A Pair of Pattans: Siblings Graduate Law School Side-by-Side

As brother and sister, Austin and Morgan Pattan, ’21, have done a lot together. They went to the same schools growing up, shared the same friends, and even worked at the same local restaurant as teenagers. Taking on law school side-by-side “just seemed natural,” said Morgan.

Austin is the eldest of the pair by three years, but he explained that it was Morgan who led the charge to pursue law school and to enroll at MSU College of Law. 

“I said to him, ‘You know what would make law school better? If you went with me’,” she said, smiling. “We applied to some of the same schools, and I probably coerced him a little bit. I was looking at apartments and I was like, ‘There’s this apartment on sale and I’m signing for it and you should be my roommate’.”

Morgan received her bachelor’s degree in humanities/pre-law studies from Michigan State University in 2018, always knowing that law school would be the next step for her upon graduating. She encouraged Austin, who at the time was feeling ready for a change in his work, to explore the idea for himself.

As a Spartan alumna, Morgan was able to welcome her brother into the MSU campus community. Coincidentally, their first day of classes at MSU Law was also Morgan’s last day in her old place in East Lansing before the siblings moved into the apartment that they would share for the next three years of law school, creating countless memories. Some that they wish they could forget, like an Immersion Week wardrobe malfunction, and ones that they’ll always remember, like celebrating published journal notes, Moot Court victories, and more.

While the siblings shared the decision to attend MSU Law, their areas of interest vastly differ. Morgan catered her courses and extra-curriculars to her goals of working in animal law, including her roles as president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and the articles editor for the Animal and Natural Resource Law Review. She was the recipient of the State Bar of Michigan’s Wanda A. Nash Award for 2021, which recognizes a 3L at a Michigan law school for substantial contributions to animal law.

Austin’s experience narrowed in on the business side of law, building on his background in finance and management. He had the opportunity to practice and hone his abilities in that area during his time on Moot Court. He was part of a team that took the top placement at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Midwest Regional Shapero Cup Moot Court Competition and Symposium in 2021, advancing to the National Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition where they secured a spot among the top eight teams.

“In pursuing different areas, it almost seems like the rewards come at different times. There’s always time to appreciate what the other person is doing,” Austin explained. “I remember Morgan getting on journal, and then Morgan finishing her note and finding out it was going to get published, and then I got on Moot Court the next year, and different awards we’ve both gotten, or job offers – it always happens at a time that you never feel like your success is overshadowed.”

Their differing studies and interests allowed them to inspire each other to try certain courses and topics they wouldn’t have considered otherwise, like when they took Business Enterprises together with Professor Emeritus Bruce Bean.

“Austin was geeked to take it because he studied finance in undergrad, that’s his cup of tea – and it is not my cup of tea,” said Morgan. “I was dreading it more than I can tell you, but it ended up being one of my favorite classes. I think what made it so helpful was reading something and being able to say, ‘Austin, I literally have no idea what they’re talking about. Can you explain this to me like I’m 5?’”

From the challenges of Business Enterprises to the exhilaration of an outdoor Commencement ceremony on a beautiful day in early May, they experienced all the highs and lows of law school together with unconditional support from one another.

“Law school can be super overwhelming sometimes and it’s really nice to know that somebody genuinely gets it. I think it’s really hard to understand the pressures unless you’re in it,” said Morgan. “It’s nice to have that support and know your best friend has your back and genuinely gets what you’re going through.”

As new graduates, the Pattan siblings will prepare for their summer bar exams together: Austin will be taking the Uniform Bar Exam in Illinois and working for the Division of Corporation Finance at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and Morgan will sit for the Michigan Bar and join the Calhoun County Public Defender’s Office.