Constance L. Rice

Constance L. "Connie" Rice (born April 5, 1956) is an American civil rights activist and lawyer. She is the co-founder and co-director of the Advancement Project in Los Angeles. Rice has received more than 50 major awards for her work in expanding opportunity and advancing multi-racial democracy. She is a second cousin of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard College in 1978 and her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law in 1984. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Damon J. Keith and worked as a litigation associate at Morrison & Foerster. Rice joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 1991 and became co-director of LDF's Los Angeles Office in 1996.