JD Commencement Speaker 2022: Constance L. "Connie" Rice

Civil rights attorney, activist and leader Constance L. "Connie" Rice previously served as Western Regional Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. and co-founded Advancement Project and Urban Peace Institute. Among her notable legal work, Rice and her Legal Defense Fund colleagues represented Los Angeles bus riders in a landmark public transit case that won the largest civil rights settlement in U.S. history. Outside of the courtroom, Rice galvanized the police, community and government to transform inner-city policing and prevent gang homicides. She also served on the White House task force on 21st Century Policing during the Obama Administration.