Cooley Law School has been found in compliance by the American Bar Association Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to Bar following a brief probationary period invoked in September.
Following recent nationwide bar exam results, the law school is now in compliance with Standard 316, which states that 75% of ABA-approved law graduates who take the bar examination must pass within two years of graduation.
During the council’s August 2025 meeting, Cooley Law School Dean James McGrath testified that over 75% of Cooley’s 2024 graduates who have taken a bar examination had passed.
At that time, the council did not agree that Cooley Law School was in compliance with Standard 316 because results were not yet known for a small number of 2024 graduates who did not take a bar examination before July 2025. The law school was then placed on probation.
During the meeting Dean McGrath testified, “While we cannot predict the future, Cooley is confident that when the nationwide results of the July 2025 bar examination are known, Cooley will be able to definitively prove compliance with Standard 316.”
During the council’s meeting that took place in November the council found Cooley Law School is in compliance with Standard 316 and no longer on probation.
“I am pleased to report that 76.2% of Cooley’s 2024 graduates who have taken a bar examination within two years of graduating have passed, putting us in compliance,” Dean McGrath said. “Cooley Law School is a trusted institution where law students are empowered to become future-ready leaders who think critically, communicate effectively and are well equipped to navigate and make an immediate impact in today’s complex and ever-changing legal landscape.”
Since its founding, Cooley has offered legal education opportunities for diverse populations, including those who want to attend law school but need flexible night or weekend scheduling to accommodate their schedule.
Mitchell Zajac, who chairs the law school’s board of directors, said Cooley Law School remains committed to its founding principles and continues to take steps toward boldly transforming legal education.
“Cooley is preparing future-ready lawyers through enhanced teaching and learning practices, expansive experiential learning opportunities and by providing programs to ensure that a legal education remains affordable and accessible to all those who commit themselves to achieving ambitious standards of professional excellence,” Zajac said.
