Tonya Krause-Phelan brings nearly four decades of combined courtroom experience and academic excellence to the training of tomorrow's lawyers. As Associate Dean of Academics and a tenured professor at Cooley Law School, she has shaped the careers of countless law students through her signature blend of real-world criminal defense expertise and rigorous instruction.
Before stepping into the academy, Krause-Phelan built a reputation as a formidable criminal defense lawyer. She began her careers as an Assistant Public Defender for Kent County's Office of the Defender. Once in private practice, she specialized in criminal defense representing clients — both appointed and retained — in state and federal courts. Her trial record includes an acquittal on a first-degree murder charge, a testament to her command of the courtroom and her fierce advocacy for her clients.
Since joining Cooley Law School in 2005, Krause-Phelan has served a term as the Faculty Conference Chair and currently chairs the Criminal Law Department in addition to her role as Associate Dean of Academics. Her teaching portfolio spans Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Sentencing, Trial Skills, and courses related to legal storytelling. She has co-taught courses in Constitutional Law, Ethics in Criminal Law, and the West Michigan Public Defenders Clinic. She has also coached national mock trial and moot court teams to numerous regional and national distinctions.
In addition to her expertise as a criminal law expert, Krause-Phelan is a thought leader in science-based teaching and learning in the law school setting. Her publications, professional presentations, and panel discussions at national conferences have focused on innovative pedagogy, online learning, learning outcomes, and assessment, student engagement, and designing the 3-L year to support bar success. Most recently, she completed the 2024-25 cycle of the Professional in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) fellowship.
Beyond the classroom, Krause-Phelan is a trusted public voice for radio, television, newspaper and podcasts on various legal issues including matters related to criminal law, wrongful convictions, constitutional rights, and criminal justice. She has appeared as a guest expert offering analysis on cases ranging from the Casey Anthony trial, the attempted kidnapping of Governor Gretchen Whitmer trial, the homicide trials of parents charged with homicide for the school shootings committed by their children, police officer shootings, and the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling on presidential immunity, to name a few.
Her commitment to justice extends into the community. She served as local counsel for an Innocence Project case in Michigan involving post-conviction DNA testing, sat on a hand-selected panel to moot the Michigan Solicitor General for three separate arguments before the United States Supreme Court, and currently serves on the Community Police Advisory Council for the Grand Rapids Police Department.
Her achievements have earned her widespread recognition, including the 2025 Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame, the 2023 Michigan Lawyers Weekly Influential Women of the Law designation, the YWCA Woman of Achievement honor, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Ferris State University. At Cooley, she received the Stanley E. Beatie Professor of the Year Teaching Award.
Tonya Krause-Phelan earned her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University.
