New 1L student Emma Kate Connelly, ’29 J.D. and ’26 USC broadcast journalism, chose to attend Joseph F. Rice School of Law because she is passionate about USC and the state of South Carolina. She also was drawn to the law school’s initiatives to serve the less fortunate.

“I went to undergrad at the University of South Carolina and was born and raised in this state, so staying at USC for law school just made sense!” she says. “It is an amazing school, and the Children’s Law Center and Pro Bono Program made it even more attractive.  I have been loving the experience so far!” 

Connelly is passionate about volunteering, starting her own service organization, Community Opportunity, and about working with children, having been the mascot for Cocky’s Reading Express.

Before coming to USC, Connelly began competing within the Miss South Carolina organization, where she created Community Opportunity.

“Community Opportunity is a community service initiative I created as a junior in high school,” she says. “I initially created it to inspire other teens to volunteer and get involved… Through the five years I’ve been working on Community Opportunity, I’ve volunteered over 1,000 hours.” 

With Community Opportunity, Connelly created a social media series called “Share Your Service Sundays,” where she features participants who are serving in their own communities. The main goal of the organization is to use modern media methods to share that volunteering can connect people's passions. 

Her current project entails creating an official award through the state Legislature for high school seniors in South Carolina who volunteer. Connelly also continued with Miss South Carolina while attending USC, winning Miss Congeniality and People’s Choice awards in 2025.   

Alongside Community Opportunity and Miss South Carolina, Connelly helped children develop passion for reading with Cocky’s Reading Express and later became the mascot for the program while she was an undergraduate. 

“I chose to be a part of Cocky’s Reading Express as a freshman because I have always loved reading, and I wanted to help make a difference in the lives of children in South Carolina,” she says. “Volunteering for several years and then becoming Cocky was so inspirational! I truly enjoyed making kids smile across South Carolina and inspiring them to read.” 

Continuing to dedicate herself to helping children, Connelly decided to enroll at SC Rice Law and spent summer 2026 working with Brinkley Law Firm LLC.  During her time with the family law practice, she learned how specific legal processes work, such as adoption, surrogacy, IVF and DSS cases.  

“Going to mostly Title I schools with Cocky’s Reading Express, you see a lot of children who are living in unfortunate circumstances,” she says. “Volunteering in those schools showed me how much of a difference one person can make in a child’s life, and I knew I wanted to continue making a difference for the rest of my life.”

Connelly says she’s always been interested in family law, and working with Brinkley confirmed her interest.

“I love children and taught dance as a teen,” she says. “I have always wanted to do good things in my community, and becoming a family lawyer would do just that!”

While at SC Rice Law, Connelly plans to volunteer with the Children’s Law Center and the Pro Bono Program and is considering completing the Children’s Law Concentration to eventually become a family law attorney.

“I can’t wait to get involved here at SC Rice Law and grow as both a future attorney and a person,” she says.