Cooley Law School

What Cooley Law School does

Cooley Law School is an independent, private, non-profit, ABA-accredited law school founded in 1972 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. It offers a single Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree product delivered across five scheduling formats — full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and a 24-month accelerated program — at campuses in Lansing, MI and Tampa, FL, with an additional Grand Rapids teaching location. The school serves prospective law students broadly, with explicit positioning around working professionals, military-affiliated students, career-changers, and social-justice-minded applicants. Differentiated experiential offerings include the Cooley Innocence Project (Michigan's only post-conviction DNA innocence organization, established 2001), Social Justice and Community Service Clinics, Externships, Moot Court Competitions, and Simulation Courses. A 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a student body that is 36% students of color underpin its stated equal-access mission.

The core technology is fundamentally pedagogical rather than software-based: ABA accreditation (required for bar eligibility in most U.S. states) is the foundational regulatory credential, and the school's technical differentiation rests on experiential learning infrastructure — case-screening systems within the Innocence Project (6,000+ cases screened since 2001, 10 exonerations directly attributed, 16 total individuals helped), faculty expertise (including a Harvard University Press-recognized 'best law teacher'), and a behavioral-science research collaboration with Western Michigan University's Instructional Design Research Lab supporting evidence-based teaching methods. There is no proprietary software platform, API, or mobile app disclosed.

The business model is tuition-driven at its core, supplemented by philanthropic revenue. As a non-profit, Cooley generates the bulk of operating revenue through tuition and fees for J.D. enrollment, with scholarships ranging from 10% to 100% of tuition used as both a financial-aid mechanism and a recruitment tool. Secondary revenue streams include alumni donations (e.g., the 35th Annual Cooley Golf Classic benefiting the Alumni Memorial Scholarship Fund) and event sponsorships (e.g., the Cooley Innocence Project 25th Anniversary Gala with tiered sponsorships up to $10,000). Distribution is direct-to-consumer: rolling admissions with two entry terms (January and September), applied through an online portal, marketed via the school's website, blog, news room, and organic social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, X). No tuition pricing is publicly disclosed.

Name

Cooley Law School

Legal name

Cooley Law School

Website

https://cooley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cooley Law School is an ABA-accredited, independent non-profit law school founded in 1972, offering a J.D. degree through full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and 24-month accelerated formats at campuses in Lansing, MI and Tampa, FL, with the Cooley Innocence Project as a signature experiential program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education (Professional Law School)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run) (EDAHAIAG), Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs (EDAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Juris doctor degree
• ABA-accredited law school
• Experiential legal learning
• Post-conviction innocence work

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: As a private, non-profit law school, Cooley generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees from J.D. degree programs.
2. Alumni Donations and Fundraising: The school conducts annual fundraising events including the Cooley Golf Classic (35th Annual) which benefits the Alumni Memorial Scholarship Fund, supporting students pursuing legal education.
3. Event Sponsorships: The Cooley Innocence Project 25th Anniversary Gala offers sponsorship opportunities at various tiers (Title Sponsor $10,000, various hole and event sponsorships) to support the project's work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cooley Law School delivers an ABA-accredited Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree through multiple study formats—full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and a 24-month accelerated option—across campuses in Lansing, Michigan and Tampa Bay, Florida. The academic experience is anchored by experiential learning offerings including the Cooley Innocence Project, social justice and community service clinics, externships, moot court competitions, and simulation courses. Tuition is supported by 10% to 100% scholarships, and the institution is accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission.

Product overview

Cooley Law School is an independent, private, non-profit educational institution offering a single unified J.D. degree program with multiple delivery formats (full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and accelerated). The institution supplements its core law degree with experiential learning components including the Cooley Innocence Project (Michigan’s only post-conviction DNA innocence organization), Social Justice Clinics, Community Service Clinics, Externships, Moot Court Competitions, and Simulation Courses. Academic support is provided through the Academic Resource Center and Dean’s Fellow program. The school operates year-round at Michigan (Lansing) and Florida (Tampa Bay) campuses, with scholarship programs supporting tuition costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cooley Innocence Project: Michigan's only post-conviction DNA innocence organization that provides students hands-on experience working on real wrongful conviction cases. Since 2001, it has screened thousands of cases and helped secure exoneration of 10 wrongfully convicted individuals.
• Cooley Law School Tampa Bay Campus

