The cortical force-generating machinery pulls on dynamic plus-ends of astral microtubules to control spindle position and orientation, which underlie division type specification and cellular patterning in many eukaryotic cells. A prior work identified cytoplasmic dynein, a minus-end directed microtubule motor, as a key conserved unit of the cortical force-generating machinery. Here, I summarize recent structural, biophysical, and cell-biological studies that advance our understanding of how dynein is activated and organized at the mitotic cell cortex to generate functional spindle-pulling forces. In addition, I introduce recent findings of dynein-independent or parallel mechanisms for achieving oriented cell division.