Facts-at-a-Glance
Cooley Law School is a non-profit, independent, 501(c)(3) Michigan educational corporation.Admissions »
- Admissions eligibility is based on an applicant's LSAT and Undergraduate Grade Point Average (UGPA).
Admission Index »
- UGPA (as evaluated by Law School Credential Assembly Service) x 15 + LSAT (LSAT scores accepted up to 5 years.)
2012-13 Tuition + Fees
» Costs, scholarships, admissions
- $1,325 per credit hour, JD Level I, assessed on first 30 credits. Remaining tuition will be assessed at JD Level II, $1,275 for 2012-13.
2012-13 Estimated Educational Expenses »
- $14,686 (books, room & board, personal, transportation, and loan fees for two semesters).
Scholarships & Financial Aid »
- Generous Honors Scholarships available, based on Admission Index and LSAT score. Once enrolled, a student receiving an entering honors scholarship of less than 50% may increase the level of that scholarship through academic achievement in subsequent terms, based on the class ranking system.
- A student's highest scholarship award is continued for the duration of the student's enrollment so long as the student is not subject to sanction under the Honor Code or Disciplinary Procedures.
- Entering Michigan and Florida residents can earn from 10-85% of tuition based on their Cooley Admissions Index or on the LSAT score.
- Financial Aid available.
Locations
- Five campuses: Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids, and Lansing in Michigan and Tampa Bay in Florida.
Academic Calendar »
- Year-round academic program with 3 semesters per year: January (Hilary), May (Trinity), and September (Michaelmas).
- Students may begin their studies in September, January, or May.
Flexible Scheduling Options »
- Part-time and full-time programs, including traditional summers off.
- Classes offered on weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
- Degree completion in two, three, four, or five years.
Faculty »
- 131 full-time faculty and 196 part-time faculty. Our professors are experienced lawyers and judges.
Student Profile
- 3,220 students enrolled (3,095 JD + 125 LL.M.)
- 922 JD students are members of minority groups (29.2%)
- 1,564 JD students are women (50.5%)
- 178 JD students are from foreign countries (5.8%)
- 80.5% of JD students are enrolled part-time
- Median LSAT score is 145
- Median undergraduate GPA is 3.02
Cooley Graduates »
- Over 17,000 graduates
- Our alumni are located in all 50 states and in 23 countries and territories outside the U.S.
Degrees
- Juris Doctor
- JD/LL.M.
- JD/MPA; JD/MBA; JD/MSW
- LL.M. - Corporate Law and Finance
- LL.M. - Homeland and National Security
- LL.M. - Insurance Law
- LL.M. - Intellectual Property
- LL.M. - Self-Directed
- LL.M. - Tax
- LL.M. - U.S. Legal Studies for Foreign Attorneys
Clinical Programs »
All Cooley students have hands-on practice experience. Our externship program placed over 800 students in the last academic year. Currently, we have more than 3,000 approved placements sites across the United States and in select foreign countries. There are ten different Cooley Clinics.
- Access to Justice Clinic (Grand Rapids) provides free civil legal services to low and moderate income residents.
- Cooley Innocence Project (Lansing) students help innocent, incarcerated defendants obtain DNA testing.
- At the Estate Planning Clinics (Auburn Hills and Lansing), students counsel clients and draft wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives for them (night and weekend students have priority).
- Family Law Assistance Project (Auburn Hills) students work on family law issues -- divorce, custody and domestic violence -- under the supervision of faculty and Lakeshore Legal Aid staff attorneys.
- At the Public Sector Legal Project (Grand Rapids), students provide civil legal services of a transactional, advisory, legislative, or systemic nature to government clients in management or elected office. Night and weekend students have priority.
- Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic (Lansing) students provide free civil legal assistance to area senior citizens.
- The Public Defender Clinics (Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids) students have their own caseload and work with seasoned public defenders in a criminal litigation setting.
- Cooley Immigrant Rights and Civil Advocacy Clinic (Ann Arbor) students help immigrant clients with civil legal matters (night students have priority).
Law Library »
- Each Cooley campus has its own library.
- Brennan Law Library in Lansing is among the largest law school libraries in the nation. Research volumes from all 50 states, plus Federal and International materials.
- Reference Desk staffed 86 hours per week by professional librarians.
Accreditation »
- American Bar Association, 321 Clark Street, 21st Floor NE, Chicago, IL 60610, 312-988-6738, www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education.html - accreditated since 1975
- Higher Learning Commission, a member of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413; 800-621-7440, www.ncahlc.org - accreditated since 2001
- Commission for Independent Education, Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1414, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400, (888) 224-6684, www.fldoe.org/cie/ - Licensed since April 2011.
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a Michigan private, nonprofit educational corporation.
