Valentine's Day at the College of Law
Love is in the air, and nothing is more romantic than law school. We asked some couples in the Loyno Law community about meeting their partner in law school or going through law school together.
Academic Success Director Marie Tufts and Fred Tufts (JD ‘89)
Why did you both choose to enter law school, and why pick Loyola?
Both of our fathers were lawyers, and we were naturally drawn to the profession because of their influence. We considered other law schools, but ultimately we were eager to return to our hometown after college. My husband is a Jesuit High School graduate and was drawn to Loyola for its Jesuit mission.
What was it like for you and your partner to be in law school together, and what are some specific Loyno Law memories you have together?
It was great fun attending law school together. Because we were going through the same experience, it was easy for us to understand the stressors of law school that we were each experiencing. We also enjoyed discussing and learning about the law together. Dean Algero was an integral part of our study group. One fun memory I have is that Fred and I participated in a "movie" that Professor Cynthia Lepow wrote and directed on divorce and taxation. She showed the movie at various conferences she participated in over the years!
Haleigh and Roy Rancatore (JD ‘28)
Why did you both choose to enter law school, and why pick Loyola?
Roy and I met in undergrad at Southeastern; we were both criminal justice majors and shared a dream of becoming lawyers. We had our oldest daughter right after I graduated, so we stayed to obtain our masters and had another daughter in the process. Then, we had the opportunity to move to New Orleans and fell in love with the city. We decided that we should both pursue our dream of law school. Loyola was the first school we toured, and we immediately fell in love. Loyola has this positive energy that draws you in. It really stood out to me how much the faculty loved being here and how eager all the students were to talk to us during our tour.
What's it like to have a partner who is also your classmate?
It's like having a built-in study buddy. We constantly hold each other accountable. We turn studying into dates when the kids go to bed. We love making a spread of desserts and prepping for class. When we drive in the car, we also bounce information off of each other based on what we've learned that week. Also, sharing textbooks is a huge plus!
Y'all have young kids as well; what's it like to both be in law school while also raising a family? Have there been any resources or people at Loyola that you feel like have helped you balance that workload?
Being in law school while raising a family is definitely challenging. However, it is important to us to show our daughters that perseverance and hard work can pay off. We treat law school like an eight-hour work day; when we are with our children at the end of the day, we clock out until bedtime. We use Fridays as our designated family day, where we don't even look at the books and we focus on doing something fun with the kids. Saturday and Sunday we prep for the week with the help of grandparents!
Honestly, my SBA mentor has been the best with learning to balance the workload. Her name is Belle and she also has a daughter. She has given me so much advice and seeing her succeed has given me so much hope! I also have talked with some of my professors and seeing them succeed with children is also amazing! Lastly, the parenting panel that IWH hosted was so informative.
Jessica and Kevin Mulgrew (JD ‘26)
Why did you both choose to enter law school, and why pick Loyola?
Loyola was the right choice for us because of its strong bar passage rates and its evening program, which allowed us to continue working and gaining valuable experience as paralegals while pursuing our degrees. Coming from creative backgrounds, we both reached a point where we wanted a career that would challenge us intellectually, allow us to further develop our legal skills, and help us build a strong future for our family. Navigating life as a couple always comes with challenges, so we chose one that would ultimately make us stronger.
What’s it like to have a partner who is also your classmate?
Honestly, it’s better together. It’s fun. We’re best friends, and we’ve also found an amazing community among our classmates. Having a partner who understands the workload is a huge bonus, especially being able to study together anytime. And on the way to final exams, we get to blast our favorite hype songs.
Have there been any resources or people at Loyola who have helped you balance the workload while being in the evening program and maintaining careers?
Being an evening student takes a lot of drive and determination, and ultimately you have to learn how to create your own balance. That said, one person who has truly stood out to us as an ally is Father Penn Dawson. He is always willing to drop everything to have a conversation when you need it, whether it’s about work, academic challenges, or for spiritual guidance.