Contact Student Affairs

Elizabeth T. Bangs

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs

Dean Bangs was raised in Southern California on country music and got to Texas almost as fast as she could. She has been the Dean of Students at Texas Law for over 10 years.

Dean Bangs and her team coordinate and support student and academic services, co-curricular and extracurricular programming, and student-focused special events. She counsels students on a wide range of academic, personal, and professional matters. 

She received her J.D. with high honors from Harvard Law School and previously taught civil procedure, disability law, and legal writing.

When she’s not at the law school (which is rare), Dean Bangs is mom to two school-age children. She loves live music and drinks too much coffee. Her door is always open to students.

Meg Clifford

Director of Student Success

Meg Clifford is the Director of Student Success. She supports the academic transition to law school, offers individual counseling to students who need academic support, and helps students navigate the law school experience through passing the bar.

Meg spent 10 years as a post-graduate fellow and staff attorney at Texas Law with the Mitoff Pro Bono Program and the Justice Center for Public Interest Law. She also served as a program advisor and curricula writer for the Explore Law program, and advocate and advisor to the Pipeline Program and incoming law students.

A double Longhorn, Meg earned her B.A. and law degree at UT Austin. Prior to law school, Meg was a teacher in The Bronx, New York. Ask her about breakfast tacos, podcasts and books that have nothing to do with law school, and what it was like to be there when Texas Football won the National Championship.

Christopher Sokol

Director of Student Affairs

Christopher Sokol is the Director of Student Affairs at the University of Texas School of Law. A native Texan, Christopher grew up in Plano and holds a B.A. in History from UT Austin and a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School.

He spent eight years working in college athletics at Chaminade University, UCLA, and the University of Oklahoma, where he also taught Sports Law and NCAA Compliance. His passion for helping students succeed led him to become the Director of Student Success at Oklahoma City University School of Law and their resident Sports Law Professor.

Outside of work, Christopher loves exploring Austin with his wife and dog, enjoying live music, reading, and writing.

Mia Lenamon

Student Program Coordinator

Mia is one of the first people you will meet in the Student Affairs Office. Mia supports a wide range of student-focused programming and events and offers guidance to student organization leaders. Outside of the student support role, she performs many functions to ensure smooth operation and function of the Student Affairs Office at Texas Law.  

Mia is a 2020 UT Austin graduate with a BS in Youth and Community Studies and minor in English. Mia served as a high school teacher before bringing her skills to the SAO. When she’s not working, Mia is pursuing coursework to obtain her master’s in higher-ed development and leadership. She enjoys reading books, taking her dog, Junie B, on walks, and doing new home projects. 

Jamie Coughlin

Administrator of Accommodation Services

Jamie is a full-time advisor for law students with disability accommodations. Jamie meets with each student approved by UT Disability & Access to discuss how accommodations will be provided in specific classes. Jamie administers final exams for students with disability accommodations and communicates with faculty members regarding papers and exams that are graded anonymously. 

Jamie earned a B.A. in Education Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Special Education at The University of Texas at San Antonio, and an M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked at UT for over four and half years in Disability and Access, where she supported students, faculty, and staff in creating accessible academic environments.

While she is not spending time on UT’s campus, she enjoys screaming her lungs out at Austin FC games with her husband. She also enjoys horror movie brunch with friends, bike riding, and live music.

Sam Jefferson ’23

Student Life Coordinator

Sam is a native of Texas, born in San Antonio and raised in Austin. Following undergrad at Michigan State University, Sam moved out to Seattle before enrolling in and earning his law degree from Texas Law.

Sam currently serves as the Student Life Coordinator, working closely with the Student Affairs, Admissions, and Communication offices. He enjoys introducing prospective students to Texas Law, guiding current students through their course and organizational decisions, and celebrating student triumphs by telling their stories through our social media channels.

Ironically, Sam has never been a huge technology guy—growing up, he was often called an “old soul.” Sam delights in whipping out his quills, fountain pens, ink, stationery, and wax seals to write letters to folks near and far. When he’s not writing, Sam enjoys watching basketball at all levels. But his favorite teams are the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Lynx, Michigan State, and UConn in the NBA, WNBA,  NCAA, and NCAAW respectively.

Katie Peele

Student Affairs Administrative Associate

Katie is who you will meet at the front desk coming into the Student Affairs Office. Katie manages a variety of tasks to provide support and help to students and performs administrative tasks to ensure efficient operation of the SAO. She manages student academic documentation, room reservations, and other important functions within the office.

Katie was born in Austin and has lived here her whole life. She graduated from UT Austin in 2024 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Japanese. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling, the outdoors, music and concerts, and spending time with family and friends.

Sarah Kitten

Director of Academic Services & Registrar

As Director for Academic Service and the Registrar, Sarah oversees functions related to registration, course schedule production, exam administration, grade reporting, and faculty support. Sarah earned a B.A. in Hispanic Linguistics and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration, both from The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked at UT for over twenty years as an academic advisor and advising administrator in the College of Liberal Arts and in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics.

A native Texan, Sarah grew up in San Antonio and once she came to Austin for college, she never left! She has a love-hate relationship with all things sports, particularly the San Antonio Spurs and the Texas Longhorns.  In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, volunteering at her church, and any sort of outdoor activity with her husband.

Ian Gonzalez

Senior Administrative Associate for Academic Services

Ian is responsible for supervising the exam process and administration for midterm and final exams. Ian also oversees the Course Evaluation System build and administration. He also maintains constant communication with professors and students regarding grade reporting, exams, registration, and other academic processes.  Ian is your go-to person when it comes to anything related to final exams or course evaluations.

Ian grew up in San Antonio and played a multitude of sports as a kid. He then left Texas and went to the University of Oregon. He graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Earth Science. Ian is a big advocate for the environment and everything that encompasses it. He is a huge supporter of environmental law. In his free time, he watches sports and television, enjoys outdoor recreation, and loves to find new places to eat. Ian appreciates the large art and food culture in Austin!

Leticia Sheffield

Academic Program Coordinator

Leticia manages and supports student registration processes, administers non-law student registration, and manages enrollment. She assists the Director of Academic Services with course scheduling and maintains student records for transfer work, study abroad, and independent instruction.

Leticia grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Forensic Psychology at Texas State University. She enjoys going to restaurants and coffee shops and watching movies with her husband.