Facts-at-a-Glance

Admissions

Admissions eligibility is based on an applicant's LSAT, Undergraduate Grade Point Average (UGPA), and character & fitness considerations.

2016-17 Tuition + Fees

$1,750 per credit hour, JD Level I, assessed on first 30 credits. Remaining tuition will be assessed at JD Level II, $1,675 for 2016-17.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

Books, room & board, personal, transportation, and loan fees for two semesters.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

• 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.
• Generous scholarships available based on undergraduate GPA and LSAT score. Once enrolled, a student receiving an entering scholarship of less than 50% may increase the level of that scholarship through academic achievement in subsequent terms based on the class ranking system.
• Financial Aid available.

Locations

Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Michigan and Tampa Bay, Florida. First 15 J.D. credits can be earned at Western Michigan University’s main campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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 »

170 full and part-time faculty taught in the fall of 2015.

Student Profile

As of October 5, 2014

• 1,880 students enrolled (1,742 J.D. + 138 LL.M.)
• 585 J.D. students are members of minority groups (33.6%)
• 938 J.D. students are women (53.8%)
• 102 J.D. students are from foreign countries (5.9%)
• 82.6% of J.D. students are enrolled part-time

WMU-Cooley Alumni »

Over 20,000 graduates. Alumni in all 50 states and in 30 countries and territories outside the U.S.

Degrees

Juris Doctor
JD/LL.M.
JD/MPA; JD/MBA; JD/MHA; JD/MSHROD; 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 has more than 3,000 approved placement sites across the United States and in select foreign countries. There are nine different WMU Cooley Clinics.

• Access to Justice Clinic (Grand Rapids) provides free civil legal services to low and moderate income residents.
• Debt Relief Clinic (Tampa Bay) students have an opportunity to represent clients in transactional matters, alternative dispute resolution, and pre-litigation resolution, all under the supervision of practicing attorneys.
• 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.
• WMU-Cooley Innocence Project (Lansing) students help innocent, incarcerated defendants obtain DNA testing.
• The Public Defender Clinics (Grand Rapids) students have their own caseload and work with seasoned public defenders in a criminal litigation setting.
• Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic (Lansing) students provide free civil legal assistance to area senior citizens.

Law Library »

Each WMU-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.