Elle expects her wealthy boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, to propose. Instead, he dumps her because he is heading to Harvard Law School and needs a "serious" wife to match his political ambitions. Determined to win him back, Elle studies relentlessly, scores a near-perfect 179 on her LSATs, and gets accepted into Harvard Law herself.The Struggle: At Harvard, Elle is completely out of place. She faces intense skepticism from her professors, heavy judgment from her peers, and a frosty reception from Warner’s new, conservative fiancée, Vivian. Instead of giving up, Elle decides to prove everyone wrong. Guided by an advanced law student named Emmett Richmond, she applies herself and lands a prestigious internship on a high-profile murder trial. Elle uses her unique, encyclopedic knowledge of hair care and fashion to crack the case, completely exposing the real murderer in open court. Elle realizes she is far too good for Warner and rejects him. She graduates at the top of her class, gains the ultimate respect of her peers, and finds true love with Emmett.