vanessa Leonard
				---------------------
			Print Name:  Vanessa Leonard
!