September 4, 2008

Cooley Law School Announces Record Applications 

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School announced today that a record number of prospective law students applied to the school during the processing year that began September 1, 2007 and ended August 31, 2008.

New records were established for both the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program applications (5,812) and total applications (5,868) which include the applications to the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program. The previous records were set in 2005-06, which saw 5,787 J.D. applications and 5,835 total applications.

For the 2007-08 year, J.D. applications increased by 6.1 percent over the prior year’s total of 5,480. That increase of 6.1 percent was twice the national increase in applications for the year just ended. LL.M. applications to Cooley remained nearly the same as last year.

In the last year for which comparable data is available, Cooley ranked 13th in the number of J.D. applications received among 192 accredited law schools.

According to Assistant Dean of Admissions Stephanie Gregg, “The high quality of Cooley’s program and commitment to access to the legal profession attracts students from across the United States and around the world with about 80 percent of Cooley’s applications coming from outside Michigan. The result is that about 25 percent of our students are Michigan residents and our out-of-state students include the nation’s largest enrollment of foreign national students.”

Another reason that Cooley receives more applications than nearly all other schools is that Cooley is the only law school that offers classes year-round and is the only school that admits new classes three times a year.

“For most law schools, the admissions process is aimed at a traditional fall matriculation, but at Cooley, we will continue to seek applications from students interested in starting law school in January and May,” said Associate Dean Paul Zelenski. “Next January, a new group of students will be admitted to afternoon classes at all three campuses, as well as to a weekend section at the Grand Rapids campus. In May, we will admit another group to evening classes at all three campuses, including a weekend section at the Auburn Hills campus.”

Those interested in applying for the classes that begin in January and May at Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Auburn Hills should go to the Cooley website at www.cooley.edu.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the country.  Founded in 1972, it operates J.D. programs across Michigan in downtown Lansing, Auburn Hills and downtown Grand Rapids.  Today, Cooley Law School has more than 12,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and also offers joint degree and master of laws programs.  Cooley offers enrollment three times a year; in January, May and September.   Additional information about Cooley can be found at www.cooley.edu.