Valentine’s Day 2026: How UC Law SF Alumni Found Love in Law School
Matt and Niki Roman ’09 (left) and Lisa and Don Clay ’81 (right) met their life partners while in law school. This Valentine’s Day, UC Law SF celebrates these alumni couples and the lifelong connections they built.
- Lasting romance can blossom in unexpected places, including law school.
- Don and Lisa Clay ’81 sat next to each other in first-year classes before building a life together.
- Matt and Niki Roman ’09 met in the McAllister Tower, turning a chance encounter into a lifelong partnership.
Law school can spark more than a legal career. It’s also where some people meet their life partners. This Valentine’s Day, meet two couples who found love as classmates at UC Law San Francisco.
Lisa and Don Clay ’81
On their first day of law school in 1978, Don and Lisa Clay crossed paths walking to campus from the Civic Center BART station. Fate — and the registrar — placed them in the same section, and an alphabetical seating chart (Clay and Coughlin) put them right next to each other.
Being in the same section meant taking every first-year course together, leading to long hours in class and plenty of time studying side by side. Don didn’t wait long to ask Lisa out, inviting her to lunch at Knight’s, a cafeteria-style diner on Golden Gate Avenue where the Cotchett Law Center now stands.
“Lisa was cute, smart, and always had a beautiful smile,” Don said.
They dated throughout law school, sharing meals, studying, playing tennis, attending sporting events, and supporting each other through demanding schedules. Lisa remembers Don as consistently encouraging.
“He supported my goals and celebrated my successes,” she said. “And he was very handsome, had a great personality, and a great smile.”
In their third year, both externed at the First Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal just blocks from campus. Don worked for Justice Clinton White, while Lisa worked with Justice John Miller.
They married on Dec. 6, 1981—one week after learning they had both passed the California bar exam.
Both had long careers in public service. Lisa spent 37 years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, focusing on child abuse cases, retiring in 2019. Don served 21 years as a judge on the Alameda County Superior Court, retiring in 2024. He now serves on the UC Law SF Board of Directors and chairs the San Francisco Police Commission.
Together, they raised three children and now have five grandchildren. Two of their children are lawyers—one a 2014 graduate of UC Law SF.
Today, they divide their time between San Francisco and Napa Valley, enjoying travel, friends, and family gatherings.
“What we love most is being with our kids and grandchildren,” Lisa said.
Their advice for students reflects the balance they’ve built in their own lives. Don encourages students to “stay focused on your law school mission until you graduate” while respecting and cherishing loved ones.
Lisa tells students to stay centered on what’s most meaningful.
“The love of the people you care about is the most important thing in your life,” she said. “More than money or professional accolades, it’s relationships with loved ones that matter most.”
Niki and Matt Roman ’09
Matt and Niki Roman’s love story began with an open apartment door, loud music, and a chance encounter in a McAllister Tower hallway.
In 2006, Matt had just unlocked the door to his new apartment after a grueling move from San Diego, including a broken-down truck and two stressful days on the road. He left his door open, hoping to meet new neighbors.
“Little did I know the first person I met in the Tower would be my future spouse,” Matt said.
Niki, an incoming 1L, had just moved in. She and a friend noticed an open door at the end of the 11th-floor hallway, music booming from inside. Niki, who grew up in Placer County, peeked in and saw a “true Southern California guy,” wearing board shorts, a fraternity T-shirt, a backward cap, and flip-flops.
“I knew this would either be awesome, or a lot of trouble,” she said. “Twenty years later, it’s still pretty awesome.”
They started spending time together in group outings, then increasingly on their own, meeting between classes and building a connection that deepened over time. Matt admired Niki’s confidence, and Niki noted Matt’s ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
“One of my favorite things about Matt is his ability to instantly connect with people, no matter their background, interests, or politics,” she said.
They dated throughout law school, got engaged before their 3L year, and married in October 2009 in Placer County, surrounded by family, friends, and law school classmates. They are now parents of two children, Brooke and Daniel, ages 13 and 11.
Based in Sacramento, both work as attorneys for public agencies. Niki is a supervising deputy county counsel with Sacramento County Counsel, and Matt is a deputy attorney general in the Police Practices Section of the California Attorney General’s Office.
Outside of work, they enjoy outdoor activities with their kids, including camping, backpacking, paddling, and snowshoeing. Niki is a troop leader for their daughter’s Girl Scout troop, and Matt is a den leader for their son’s Cub Scout pack.
“Matt is fully supportive of me in all my endeavors,” Niki said. “He is a true partner, and I am grateful for our egalitarian relationship.”
Their advice for law students? Niki encourages open-mindedness about different areas of practice and types of law.
“Be receptive to trying new things,” she said. “You never know — you just might find your calling in a field of law you had never considered.”
And as for whether two lawyers argue a lot at home?
“We don’t argue much,” Matt said. “But when we do, we’re at least familiar with the same rules of evidence.”