Many students who pass through the halls of Michigan Law experience meet-cutes, courtesy of the Law Quad’s romantic architecture, its close-knit community, and the intensive studying required to earn a legal degree. However, a niche group of couples met elsewhere and matriculated at the Law School together.
So, what’s the secret to their success? How can a relationship endure the rigor of legal education?
For the four couples featured here, the key lies in the unique way their romantic and academic paths intertwine. On this Valentine’s Day, they remind us that in law studies—and in love—it’s not just about what you accomplish; it’s about who you’re with along the way.
Lynda Zengerle, ’72, and Joe Zengerle, ’72
In the mid-1960s, Lynda and Joe met through a mutual friend in Washington, DC. By the end of their first official date, Joe couldn’t help but profess his feelings for Lynda, and their relationship began.
However, they soon juggled long-distance romance when Joe, who was a second lieutenant in the Army, moved to Germany to serve as a platoon leader, and Lynda began her junior year of college abroad in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We had a courtship over the Alps,” said Lynda. “It was magical…it’s probably one of the most exciting and happy years I’ve ever experienced.”
Since she was 13 years old, Lynda had dreamed of attending law school and becoming a civil rights lawyer. Joe could picture himself as a journalist. However, after they married and Joe returned from Vietnam, they set their sights on attending law school together.
“I didn’t know if I’d be any good at the law; I just wanted to be with Lynda,” said Joe. “We fought hard for our relationship, and it paid off.”
The couple attended nearly every class together for the next three years and carefully structured their lives, leaving Friday nights free amidst their daily studies. On these nights, they would order McDonald’s or host gatherings at their apartment.
But come Saturday morning, their heads were in the books again.
Lynda believes eliminating any sense of competition was crucial to their success—in law school and their relationship.
“It’s hard to assess how a couple might respond to different challenges or environments, but in our case, law school only bound us together more closely,” said Joe. “We did better in our classes because we supported each other.”
Joe went on to become the first Vietnam veteran confirmed by the US Senate to hold a civilian position in the Pentagon; he served as assistant secretary of the Air Force, nominated by President Carter. He later served as executive director of the Legal Aid Society of DC and founded a veterans legal clinic at George Mason University Law School.
Lynda worked for Antonin Scalia when he chaired the Administrative Conference of the United States, and during her time there, she wrote a successful proposal to reform immigration law. She later rose through the ranks to become a leader in immigration law practice and also handled high-profile pro bono cases involving Iranian and Chinese asylum seekers.
Since leaving Michigan Law, they have remained loyal donors to the Law School Fund, including a large gift in honor of their 2022 milestone reunion.
Doing so, they said, honors “a time in our lives that was truly wonderful.”
Jayson Law and Daryn Watson, Current 1L Students
In 2018, Jayson Law and Daryn Watson participated in a bridge program during the summer before their first semester at Michigan State University. The program helped them acclimate to life at a large university. It also kept them orbiting among the same cohort of peers.
“We would go out to lunch or dinner as a group,” said Daryn. “Over time, Jayson and I started having more one-on-one conversations, and we eventually started dating.”
As they balanced their budding relationship with their undergraduate studies, they discovered law school was on both of their radars.
By graduation, the couple recognized that juggling their academic goals alongside their romantic relationship came naturally to them, and they applied to Michigan Law together.
“We’re both first-generation law students, so we’ve relied on each other to help us through each step,” said Daryn. “I devised our LSAT study plan, and we studied every evening after Jayson got off work.”
Upon entering Michigan Law, they prioritized forming their own friendships on campus before letting their classmates know they were in a relationship.
“It’s hard for Black men to feel like whole individuals in a lot of spaces, but for Black women, it’s even more challenging,” said Jayson.
Daryn added, “We think of law school similarly to us attending an event together and naturally migrating away from each other to talk to different people. We know we’ll leave together, but we’re confident in our ability to socialize as individuals and remain a strong couple.”
Jayson and Daryn attribute much of their relationship’s equilibrium to open communication, which they believe is fostered even more by Michigan Law’s atmosphere.
“It’s easy to feel like we have to grind around the clock, especially as Black JD students,” said Jayson. “There is internal pressure to succeed, but we knew we could feel at home at Michigan Law, which helped us feel ready to take on a challenge of this nature.”
After graduation, both Jayson and Daryn plan to practice litigation in Chicago.
Anita Robb, ’82, and Gary Robb, ’81
Anita and Gary’s relationship is rooted in their love for academia.
They met at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where Gary was a graduate student and Anita was in her sophomore year. Gary had taken ID photos at registration for several years, but that semester, Anita signed up to help.
“I hoped that by working registration, I’d be able to sign up for the classes I wanted faster,” she remembered. “The best pre-law classes were always gone early.”
Though she planned to leave having registered for her preferred classes, she had not anticipated meeting her future husband.
After becoming a couple, Gary matriculated at Michigan Law, and during his 2L year, Anita joined him.
“We loved our Michigan Law years because the quality of the education, professors, and fellow students was so excellent,” said Anita. “We had a favorite table in the Law Library, and that’s where we liked to be on weekends or evenings when we weren’t in classes.”
They married in 1983 and began their separate careers. Anita focused on medical malpractice defense, and Gary worked on product liability defense. Despite their shared time in law school, they had never considered working together. That is, until they both became dissatisfied with their respective firms, and Anita’s mother suggested forming their own.
“We have been practicing law together for 41 years now,” said Gary. Their practice focuses on litigation related to helicopter and airplane accidents. “It came naturally for us; our relationship worked in law school because we didn’t view it as a distraction but rather a supportive foundation, and it’s the same in our careers.”
Anita added, “My husband is my best friend and my best intellectual and academic partner, which is felt in our law practice together.”
Gary and Anita keep close ties with their alma mater. They endowed a room in Hutchins Hall in honor of Anita’s mother, and their son, Andrew, graduated from the Law School in 2016.
“We are so proud to be graduates of the University of Michigan Law School and honored that Andrew followed us in that rich tradition,” said Gary.
Kaoru and Kosuke Terauchi, Current LLM Students
Kaoru and Kosuke were looking for a law school that would align with their academic goals and be flexible while they raise two children under the age of 10. Michigan Law checked all the boxes.
The couple married in 2013 after meeting as students at Japan’s Hitotsubashi University Law School. For the first decade of his career, Kosuke worked as a judge, but in 2020, he switched to entertainment law and began offering legal advice to artists, producers, and event organizers.
Kaoru worked as an in-house legal counsel at Tokyo Gas Co., one of the largest energy companies in Japan, where she oversaw international energy-related projects. While her husband transitioned careers, she pursued her longtime goal of studying in the United States.
“I joined Michigan Law’s summer program for international law students at the English Language Institute,” said Kaoru. “The campus’s atmosphere was great, and since then, I wanted to return with my husband and our children. So, we applied to the Law School together.”
When they arrived, Kosuke said he was impressed by the beautiful campus and how friendly the community was.
Having recently completed their first semester, one of the most significant confirmations that they chose the right school is that if they need to bring one of their children to class or an event, the Michigan Law community embraces them.
“We would encourage other couples to come to Michigan Law together because it’s a welcoming space for families,” said Kaoru.
