Cooley Law School

09/04/2026

Why attend the Cooley Innocence Project 25th Anniversary Gala? Hear from Co-Directors Ann Garant and Tracey Brame as they share a few great reasons to be part of this special evening. Join us September 19 in Lansing to celebrate 25 years of impact and support the next chapter of justice.

09/02/2026

Cooley Law School invites all eligible graduates who have passed the bar exam to join us for Mass Swearing-In Ceremonies in Tampa and Lansing.

Tampa Ceremony
Thursday, September 24, 1:00 p.m.
Presiding: Honorable Nick Nazaretian, 13th Judicial Circuit Court, Hillsborough County

Michigan Ceremony
Thursday, October 29, 10:30 a.m.
Presiding: Honorable Rosemarie Aquilina, Cooley Alum

More details to follow. Contact [email protected] with questions.

09/02/2026

Hear from one of the special guests joining us for the Cooley Innocence Project 25th Anniversary Gala. Award-winning NBC News journalist, Dateline NBC producer, and author Dan Slepian recently joined Michigan's Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels to talk about his work investigating wrongful convictions and sharing the stories of those impacted by the justice system.

Slepian will join internationally recognized justice reform advocate Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez at the gala on Saturday, September 19, at 6 p.m. at Grewal Hall in Lansing. Limited tickets are still available. Join us as we celebrate 25 years of the Cooley Innocence Project and support the next chapter of justice.

Listen to the interview here: https://hubs.ly/Q04whfhl0

09/01/2026

Cooley Law School Records Nearly 40% Enrollment Increase with Incoming 2026 Class

Cooley Law School welcomed students back to school at its Tampa, Fla., and Lansing, Mich., campuses, marking a 38% increase from its largest class in seven years.

In August, Cooley held orientation for 271 new students – 151 Lansing and 120 Tampa – ahead of the start of classes on Sept. 8. In addition to Michigan and Florida, students are coming from 24 U.S. states, two U.S. territories, and eight foreign countries.

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Cooley Law School welcomed students back to school at its Tampa, Fla., and Lansing, Mich., campuses, marking a 38% increase from its largest class in seven years last fall.

08/21/2026

We're proud to share that Cooley Law School graduate and Board Vice Chair Aaron Burrell has been elected secretary of the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners for the 2026-27 Bar year. Burrell, a 2010 Cooley graduate, was first appointed to Cooley’s Board of Commissioners in 2019, and elected vice chair in 2024. He is a litigation attorney at Dickinson Wright’s Detroit and Troy offices, focusing on complex commercial litigation, appellate law, labor and employment law, and minority business enterprises.

Read more:

The State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners has announced the election of Cooley Law School Board Vice Chair Aaron Burrell as secretary for the 2026-2027 bar year.

08/20/2026

Congratulations to Cooley Law School graduate Dorothy J. Dean on receiving the State Bar of Michigan's Champion of Justice Award. The Cooley community is proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and her continued impact on the legal profession.

Dorothy J. Dean is one of the winners of this year's Champion of Justice Award, which is given to practicing lawyers and judges of integrity and adherence to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession, superior professional competence, and an extraordinary professional accomplishment that benefits the nation, the state, or the local community in which the lawyer or judge lives.

Dean has experience in criminal and civil litigation, appellate advocacy, family law, juvenile law, and probate matters, primarily practicing throughout Wayne and Oakland Counties. She attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and while in law school, co-founded the Rosa Parks Scholarship Fund, an initiative dedicated to supporting aspiring law students.

She also served as vice president of the Pearls of Service Foundation; president of the Southfield Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force, Inc.; chaired the first Court-to-School Program for the Western International Optimist Club in collaboration with the 46th District Court; chaired a United Nations Summit focused on criminal justice reform, human trafficking, poverty eradication, and youth civic engagement through Model United Nations simulations; and is on the Executive Board of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.

Dean will receive her award at the State Bar of Michigan Presidential Inauguration & Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy on September 18, 2026. Visit michbar.org/awards to purchase your tickets.

08/17/2026

Congratulations to our faculty members on their recent promotions and new appointments at Cooley Law School's Tampa Bay campus.

Professor Joseline Hardrick has been promoted from associate professor of law to professor of law.

Professor Matt Marin has been promoted from associate professor of law and director of academic support services to professor of law and director of academic support services.

Professor of Law Stevie Swanson brings more than 23 years of legal education experience. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Law School, she teaches Property, Secured Transactions, Slavery & Human Trafficking, and Real Estate Discrimination.

Associate Professor of Law Carly McLaughlin previously served as managing editor for the National Conference of Bar Examiners. She brings experience in legal assessment, bar examination development, legal writing, and editing. At Cooley, she teaches Legal Research & Writing.

We're proud to recognize their accomplishments and the experience, leadership, and dedication they bring to our students and the Cooley community.

Read more: https://cooley.edu/news/faculty-promotions-new-appointments-tampa-bay-campus

08/06/2026

The latest issue of Benchmark is here! This special edition celebrates 50 years of Cooley Law School graduates by honoring members of our first graduating class and reflecting on the legacy they've built. You'll also find alumni stories, school news, and updates from across the Cooley community. Read it here: https://hubs.ly/Q04rTxdk0.

08/04/2026

Exciting news! A generous anonymous donor has committed a $25,000 matching gift in celebration of the 25th Anniversary Cooley Innocence Project Gala. For a limited time, every donation will be matched dollar for dollar—up to $25,000. Your gift helps fight wrongful convictions, restore lives, reunite families, and ensure justice is served.

Donate today: https://hubs.ly/Q04rQbW_0

08/03/2026