Associate Professor
B.A. Rutgers University 1987
J.D., summa cum laude, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 1992

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Before joining the faculty at Cooley Law School, Professor Cooney spent ten years in private practice with AV-rated civil-litigation firms in Grand Rapids and Southfield, Michigan, most recently Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff, P.C. During his early years in practice, he handled jury and bench trials (both solo and second-chair) and appeals, but later concentrated on civil appeals. His substantive areas of practice included legal-malpractice defense, medical-malpractice defense, insurance coverage, and general tort defense, and he also briefed a variety of ethical and constitutional issues in judicial-discipline cases.

Professor Cooney has successfully briefed and argued appeals in the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He has also chaired the Appellate Practice Section of the Michigan Bar, served on the Section's council, and chaired the Section's Federal Practice Committee. While in private practice, he received the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review's Distinguished Brief Award (awarded to the three most scholarly briefs submitted to the Michigan Supreme Court in a given term) for his brief in In re Chmura, 461 Mich. 517, 608 N.W.2d 31 (2000).

Professor Cooney has authored a variety of articles concerning legal research and writing, including articles published in the ABA Law Student Division’s “Student Lawyer” magazine, the Michigan Bar Journal, and the newsletter for SCRIBES (The American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects).

Before joining Cooley’s full-time faculty, Professor Cooney taught Advanced Research and Writing at Cooley as an adjunct professor.

As a law student, Professor Cooney graduated first in his class, was the Comments Editor for the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, and received American Jurisprudence or Certificate of Merit “book” awards in 13 courses.

Professor Cooney teaches Research and Writing and Advanced Research and Writing.

Bibliography

• Books and Chapters in Books
• Articles
• Book Reviews and Other Short Works

Presentations