When Cooley Law School began classes in 1973, it was unmatched
by any other law school for its founders’ radical idea that graduates
should have the practical skills necessary for seamless transition
from academia to the real world. Cooley continues to celebrate
its growth and success through over 13,000 graduates across
the nation and worldwide.

“Cooley’s dynamic educational environment exposes our students to diverse views, while teaching the bonds of law and professionalism.”

Don LeDuc, President and Dean,
Thomas M. Cooley Law School

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School was founded in 1972 by a group of lawyers and judges led by then Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Thomas E. Brennan. The school was named for Thomas McIntyre Cooley, a legal scholar and learned Michigan Supreme Court Justice of the 19th century. Cooley has grown from a regional law school in Lansing, Michigan, to one of national stature. We have the nation’s largest Juris Doctor program and most comprehensive part time legal education program among accredited law schools. A fair and objective
admissions policy and tough, practical, professional legal education have created an important place for Thomas Cooley among American law schools.

Cooley’s focus on practical legal scholarship recognizes that the law is not merely a body of rules or knowledge, but a vital process. At Cooley, legal theory is rigorously analyzed and integrated with practice. Scholarly research and writingare used as an integral part of this process. To this end, the law school has recruited a faculty with strong backgrounds in the practice of law. This permits a pedagogical approach that stresses analysis and understanding of the practical implications of legal theory. Planning and prediction, issue identification, persuasive argument, and consideration of ethical implications are a regular part of the classroom experience at Cooley.