Biography

Bebe Gonzalez serves as Assistant Dean Alyssa Leffall’s assistant. She works in coordinating all aspects of the Office of Law Student Affairs. She answers inquiries, provides assistance with student appointments and coordinates law student accommodations with the Office of Student Accessibility Services.

She works as a liaison with Registered Student Organizations (RSO). She also inputs RSO announcements to display information on monitors across the law school campus. She provides exam management for accommodation students and handles direct conflict exams. She prepares third-year bar card certifications, the law school newsletter the Witan, processes dignitary requests and provides notary services.

Gonzalez graduated Cum Laude from St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. Gonzalez is a native San Antonian who enjoys traveling, photography, and reading.

Biography

Stephanie Medellin serves as Director of Pro Bono Programs at the St. Mary’s University School of Law’s Center for Legal and Social Justice. She is a first-generation college graduate from Corpus Christi, Texas, a St. Mary’s Law alumna, and has demonstrated a passion for public service in every step of her career.

As the Director of Pro Bono Programs, Medellin oversees the implementation of the service graduation requirement for JD students at St. Mary’s Law. Through the development of multiple community-centered collaborations, the Pro Bono Program has connected law student volunteers with opportunities to meet the law-related needs of the San Antonio community.

As the supervising attorney for the Identification Recovery Program, Medellin oversees a law student-powered outreach effort at Haven for Hope, San Antonio’s largest homeless services provider.

Prior to joining St. Mary’s, Medellin was a legal aid attorney and the director of the Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault (LASSA) Project with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) in Corpus Christi, where she primarily represented survivors of domestic and sexual violence in divorce, custody, and protective order cases, but also represented clients in education cases from elementary school to college and transgender and nonbinary clients in name and gender marker corrections. She was also the shelter attorney for The Purple Door, the Coastal Bend’s domestic violence shelter, taking direct referrals regarding clients in shelter or receiving shelter services who needed legal assistance, and represented the shelter and staff to quash subpoenas or find alternatives to protect survivor privacy.

Medellin received undergraduate degrees in mathematics and biomedical science and a master’s degree in counseling from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. She received her law degree from St. Mary’s Law where she was a student coordinator for the Pro Bono Program and a student attorney with the Civil Justice Clinic.

• 2020 Top Attorneys: Rising Star, The Bend Magazine, 2020
• St. Mary’s Presidential Award, St. Mary’s University, 2018
• Excellence in Pro Bono Award, St. Mary’s University, 2018
• Alice Wright Franzke Feminist Award, St. Mary’s University, 2017
• Marianist Green Award for Community Spirit and Cooperation, Center for Legal and Social Justice, 2017

Articles in a Periodical

• “Pro Bono Proves Powerful in Career Hunt,” TYLA eNews, Feb. 2017 (with Ayssa Palacios and Brooke Holland)

Presentations

• “Identification Recovery,” San Antonio Paralegal Association CLE, Jan. 2023, San Antonio, TX
• “Rolling into Court with the Squad: A Trauma-Informed and Holistic Approach for Survivor Resiliency,” Poverty Law Conference, Aug. 2022, Austin, TX
• “What Every Poverty Lawyer Should Know About Sexual Violence,” Poverty Law Conference, Sept. 2021, Austin, TX
• “Protective Order Bootcamp 2021,” Nueces and San Patricio County Attorney’s Offices CLE, May 2021, Corpus Christi, TX
• “The Interplay of Guardianship Reform and Working with Survivors of Sexual Violence,” Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Conference, Jul. 2020, Austin, TX

Biography

Lloyd oversees media relations, news and information, and social media efforts for the University and the School of Law. She is also Executive Editor for the University’s Gold & Blue Magazine and the Gold & Blue Law Edition.

You can connect with her on LinkedIn and X, or submit a magazine or web story idea here. Members of the media may reach her at 210-431-4374 or jlloyd@stmarytx.edu.

Prior to joining St. Mary’s University in 2014, Lloyd covered higher education issues and scientific research as a journalist for the San Antonio Express-News. She joined the Express-News in 2008 to cover pop culture and young adult issues under the umbrella of the features section.

After transitioning to the metro section in 2009, she covered general assignments as well as San Antonio’s North Side and Comal County before joining the education team. She covered K-12 education, focusing on the city’s largest school districts, before moving into the higher education and scientific research beat.

