Texas Law is committed to the full inclusion of students with disabilities in the law school community. In partnership with UT Austin’s Disability and Access (D&A) Office on main campus, the Student Affairs Office (SAO) coordinates all disability accommodations at the law school.
Receiving accommodations at the Law School does not guarantee accommodations on either the MPRE or Bar Exam. Each of these exams has a separate accommodations application process.
Below you will find an overview of the process for requesting disability accommodations at the law school. Information about other types of accommodations, including accommodations for pregnant and parenting students and language accommodations, can also be found on this page. If you need help navigating the process, Jamie Coughlin, the Law School’s Administrator of Accommodation Services, is also available to provide guidance and answer questions.
How to Request Accommodations
Law students seeking disability accommodations and services must first register with UT Austin’s Disability & Access office on main campus. To register with Disability & Access, visit the D&A website.
Emergency and Temporary Accommodations
Assistant Dean Elizabeth Bangs may grant short-term, emergency accommodations to students with temporary disabilities who provide appropriate medical documentation. If you need emergency accommodations as a result of illness, injury, or medical procedure, you do not need to register with D&A but should make an appointment with Dean Bangs.
After you meet with your D&A Coordinator and sign and submit the Acceptance of Services, request an accommodation letter through the D&A Web Portal to be delivered to Jamie Coughlin, the Law School’s Administrator of Accommodation Services.
Timing: You will need to request a new letter each semester. Accommodations are not retroactive and do not carry forward from semester to semester. Students with exam accommodations are encouraged to request letters before September 15 (Fall semester) or February 15 (Spring semester) to facilitate scheduling.
You will then meet with Jamie to discuss the implementation of your accommodations at the Law School. The Student Affairs Office works closely with students and faculty to determine how accommodations will be provided in a particular class. An accommodation should not alter the fundamental nature of a course or program.
Students may not approach faculty members about disability accommodations until they have met with Jamie to coordinate their accommodations. It is a violation of the Law School Honor Code to discuss accommodations related to exams and other anonymously graded assignments with faculty members.
Accommodations for Pregnancy, Nursing, and Parenting
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including on the basis of pregnancy and parenting status. The University and Law School provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy and parenting needs. Students seeking pregnancy and parenting-related accommodations should make an appointment with Assistant Dean Elizabeth Bangs. They may also contact the University’s Title IX Office.
Language-Related Accommodations
LLM or exchange students whose native language is not English may be eligible for language accommodations by contacting Carly Toepke, Assistant Director – Graduate and International Programs. JD students are not eligible for language accommodations.
Non-Law Student Accommodations
Non-law students registered with D&A who are taking a class at the law school should contact Jamie Coughlin, the Law School’s Administrator of Accommodation Services, at least two weeks prior to their exam. Because of the Law School’s anonymous grading policies, students should not contact their law faculty members directly.