Products and services

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program ABA-accredited law degree program offering full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and a 24-month accelerated track at the Lansing, Michigan and Tampa Bay, Florida campuses, preparing students for the bar exam and legal practice.
• Cooley Innocence Project Post-conviction DNA innocence organization providing law students hands-on experiential learning by screening applications, investigating facts, conducting interviews, analyzing cases, and representing clients in court; has screened over 6,000 cases and contributed to multiple exonerations.
• Scholarship Programs Tuition scholarships ranging from 10% to 100% awarded to incoming and continuing students based on merit and need, including the Alumni Memorial Scholarship Fund.
• Academic Resource Center Academic support services including peer-to-peer mentoring, tutoring, workshops, and the Dean's Fellow program to help students succeed in law school and prepare for the bar exam.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5:1 Student-to-Faculty Ratio
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Michigan Law School Innocence CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on George Calicut Jr. case, where Cooley Innocence Project worked alongside the University of Michigan Law School's Innocence Clinic to secure Calicut's release after 27 years wrongful imprisonment.
• Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at UPenn Carey Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2024Cooley Innocence Project leaders Ann Garant and Marla Mitchell-Cichon presented at the 2024 Spring Symposium discussing collaborations between Innocence Organizations and Conviction Integrity Units.
• U.S. Department of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Cooley Innocence Project received an Upholding the Rule of Law grant from DOJ in 2021 to review cases in which unreliable forensics played a role in conviction. The grant supports investigation and litigation work.
• Michigan Attorney General's Conviction Integrity UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership since 2018 for DNA and forensic casework review. This collaboration led to Louis Wright's release after 35 years and other exonerations. The Cooley Innocence Project works with the AG's office on post-conviction cases involving unreliable forensics.
• Western Michigan University (WMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year behavioral science research collaboration with WMU's Instructional Design and Management Research Lab directed by Dr. Douglas Johnson. Partnership has spurred teaching reforms and developed evidence-based teaching methods. Includes joint authorship of books on bar-exam preparation and teaching law. Also includes collaboration with WMU medical school for interdisciplinary programs and WMU social work program for Innocence Project investigations.
• Wayne County Conviction Integrity UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on wrongful conviction cases including George Calicut Jr., Dell Crawford, and Duane Williams. The partnership reviews cases where convictions may be questionable and works toward exoneration.
• State Appellate Defender Office (SADO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Duane Williams case and other exonerations. SADO and Cooley Innocence Project work together providing investigative resources and drafting motions.
• Warner Norcross + Judd LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Grand Rapids law firm to co-host National Wrongful Conviction Day panel discussions featuring exonerees. Community education and awareness initiative.
• Alpena Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host panel discussions on wrongful convictions at the community college, spreading awareness about criminal justice issues beyond major cities.
• Gerald R. Ford Presidential MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooley Law School provides programming at the museum including leadership and ethics programs, using the mock oval office for educational purposes.
• Riverwalk TheatreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on 'The Exonerated' play talkback events where Cooley Innocence Project staff lead discussions following performances of the production about wrongfully convicted individuals.
• Innocence NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with international network of innocence organizations. Cooley Innocence Project is Michigan's only post-conviction DNA innocence organization and part of this network credited with over 375 wrongful conviction releases through DNA testing.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southwestern Law School: California-based independent ABA-accredited law school with a similarly strong experiential-learning orientation and mission of access; comparable to Cooley in independent/private character and emphasis on part-time/evening programs.
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law: Michigan-based independent ABA-accredited law school with a similarly mission-oriented focus on access and practical training; a direct peer in Cooley's home state.
• Ave Maria School of Law: Florida-based independent ABA-accredited law school with a values-driven mission; directly comparable as a peer Florida competitor (Cooley faced Ave Maria in the 2026 Orseck Moot Court semifinals) and as an independent, non-university-affiliated school.
• Barry University School of Law (Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law): ABA-accredited Florida law school named as a moot court competitor in the 2026 Orseck Competition; directly comparable in geography, scale, and applicant segment served.
• Florida A&M University College of Law: ABA-accredited Florida law school named as an Orseck Competition opponent; comparable in mission (access and diversity) and Florida applicant market.
• Wayne State University Law School: Detroit-based ABA-accredited Michigan law school; comparable geography and applicant pool, with a broader public-university affiliation that competes for Michigan residents.
• St. Thomas University School of Law: Florida ABA-accredited law school Cooley faced in the Orseck final round; comparable in size, independent/private character, and Florida market positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan State University College of Law: Major public ABA-accredited Michigan law school; competes for the same in-state applicant pool as Cooley but with stronger brand recognition and university backing.
• University of Michigan Law School: Top-tier U.S. law school that also partners with Cooley on innocence work (e.g., George Calicut Jr. case); comparable only as an adjacent Michigan institution but a clear brand benchmark for bar-passage outcomes.
• University of Florida Levin College of Law: Top-ranked Florida public ABA-accredited law school and named Orseck Competition opponent; the dominant incumbent in Florida's legal-education market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WMUcooleylaw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cooleylawschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/cooleylawschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cooley-law-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/cooleylawschool

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooley Law School