Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Stephanie Gregg
Application deadline September 1
Full-time program application fee $0
Part-time program application fee $0
Besides the fall semester, can enter in winter/spring, summer

Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 80.1% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.02
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 146

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 145-154
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.74-3.42
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.07
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 150

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 142-149
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.59-3.35
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 2.99
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 145

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./LL.M. Taxation J.D./LL.M. Corporate Law & Finance
J.D./LL.M. Intellectual Property J.D./LL.M. Self-Directed
J.D./Master of Public Administration J.D./LL.M. Insurance Law
J.D./Master of Business Administration
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
A leader in practical legal education, all Cooley graduates have practiced law in a supervised setting. This includes externships or work in 1 of our 10 clinics. Students may earn a certificate in 1 of 11 concentrations. Cooley offers day, night, and weekend schedules year-round at our campuses in Michigan and Florida. JD-LLM, JD-MPA, JD-MBA, and JD-MSW degrees + study abroad programs available.
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy intellectual property law
clinical training international law
dispute resolution tax law
environmental law trial advocacy
health care law

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 268
Seminars 488
Positions available in seminars 9,014
Positions available in simulation courses 5,578
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 574
Student activities (as provided by the school)
The Student Bar Association coordinates more than 50 student organizations for social, athletic, political, and career/professional purposes. The Cooley Law Review and Journal of Practical and Clinical Law provide scholarly writing opportunities. Each campus hosts intra- and interschool moot court, trial, client counseling, and negotiation competitions.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 50
Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Typical size of first-year “small section” N/A
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 1,192
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 751
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 74
Full-time students involved in field placements 171
Full-time students involved in law journals 99
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 17
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 32

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 50
Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Positions filled in part-time program seminars 4,681
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 2,948
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 290
Part-time students involved in field placements 671
Part-time students involved in law journals 391
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 68
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 126

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 22.4:1 – High
Full- and part-time faculty 287
Full-time minority faculty 12.7%
Part-time minority faculty 15.7%
Total faculty 317
Total faculty (men) 59.3%
Total faculty (women) 40.7%
Total faculty (minorities) 15.1%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.3
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 1.9
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.61-3.35
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.02
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 143-151
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 146
Acceptance rate 80.1% – High
Student-faculty ratio 22.4:1 – High
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 63.2% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 84.5% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MI
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 84.8%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 3628

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 737

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 2,891

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school 16.3%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 12.1%
Third-year students discontinuing law school 1.3%
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 13.2%
Female students discontinuing law school 10.5%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Richard Boruszewski
Financial aid phone (517) 371-5140
Financial aid application deadline September 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $34,340 per year
Part-time: $22,090 per year
Room and board $7,800
Books $1,400
Miscellaneous expenses $5,486
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? No
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? No
Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? Yes
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? No

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 48.2%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 25.6%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 5.6%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $9,017
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $7,378–$16,396
Full-time students receiving grants 79.4%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 33.8%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 17.1%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 3.6%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $6,558
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $4,209–$9,941
Part-time students receiving grants 54.6%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $115,364
Proportion who borrowed 87.7%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? No

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 61,479
Microform titles 159,552
Electronic titles 22,093
Other non-book titles 1,495
Total titles 244,619
Volumes (excluding microforms) 335,877
Volume equivalent microforms 343,842
Total volumes and volume equivalents 679,719
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 432
Library’s online catalog or website includes links to electronic titles or databases made available by another campus library or consortia Yes

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 122
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 86
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 38
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 86
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 7
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 45
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 45
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 40
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 15

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 20
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 48
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 0
Does the law school have a wireless network? Yes
Wireless network is available in the law library, in classrooms, in computer labs, in administrative/faculty offices and work areas, elsewhere in the law school
Does the school require entering students to own a computer? No

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 155,617
Total seats available for library users 1,647
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) Cooley’s high-tech courtrooms & wireless classrooms were designed to enhance learning at our Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Tampa Bay, Florida campuses using environmentally responsible building practices. Our library has 679,719 volume equivalents with special collections in tax, elder law, intellectual property, and ethics.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MI
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 84.5% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 84.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 927
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 63.2%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 16.7%
Graduates whose employment status is known 83.3%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 63.2%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 14.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 3.5%

Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $40,000
Median private sector starting salary $50,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $65,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 22%
Median public service starting salary $50,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 2.7%
Percent employed in business and industry 17.6%
Percent employed in government 15.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 3.6%
Percent employed in law firms 52.0%
Percent employed in public interest 2.9%
Percent employed in an unknown field 6.1%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 40%
Graduates employed out-of-state 50.2%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 2%
Number of states where graduates are employed 41
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 1.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 8.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 52.9%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 1.9%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 11.3%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 2.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 4.6%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 2.6%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 5.8%
Employment location unknown 8.4%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career & Professional Development Office helps students and alumni through workshops, resume reviews, and practice interviews. Employers from across the US recruit through on-campus interviews and direct submissions. Cooley Classifieds provide current job postings. Cooley Volunteer Corps coordinates pro bono work. Portfolio projects help students focus career efforts.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 51.4%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 96.2%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 10.0%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 92.2%
Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 8.0%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 95.2%
Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 1.8%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 50.0%