Coming to Law School with a Partner

Caitlin McAvoy (Guy Mannick ‘26L)

Here's what I've found to be true: supporting a partner in law school is a secret weapon to your own success.

Supporting my partner's pursuit of a law degree meant engaging in an environment that supports high achievement. It meant tightening the screws on our home life. It meant committing to waking up earlier, eating better, and focusing longer. And although I fully expected my career to take a back seat for three years, in all actuality the environment of law school compelled me to work harder and dream bigger in my own pursuits. His intensity towards his goals became mirrored in mine.

Law school has become a team effort (I'll take my honorary J.D. anytime thank you very much). Our first year I often asked my partner, "When will you be done today?" to which he would reply, "I could read for 24 hours every day and still not feel done....but I suppose I'll stop around 8 pm."

I know for my partner to have someone totally and completely outside the curve is incredibly grounding. Despite how it may feel, there's a great big world outside of Sydney Lewis Hall. A bad paper or - God forbid - a "B+" is far from the end of the world.

On one hand, learning alongside your partner as they work through the dreaded Erie doctrine or reading drafts of a cover letter to see if it's turned into gobbledygook from hours of staring at words can be a much-needed sounding board. On the other hand, being there to talk about literally anything that isn't law is a gift. Your partner is still there for you. Prioritizing room to talk about your equally vibrant and important life, sharing a meal together screen free, or going out of town for an extracurricular adventure is more valuable than can be measured.

I knew entering law school would change my partner's life. I didn't realize all the good it would do for mine. Understanding that three demanding years of school would be followed by many more years of demanding practice, I'm grateful we've used our time in school to create an environment of mutual, long-term success.

Here's my advice: if you embrace the challenge and find balance, your partner going to law school may be one of the best things to happen for both of you.

Quotes from Law Student Partners:

"Living in Lexington, Virginia, with Malia has been such a rewarding experience. We've grown closer and really learned to support one another. I'm excited to watch her continue to grow and chase her dreams, and I'll always be her biggest supporter. Virginia may not be Southern California, but it's become a place we're proud to call home. We've been blessed with great friends and incredible support, and we're happy to give back whenever we can."- Caelan Williams (Malia Devencenzi ‘26L)

"You'll need patience, compromise and to give plenty of support, but don't forget to also take care of yourself." Chloe Marino (David Crand ‘26L)