Christa Schweizer met her fiance Mandela Fubler in a courtroom.

Next week, they get to share a professional milestone when they’re both called to the Bermuda Bar.

“We had always planned for that to happen and now that it’s becoming a reality it’s quite amazing,” said Miss Schweizer, who is completing her pupillage at ASW Law Limited.

“It will probably hit us closer to next week, but right now I’m so unbelievably proud of Mandela. He has definitely come a long way and he is not just a great lawyer, but a great friend to me and I know he is going to be a great husband.”

The couple chose New Orleans for their wedding next May because of their love of jazz.

Mr Fubler, 29, used to be part of a jazz ensemble called Mahogany. Miss Schweizer’s grandmother, Patricia Nicholas, was a jazz singer in downtown Manhattan for close to 30 years.

“That’s another thing we bonded over,” Miss Schweizer said.

The couple crossed paths five years ago.

Miss Schweizer was working toward her undergraduate degree in political science at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia at the time, but had a keen interest in law.

Mr Fubler, who was a first year law student, spotted her during a mock trial set up by the Bermuda Bar Association.

“Then when I decided to go to law school he reached out and said, ‘I’m in law school as well, so if you need any help just let me know’,” Miss Schweizer said.

“I moved out to the UK soon after that, in September 2010. He was studying in Birmingham and I was in Bristol but he came to visit a friend who was at my school and we ended up meeting up. That’s when our story officially started.”

Balancing the demands of law school and a long-distance relationship wasn’t an easy feat.

Miss Schweizer later moved to Birmingham to complete the last part of her studies, known as the Legal Practical Course.

“Once I was living in the same city as him then we were able to study together,” she explained. “Having him there was definitely very helpful because it’s an extremely stressful process.

“My studies were very time-consuming and both emotionally and physically draining. The expectations on you are pretty high and it’s a very competitive environment so it’s reassuring to know you have someone on your side, rather than secretly against you.”

Being called to the Bermuda Bar alongside her future husband was the cherry on top of becoming a lawyer, Miss Schweizer said.

“We worked so hard to get to this point and you never think this day will come,” she added. “Even once you finish your studies, you never know if you are going to get a pupillage. There are people I went to university with who haven’t been able to get the training to become a professional lawyer.

“You have to go through so many hoops just to get to this point and there’s a lot of joy and tears, but to finally be here, and with Mandela here with me, it’s both surreal and wonderful.”