Earlier in her career, she covered arts and nonprofits for the Victoria Advocate. Her work has also been featured in the Seattle Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Austin Monthly and many other publications.

She has taught journalism courses at the university level and gives back to her community through public service. She is a board member for the nonprofits Students of Service and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival.

• Gold & Blue Magazine was honored with the Collegiate Advertising Award Gold Award in the category Publication External- Series two years in a row, February 2019 and March 2020
• Honored with the American Marketing Association San Antonio Chapter’s 3rd Place Marketing Excellence Award in the category of Higher education/K-12 for St. Mary’s Law’s J.D. advertising campaign, June 2018
• Honored with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District IV’s Bronze Award in the category of Alumni Program for a Project or Special Event for the Gran Final of the Henry B. Gonzalez Centennial, March 2018
• Honored with the 2017 Collegiate Advertising Awards Gold Award in the Special Video Production – Series category for the St. Mary’s Law Recruiting Video Campaign, Feb. 12, 2018
• Honored with the 2017 Collegiate Advertising Awards Silver Award in the Publication External category for the inaugural Fall 2017 issue of the St. Mary’s University Gold & Blue Law Edition Magazine, Feb. 12, 2018
• Honored with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District IV Gold Award for the category Writing – Feature – More than 1,000 Words for the Gold & Blue Magazine article, “Entrepreneurs Abroad: St. Mary’s students travel to India to teach business development in Bangalore’s slums,” March 6, 2017
• Honored with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District IV Gold Award for Institutional Identity Program for overseeing the creation of School of Law’s Constitution Day Program, April 4, 2016
• Distinguished Graduate of the St. Mary’s Greehey MBA Program for Values-driven Leaders, December 2016
• Presented photos and experiences in India at the event, “Lunch and Learn with the Marianist Sisters in India,” March 29, 2016
• Member of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Career Advisory Council
• Honored with the Texas State Teachers Association’s School Bell Award for an “Outstanding Feature Story” for the back-to-school news feature “Teachers’ learning experience” published on Aug. 27, 2011
• Produced content for a San Antonio Express-News features publication blog focusing on the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which was recognized as one of the best blogs in the state by the Texas Press Association
• Presented research on the representation of immigration in the media at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Convention, 2007

Biography

Ms. Mery has worked at the Admissions Office of St. Mary’s School of Law for 29 years. As the Director of Student Enrollment she implements the Law School’s policies and procedures for admission and processes the application for the incoming class and transfer students. Ms. Mery oversees the student body including the Masters of Jurisprudence (M.Jur.), the Master of Laws (LL.M.), and the Jurist Doctorate (J.D.). She is responsible for organizing and executing course scheduling, managing online registration, and reporting statistics to the American Bar Association requiring proof of enrollment.

Biography

Olfers has worked at St. Mary’s University for more than 30 years. Prior to becoming Director of Student Records for the School of Law, she held various positions including assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School and assistant to the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences.

As the Director of Student Records, she ensures the integrity and maintenance of student academic records. Olfers also oversees test proctors during final exams and coordinates commencement eligibility and degree audits.

Biography

Director Rivas started her legal career in a clinical fellowship program at her law school alma mater. In addition to practicing civil litigation, she co-taught the clinical seminars and supervised law students in the civil clinical course. During her fellowship, she was also charged with coordinating the Center for Legal and Social Justice’s Pro Bono Program and Border Outreach Program.

In 2018, she was named Director of the Externship program after serving as the Associate Director since the program’s formal launch in 2011. Each semester she prepares students for their semester-long learning experience. Director Rivas is the primary contact and part of the support system for supervising attorneys hosting Externs each semester. She works with them individually and provides regular CLE workshops focused on supervisor effectiveness, ethics, and supervision issues. Additionally, she conducts employer and community outreach to expand experiential opportunities for students through the program. She coordinates with the faculty director, Assistant Dean Karen Kelley, other faculty members, and the Office of Career Services to ensure the program’s continued growth and success.

Her love of teaching and passion for education started after college as a Teach For America Corps member teaching middle school in the Rio Grande Valley. She currently serves as an advisory board member for Teach For America San Antonio.

