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Isabel Zagazeta: From Toronto to Tampa, Building a Future in Law

Isabel Zagazeta: From Toronto to Tampa, Building a Future in Law

Isabel Zagazeta is a 3L J.D. candidate and Dean’s Fellow at Cooley Law School in Tampa, Florida. Originally from Canada, she earned her undergraduate degree at Wilfrid Laurier University before moving to Florida to study law at Cooley. She has earned book awards, served on Law Review, mentored incoming students, and was part of Cooley’s Moot Court team that recently won first place at the 2026 Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition. With a passion for legal writing and healthcare compliance, Isabel is building a strong foundation for a future in law at Cooley.

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  • Coolcat - Where It All Begins
    Coolcat - Where It All Begins

    Coolcat - Where It All Begins

    Coolcat has been around since 1990, yet whenever I write about it, I say “Coolcat, the library online catalog.” It replaces the paper card catalog which is now something that very few current students even remember. When the Library developed its first version of the online catalog, it was likely one of the first 25 academic law libraries to do so. The visionary leadership of Judith Ansbach, with librarians Pam Bartlett and Rita Marsala, as well as staff member Susan Oliver, helped us quickly transition to the newly emerging high-tech record-keeping system that we still call Coolcat.

  • There's No Point in Having Dreams if You're Not Going to Fulfill Them
    There's No Point in Having Dreams if You're Not Going to Fulfill Them

    There's No Point in Having Dreams if You're Not Going to Fulfill Them

    Pauline (Polly) Brennan was used to her husband, Tom — the late Michigan Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. Brennan Sr. — coming up with ideas — and plenty of them. Some were good, some not so good. “But some of his ideas were visionary,” she says, “And Cooley Law School was one of those.”

  • Helper Hyphens Aid Comprehension, Prevent Confusion
    Helper Hyphens Aid Comprehension, Prevent Confusion

    Helper Hyphens Aid Comprehension, Prevent Confusion

    I have blogged about the problem of excessive commas. Now I want to tackle the problem of a missing punctuation mark: the hyphen. I’m talking specifically about the hyphen that belongs in the middle of phrasal adjectives.

  • Honoree: Cooley alum named recipient of prestigious federal award
    Honoree: Cooley alum named recipient of prestigious federal award

    Honoree: Cooley alum named recipient of prestigious federal award

    Recent Cooley alumna Veller Morris almost went into a career in radiology—and it was sheer serendipity that she instead took a legal studies program.

  • Student Profile: Scholarship winner stays true to her longtime dream
    Student Profile: Scholarship winner stays true to her longtime dream

    Student Profile: Scholarship winner stays true to her longtime dream

    Riley Stheiner dreamed of becoming a lawyer as early as seventh grade, but after finishing her undergrad degree in legal studies and criminal justice from Grand Valley State University, she had second thoughts.

  • Changing Course: Newly minted law grad had long career in field sales management
    Changing Course: Newly minted law grad had long career in field sales management

    Changing Course: Newly minted law grad had long career in field sales management

    Scott Nowling who enjoyed a 27-year career in field sales management at Johnson & Johnson before studying law, recently graduated from Cooley Law School and was named summa cum laude of the Samuel Blatchford Class during a graduation ceremony at Michigan State University Auditorium on May 12. He ranked first with a cumulative grade point average of 4.0, one of 17 Cooley students who have graduated with a 4.0 GPA since the first graduating class in 1976.

  • Verbal vs. Oral: Know the Difference
    Verbal vs. Oral: Know the Difference

    Verbal vs. Oral: Know the Difference

    With the encouragement of my colleague Joe Kimble, editor of the long-running Michigan Bar Journal Plain Language column, I submitted “Help Wanted (and Needed!),” which appeared in the January 2019 issue. It called attention to help-wanted ads that demand excellent writing skills—but demonstrate something less.

  • Yaritssa Plasencia: Achieving Confidence Through Challenges
    Yaritssa Plasencia: Achieving Confidence Through Challenges

    Yaritssa Plasencia: Achieving Confidence Through Challenges

    As a teenager, Yaritssa Plasencia (Blatchford Class, 2022) knew she wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy when she got such wonderful care from a physical therapist after a bad car accident.

  • Two Sides of the Dog Collar: Puppy Contract Musings
    Two Sides of the Dog Collar: Puppy Contract Musings

    Two Sides of the Dog Collar: Puppy Contract Musings

    “Woof!” There are over 63 million United States households that know this sound when they come home from school or work. It’s the sound of your precious pup who keeps you company during the midst of your studies or sane after a long day at the office. Many of these furry friends were procured from a breeder where the buyer was obligated to sign a puppy contract. The general purpose of a puppy contract is to protect the dog. But how far can a breeder go before a court will not enforce the contract? Though these musings do not provide legal advice or opinions, following are some general points to consider if you purchase a puppy from a breeder or sell a puppy to a buyer.