In Honor of Valentine's Day, we asked alumni to share their Iowa Law love stories with us.
Friday, April 10, 2020

We received numerous responses, showing us that love does bloom at Iowa Law. Here are a select few.

Daniela Erickson: Ben Erickson and I (both class of 2018) met just before 1L orientation and got married this last November! (featured photo)

Dana Drape: Thomas Foley, class of '85 and I, class of '84, met the summer after my second year and his first year. We celebrated our 30th anniversary last August. Our son Ryan graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law last May!

Rachele Braverman Hjelmaas: My husband Joel and I met in the fall of 1985 when I was a 1L and Joel was a 2L. We have been married 31 years and we have 4 amazing sons. Our son Jacob graduated from Iowa Law in 2018 and our son Josh will graduate from Iowa Law in 2022!

Couple sitting next to each other at a restaurant.

Alexandra Sorenson: My husband, Chris Sorenson, and I met at Iowa Law at 1L orientation. We celebrate our five-year anniversary this August!

Amy Best: Allen says we met while tabling for the ISBA Halloween party and always gives me a hard time for blocking that from my memory - I'm sure I was more concerned about whatever reading I was doing while tabling. We connected at the Halloween party and got to know each other better while both serving as ISBA reps. We've known each other for over 10 years now and have been married for five and a half years!

Jonathan Michael: My wife, Erin and I met at the Halloween party our 1L year. We became good friends through shared classes and student organizations. We started dating in our 3L year. I proposed to her on the balcony outside the upstairs student lounge at BLB, while students were studying for their finals. We now have 2 boys and just celebrated 7 years of marriage in July.

Kimberly Chester: Jonathan Chester and I (class of 2008) were in the same small section as 1Ls. We will celebrate our 11th anniversary this year.

Ryan Connor Forbes Shellady: My wife and I managed to stay engaged despite me being in law school and being unbearable. She also put up with my Bar exam studying while we, she, planned our wedding. Then we got married the day after I was admitted to the Bar. The magnitude of her patience and tolerance is a love story for the ages. (Photo credit: Jeno Collective Photography)

Bride and Groom standing under clear umbrella.

Thomas Patton: While we already knew of each other, I really met my wife, Devan Rittler-Patton, in 2016 at Iowa Law after we litigated a case against each other in Trial Advocacy. She was a 2L and I was a 3L. We got married in August, and I am still celebrating every day.

Tom Ksobiech: Mary Prescott Ksobiech and I met each other on the first day of orientation and struck up a conversation about “Seinfeld.” I made a point to sit next to her on the first day of Torts. It wasn’t long before we were best friends. In the Fall of ’99, we tied for Best Advocate in the Stephenson Trial Ad Competition. Professor Whiston coached us to a Regional Victory and the National Tournament the following Spring. That was when we finally started dating. Two years after graduation, we married.

Couple in caps and gowns at graduation.

For the past fourteen years, we’ve worked in the same building, now as Asst. Deans at the University of Alabama School of Law. Nothing makes us happier though, than being back home at Iowa. The first picture is from Commencement in May 2000. The second picture is of us back in our seats from Torts class when we visited the law school in 2017.

Couple sitting next to each other in a lecture room.