Ask Mercer Law alumni what makes Mercer special and more likely than not you’ll hear that it’s the close relationship between Mercer lawyers that they value the most. Mercer lawyers support and mentor each other, and they hire Mercer graduates. Beyond the classroom bond, there is an alliance that connects generations of graduates. Relationships are formed through internships, clerkships and on-campus interactions. This network of Mercer lawyers manifests in many ways in the real world.
Rizza P. O’Connor, ’10, and Daniel J. O’Connor, ’12, have a story that attests to this special and generational bond. Rizza, from Savannah, and Daniel, from Ailey, met at Mercer Law when Rizza was in her third year and Daniel was in his first year. They married in 2012, and today have two children — Judson, 10, and Evie, 8.
A Double Bear who earned a bachelor’s degree in business, Rizza began her career as an assistant district attorney for the Eastern Judicial Circuit and then the Middle Judicial Circuit. In 2013, she began an eight-year term as chief magistrate judge for Toombs County. Rizza is recognized as the first Filipino-American judge in Georgia and the youngest Asian American to serve as a judge. After 10 years in public service, she became a partner at the law firm Bryant & O’Connor in 2022. She served as president of the Young Lawyers Division-State Bar of Georgia from June 2018 to June 2019.
Daniel earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Georgia. At Mercer Law, he served on the Mercer Law Review and was a Brainerd Currie Honor Society member before graduating and starting his career at the Law Offices of Bryant & Cook in Vidalia. In 2018, he became a managing partner at Bryant & O’Connor, and today he is managing attorney for the firm where he specializes in real estate, estate planning, and small business matters.
When the O’Connors moved to Vidalia, two Mercer alumni had a firm just down the street. Reid Threlkeld, ’75, and Charles Andrew, ’71, practiced together for more than 40 years and held prominent roles in their law practice. Andrew was general counsel for Meadows Hospital and Threlkeld was Vidalia city attorney. Daniel met the lawyers in his early days of practice. All three were members of Kiwanis Club, and he looked up to both as part of his network of mentors. Threlkeld and Andrew’s law practice was housed in a beautiful historic home built in 1916 only blocks from downtown Vidalia.
When Threlkeld and Andrew retired from active practice in 2018, they referred a good number of their clients to Daniel.
“My first municipal client was the city of Ailey, which was Charles Andrew’s client,” Daniel said. “He went out of his way to invite me to a council meeting and get me introduced to their council. I did not become Vidalia’s city attorney at Reid’s retirement, and I may not have been seasoned enough at the time for such a big job, but I was able to take some steps and make some connections in that direction. I eventually became Vidalia’s city attorney in January of 2024. I am thrilled to follow in the footsteps of such great, ethical lawyers for our community.”
When Andrew and Threlkeld decided to the sell the house where their offices were located, the O’Connors were interested in what would happen to the building. Known as the Peterson-Wilbanks House or Jenkins House, names of prior owners, it is a historic building in Vidalia that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Andrew and Threlkeld tried to persuade the O’Connors’ to buy the house they had invested so much of themselves in restoring and preserving, to use as their office, but the couple wasn’t prepared to move.
“At some point,” Daniel said, “it occurred to me that this would be a great place to live. The craftsmanship of the home would be almost impossible to replicate, and its character deserves to be preserved. Further, the house is within a five-minute walk from our office, our children’s school, and our church. It is also close to downtown Vidalia where we are part owners of a fine food and beverage store called The Market on Church. We liked the idea of walking or biking to our common destinations, and this house would give us that walkable neighborhood feel. Our office is four houses down Jackson Street.”
Andrew and Threlkeld received several offers on the home, but they accepted the O’Connors’ offer because of the special Mercer connection.
Daniel said Andrew and Threlkeld did a spectacular job maintaining the house, but he and Rizza made several updates and modifications, including recreating a kitchen and enhancing the bathroom.
“While we wanted to make updates, it was also important to us to honor the history of the house and qualify our renovations as historic preservation measures,” he said. “That has been a challenge, but it has also been a fun and educational experience.”
Rizza said the O’Connor family has a lot to be thankful for with all their connections to Mercer Law.
“Mercer Law brought Reid and Charles together, and they have served this community well,” she said. “Mercer Law brought Daniel and me together, and now we get to carry on the tradition and legacy that Reid and Charles have made with their practice and with this historic home. They have been so good to Daniel and me.”
