Edward P. Connell Jr.

Edward (Ted) P. Connell, Jr., is a member with the law firm of Merkel and Cocke located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Mr. Connell received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi in 1994, graduating cum laude. This was followed by receipt of his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1997. While attending the University of Mississippi School of Law, Mr. Connell authored "Mississippi Casinos and the Detention of a Patron: What are the Parameters of a Casino's Powers in Detaining a Patron and the Subsequent Liability Which Can Follow?" which was published in the National Gaming Law Review. He was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Eta Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Delta Phi.

He is admitted to practice before all state courts in Mississippi and Tennessee, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi. He is a member of the Mississippi and Tennessee State Bars, Mississippi Association for Justice, Association of Trial Lawyers, Coahoma County Bar Association (President, 2005-06), and previous member of the University of Mississippi Law Alumni Board (1997-2000). He served on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar Association (2006-08), served on the Mississippi High School Mock Trial Competition Committee as well as a judge (2006, 2007), as the Coahoma County Representative on the Disaster Legal Relief Committee for Coahoma, Quitman, and Tunica Counties (2001-2004), was Coahoma County organizer for the Mississippi Bar's program "Lawyer in Every Mississippi Classroom" (2007), and assisted with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project in conjunction with North Mississippi Rural Legal Services when they hosted a "Know Your Rights Summit" in 2009. He also serves on the litigation executive committee of the Mississippi Bar (2008-14) and will serve as the chair in 2012-14. He was honored by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of the 2012 "Leaders In Law" and honored by the Delta Business Journal as "Top 50 Under 50 in the Delta" in 2003. His practice includes general litigation, negligence law, gaming law, real estate, and wills and trusts.

Mr. Connell is a member of St. George's Episcopal Church and has served two terms on the vestry (1997 to 2000 and 2006 to 2009) as well as the Board of its Day School (2003 to 2006 and 2008 to 2010) and its long range planning committee. He is also a member of the Rotary Club (1998 till present) where he has served as President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasure as well on the Board of Directors for Clarksdale Area Habitat for Humanity (2003 till present). He also serves as pro bono General Counsel for Clarksdale Area Habitat for Humanity and served in this same position for St. George's Episcopal Day School until its recent closing. He was on the board of directors of Delta Council (2007-2008), previous member of the Board of the Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce (1999-2002), and was an active fund raiser for the local chapter of Boy Scouts of America from 1997 until 2007. He also served on the University of Mississippi Alumni Board (1998-2001), the University of Mississippi Young Alumni Board (2002-2005), and President of the North Delta Ole Miss Alumni Club for 2005 and 2006.