Presentations

• Navigating Crosscurrents: Challenges and Opportunities in Partnerships between Career Services and Externship Departments, Co-Presenter, NALP Annual Educational Conference, Chicago, Illinois, April 29, 2015
• Supervising the Millennial Generation: The Good, The Bad, and The Hopeful, Co-Presenter, Practice Credit Program Supervisor CLE, April 10, 2015
• Breaking it down: Effective Assignments, Discussion and Exercises, Co-Presenter, Fall 2014 Practice Credit Program Supervisor CLE
• What Makes a Good Mentor: Effective and Consistent Feedback, Discussion and Exercises, Co-Presenter, Spring 2014, Practice Credit Program Supervisor CLE
• Advertising and Selection Tips, Assignments: Long Term, Short Term and Routine, Co-Presenter, Fall 2013, Practice Credit Program Supervisor CLE
• Writing Feedback, Optimal Observations, and Five Minute Supervising Tips, Co-Presenter, Spring 2013 Practice Credit Program Supervisor CLE
• Tips for Mental Health Professionals Regarding Subpoenas, Court Testimony and Legal Liability, March 2012, Guest Speaker, St. Mary’s University Department of Counseling and Human Services
• Violence on the Border, Perseverance and Hope: Providing Help along the Border Guest Speaker, St. Mary’s University President’s Peace Commission Panel, Fall 2010

Biography

Kimberly Underdown serves as the Director of Student Engagement in the Office of Career Strategy. She counsels law students and graduates and handles all ABA employment data collection for OCS. Underdown manages student participation in regional job fairs and maintains CORE, the web-enabled recruiting site for law students and legal professionals. She currently serves on the Sunbelt Recruitment Program Board (formerly Sunbelt Diversity Recruitment Program), is actively involved in the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), and currently serves as a member of the NALP/ABA Employment Outcome Advisory Group.

Underdown joined the Office of Career Strategy in January 2014. In her time at St. Mary’s, she has served as Office Coordinator, Recruitment and Programming Coordinator, and Assistant Director, Employment and Recruitment. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication and Psychology from the University of Houston-Victoria in 2011 and is currently pursuing a Master of Art in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at St. Mary’s University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending time with her family.

• Negotiations Nuggets, NALP Annual Education Conference, Co-Presenter, April 2024.
• Salary Negotiations, St. Mary’s University School of Law, Co-Presenter, October 2023.
• Collecting, Maintaining, and Reporting Graduate Employment Data Using 12Twenty, NALP Annual Education Conference, Co-Presenter, April 2023.
• Expanding Reaching by Working with Student Ambassadors. NALP Annual Education Conference, April 2023.

Biography

Zapata serves the School of Law community as the Coordinator of Student Success Programs. In this role, he assists students in attaining access to resources to ensure success in law school, bar preparation and beyond. He works specifically with the Academic Success, Bar Success and LCAP (Legal Communication, Analysis, and Professionalism) Programs and also assists the Legal Writing Center. Zapata assists in managing operations, logistical planning, event management, communications and supports data tracking for these programs. He also assists with other School of Law initiatives when the need arises.

An alumnus of the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas, Zapata received his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science in 2012 and a Master of Education in Student Services in Higher Education (with distinction) in 2017. Prior to coming to St. Mary’s in 2019, he served at The University of Texas at San Antonio and UIW. In his 15 years of higher education experience, Zapata has served in the functional areas of student life, residence life and housing operations, undergraduate and graduate enrollment management, and academic success.

As a product of lifelong Catholic education, he is committed to Catholic higher education and the Marianist mission and values. Zapata works to ensure student have the tools and support necessary to succeed and develop into responsible and well-formed legal professionals who serve the common good with a service-oriented, family spirit.

A native San Antonian, he grew up not too far from St. Mary’s and attended schools in its vicinity, including St. John Bosco Salesian School and Holy Cross of San Antonio. Zapata is a life-long parishioner of St. Philip of Jesus Catholic Church, located in the Lone Star District. He serves his parish community as a member of the Gala and Festival committees, manages the parish’s social media platforms, and assists parish organizations with programming outreach. In his free time, Zapata loves to explore San Antonio and all it has to offer. He enjoys leisurely walks on the Riverwalk and participating in San Antonio’s many festive traditions and events.