[9] As a result of his service, Monroe became a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.[10][11]
Monroe resumed studying law under Jefferson and continued until 1783.[12][13] He was not particularly interested in legal theory or practice, but chose to take it up because he thought it offered "the most immediate rewards" and could ease his path to wealth, social standing, and political influence.[13] Monroe was admitted to the Virginia bar and practiced in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Marriage and family
Elizabeth Kortright
On February 16, 1786, Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright (1768–1830) in New York City.[14] She was the daughter of Hannah Aspinwall Kortright and Laurence Kortright, a wealthy trader and former British officer. Monroe met her while serving in the Continental Congress.[15]
After a brief honeymoon on Long Island, New York, the Monroes returned to New York City to live with her father until Congress adjourned. They then moved to Virginia, settling in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1789. They bought an estate in Charlottesville known as Ash Lawn–Highland, settling on the property in 1799. The Monroes had three children.